AMERICAN HIGHWAYS, JANUARY 2024 Mustangs of the West, Down at the Palomino. There are all styles of country music in Southern California, enough for everyone to find the kind they like. Mustangs of the West have been playing long enough to have performed many of them, and the beauty of the group is they keep expanding their sound because, well, that’s what great bands do. DOWN AT THE PALOMINO is named in honor of the revered club in North Hollywood that for over a half-century led the way in presenting country music in Los Angeles. The biggest stars and some of the unheard heroes of the style called the stage home, and there surely won’t be another Palomino on this planet. Mustangs of the West know all the territories of the country sound, and are not shy about playing exactly what they feel like. Their knocked-out new album starts with the title song and lays out exactly where they’re at. The five Mustangs all have various backgrounds, but one thing is for sure: they take their country music seriously. Between their original songs and classy covers, it is no surprise they’ve also become one of the fastest-rising groups in the genre. Songs by Timothy B. Schmit, Audioslave, REO Speedwagon, Rolling Stones, Robbie Robertson, Buddy Holly and Chrissie Hynde sound brand new in the Mustangs’ hands and voices. That isn’t as easy as it may sound. The real secret of Mustangs of the West is that they are unafraid to sound like themselves, and also quite open to using all the many influences they’ve each accrued over the years to add to that mix. In the end, it’s this mixture that makes the Mustangs so irresistible. Walking the line between the past, the present and the future is the true key of all great groups. And this is a great group. Make no mistake. - Bill Bentley