The Samples continue to put Colorado on the music map with their fourth album The Last Drag. With 16 songs, as well as the most elaborate, environmentally conscience CD jacket I've ever seen, The Last Drag sounds more like their first puff for a group just coming into their own. Touring for the last three years has paid off for Sean Kelly (vocals/guitar), Andy Sheldon (bass/vocals), Jeep Macnichol (drums/vocals), and Al Laughlin (keyboards/vocals), who deliver over an hour's worth of their easy-going rock. The Last Drag sounds thei finist work to date.

The first thing to strike me about The Samples is Kelly's vocals and the remarkable resemblance to Sting's, which often overshadows the group's original blend of musical styles. Once you get past the Sting and The Police (the band's harmonies are also very similar) comparisons, it is easy to see why The Samples were such a favorite on last year's H.O.R.D.E. Tour with their relaxed brand of progressive rock revolving around rich harmonies and textured guitars. The band wastes no time in utilizing this formula on their first three tracks, the radio friendly "Little Silver Ring," "Everytime," and "Still Water." The album's first side alternates between songs in this same mold and some moving, acoustic ballads.

The second half of The Last Drag is more moody and experimental. "Darkside" is ironically upbeat with its jangly guitar and Hammond organ blasts, while the title track creates a rustic feeling over a din of crickets and farm animals. There is no irony on "Misery" though, sung entirely by Macnichol with a dark, timbre.

The Samples further expand their musical canon with "Nitrous Fall," combining Beach Boys harmonies with a reggae drum beat. The ska-powered "Playground" combines ripping guitar solos with organ riffs right out of a Rockies baseball game.

The disc has all the tools to be the band's biggest seller, and with 50,000 pre-orders already, The Last Drag appears to be just the beginning for The Samples' journey toward wider audiences and more acclaim.

Reviewer:  Don Kroeller Jr., courtesy of Flash Magazine.