Hippies at heart, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real always ran the risk of drifting a little too far out into space, particularly after spending a little too much time with their frequent frontman Neil Young. Sticks and Stones finds the group firmly returning to earth, stripping away trippy affectations so they can concentrate on such earthy pleasures as blues boogies, barroom dances, campfire singalongs, and copious amounts of liquor. Nelson places alcohol squarely at the center of "Alcohallelujah" and "Every Time I Drink," a pair of songs unveiled early on the record, and they're key to understanding where Promise of the Real are coming from this time around. They're acting like a country band, but they're not playing straight country; they're singing loose, clever tunes about stumbling into the wrong house and climbing up the ladder of love at the speed of a locomotive -- good-time numbers that find their counter with cheerful barroom songs like "More Than Friends" and "If I Didn't Love You." There isn't an overriding theme on Sticks and Stones, nor is it nearly as ambitious as previous POTR records, yet that's its considerable charm: it's lean, loose, and funny, the kind of record that provides a soundtrack for any kind of good time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine