The Mavericks have been one of the most distinctive acts in the country/roots music community since they broke through with What a Crying Shame in 1994, which is especially interesting since they've been in a steady state of evolution ever since. The breezy retro-twang sound they made famous in the 1990s would give way to a deeper and more ambitious approach that boosted their Latin influences, turned their pop accents in different directions, and allowed their country side to fade into the background. 2024's Moon & Stars is clearly the work of the 21st century incarnation of the Mavericks, though it also sees them winning back a bit of the upbeat sound of their hitmaking days. In particular, "Overnight Success" is a tale of an aspiring honky tonk star that could have been an outtake from 1995's Music for All Occasions with its bouncy two-beat, fiddles, and Raul Malo's devil-may-care vocals. The easygoing "A Guitar and a Bottle of Wine" is pleasingly happy on the surface and sad just beneath, "And We Dance" gives Malo the chance to show off his rich Roy Orbison-esque delivery, and the sexy swagger of "Live Close By (Visit Often)" is a cheating song that makes infidelity sound exciting if you're doing it right (and Nicole Atkins' vocal cameos don't hurt a bit). And while it's darker than their biggest hits, the pop classicism of "The Years Will Not Be Kind" (written by Malo and Bernie Taupin, Elton John's longtime lyricist) nods to the superb craft of their hits. The more atmospheric, Latin-infused tone of the Mavericks' more recent work still dominates most of these 11 tracks, and the menace of "Without a Word," the romantic slow dance of the title track (featuring Sierra Ferrell), and the Latin disco pulse (complete with wah-wah guitar) and progressive message of "Look Around You" (with a guest vocal from Maggie Rose) remind us that as much as they've changed, the Mavericks are still a great group who consistently deliver in terms of songwriting and studio performances. If you loved the Mavericks in the 1990s, Moon & Stars will probably remind you why, and if you've been loving them up into the 2020s, it will make clear this is one group that never disappoints. ~ Mark Deming