For their third long-player, Tuscaloosa wildmen The Dexateens edge ever so further into southern-rock-with-teeth territory. In fact, with the presence of Patterson Hood as co-producer, Hardwire Healing makes a nice bookend with some of the stronger Drive-By Truckers efforts, blending surreal pedal-steel laced ballads like "Neil Armstrong" in with guitar-tentacled moster rockers like "Makers Mound" and the opener "Naked Ground." Singer/writers Elliott McPherson and John Smith lead the onslaught, walking a taut, tension-filled tightwire throughout, especially on this disc's highlight, the dark "Fyffe." Yet discernibly lurking around in the mix is a pronounced soul/R&B vibe (you can even imagine Clarence Carter taking a stabe at "Some Things") which gives this band plenty of dimension and dynamics in contrast to some of their more cardboard peers. This one deserves to launch the band out of the indie ghetto and into the consciousness of the Americana crowd. - Luke Torn