On the follow-up to
Dumbass on a Rampage, New York's
Barnyard Playboys offer up a refreshing new take to their country-tinged hard rock sound. Immediately showing off pop sensibilities not apparent on the disc's predecessor,
Corn Dog Love kicks off with the simple, catchy title track. Quickly, though, the band returns to its brash, mind-in-the-gutter humor on the second track, "Turd in the Mail," although the song still shows a band quickly finding its feet, as the song is more compact, precise, and catchy than most of the group's debut. Favoring an acoustic approach on "Last Round" and "Hi You're Dead," the band embraces a more mature approach, while "Psychic" and "Nashville Girl" show a band with one foot in the rock scene and another firmly placed in the country music world. On tracks like "Whiskey Dick Mountain" and "My Heart Is in the Right Place (But My Head Is Up My Ass)," singer/guitarist John Lyons, bassist Adam Freeman, and drummer Joe Baxley execute their sometimes crass sentiments with more artistry than was evident throughout the trio's previous recordings. "13 Steps to the Altar" might hint that marriage might've mellowed Lyons, and his more mellow and focused approach to songwriting has certainly served him well. The closer, "Mama's Big Behind," points back to the band's bar band roots. Rubric Records released the disc in March 2003. ~ Stephen Cramer