Sewn Together

The further removed legendary twang-punks Curt and Cris Kirkwood get from their brief, "Backwater"-fueled period of commercial success, it's more difficult to believe that they every strayed from their original loose-and-limber formula. There are some odd diversions on SEWN (like the nearly romantic sort-of ballad "Sapphire"), but for the most part, everything on TOGETHER will satisfy diehard fans, who have adopted the Puppets as their own hard-edged update of the Grateful Dead. It's fun to hear the brothers burn the house down on "Rotten Shame" and make straightforward concessions to country staples on "Smoke," but "The Monkey And The Snake," with its pitter-pat percussion and goofy, whistle-anchored chorus, is the best reminder that the Puppets are alive and recording meaty albums.