Bookended by two tight instrumental tracks, the Magnificent 7s’ sophomore release, All Kinds of Mean, is mean indeed. Picking up where 2008’s Dirty Roads left off, All Kinds of Mean sees the five-piece in fine form, if a touch road worn. Featuring 12 tracks, the disc never loses steam, even on the pensive, moody middle-album numbers “The Rapture” and “Travelin’ Song.” Personal highlights for me are the title track, “Needle in the Hay,” and a beautiful cover of Neil Young’s “Unknown Legend.” “The Flame is Gone (Country Bitchin’)” is also a beauty in the vein of old Conway Twitty / Loretta Lynn duets, where gambling and drinking and running around are hashed out in the parking lot of some backwoods honky tonk. My only concern with the disc is that it is over too soon. Let’s hope it doesn’t take so long for the 7s to put out their next disc, because short and mean as it may be, All Kinds of Mean leaves me with a mighty thirst for more. (Transistor 66, transistor66.com) Sheldon Birnie