Small Town Heroes

>> Do you ever get a hankering for some old-timey music, then feel sad because your phonograph is broken? Well, I have good news for you: Hurray for the Riff Raff is available online. The group’s third album, “Small Town Heroes,” is a collection of  blues, folk and Americana. Although the music is anachronistic, the lyrics are not outdated. The title track concerns heroin addiction, homelessness and looking for love. “St. Roch Blues” addresses the culture of violence in the neighborhood where singer and guitarist Alynda Lee Segarra settled in New Orleans after riding the rails from the Bronx around the United States. Another standout, “The Body Electric,” gives a feminist rebuttal to country murder ballads, referencing Johnny Cash’s “Delia’s Gone” and gutting you with the poignant last line.  There are upbeat tracks, too, such as “End of the Line.” Segarra’s antique twang proves that a minimalist approach gives you more when it comes to honesty.