Better Than Ezra - Deluxe

Like a Jayhawks without the Los Angeles glitz, Louisiana's Better Than Ezra plays soulful country rock that's artful but bare of artifice. Regrouping after an independent debut and the death of its rhythm guitarist, the trio originally released the engaging Deluxe on its own, but it has since been picked up by Elektra. The band gets extra points for "The Killer Inside," a tune that quotes crime noir novelist Jim Thompson. --Jim DeRogatis