Together nearly a decade, this Austin quartet is renowned for fusing energy with a near-fanatical devotion to Buck Owens"s classic Bakersfield sound. While that worthy model had on past albums resulted in a surfeit of slavishly imitative tunes, Genuine marks a decided move forward. Buck-isms are still abundant, the continuing devotion reflected by their Tele-twang instrumental sound, Tony Villanueva"s and Brian Hofeldt"s vocals, a Bucked-up version of Jim Lauderdale"s "The Way to My Heart," and a revival of the swirling Buckaroo instrumental "The Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar." But with longtime Randy Travis producer Kyle Lehning in charge, the band is beginning to reveal other facets clearly inspired by mid-"60s rock--even Buck himself loved the early Beatles. The stylistic changes are most apparent on the pulsating original "Scratch My Itch" and on "Whole Other World," a quintessential lament of the lonely, city-weary country boy. And closing with the acoustic bluegrass gospel of "The Wheel" is a positively inspired choice. Though "Love Me Some Elvis" is a banal tribute unworthy of their time, the rest is near perfection. --Rich Kienzle