‘Opportunity’ Rocks for the Strangers

This long-running L.A. duo shouldn’t have to worry about being totally lonesome, as long as humans still have ears for catchy tunes and sparkling harmonies. Jeff Rymes and Randy Weeks take most of their vocal cues from the Everly Brothers, twining reedy voices in simple, hummable songs that lean mainly toward folksy, hangdog wistfulness as they detail romantic woes. The opening anthem, “And It Hurts,” is an especially engaging take on unrequited love.

The other half of the winning equation on “Land of Opportunity,” the Lonesome Strangers’ third album, is an authoritative, twang-rock kick. The two singers can make their guitars bite, the rhythm section packs momentum, and sideman Skip Edwards lends some heartland-rock sweep on organ. The Dwight Yoakam-associated production team of Dusty Wakeman and Pete Anderson keeps it all clean and muscular.

As songwriters, the Lonesome duo are no strangers to the fine art of enlightened thievery. The melody on “The Truth About You” sounds very Springsteenian, and the rapidly chugging train rhythm that carries “Number Nine” is a deliberate appropriation of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm.” It’s about the drudgery of the working life, as the song’s protagonist is trapped in a metaphorical mine that stands for all grinding, dead-end jobs.

On “Ton of Shame,” Weeks and Rymes go for a swampy, mysterious mood woven via slide guitar and electric piano. They also leave a mystery at the heart of the song, in which the speaker stands accused of some frightful, unspecified misdeed, can’t find a way to clear his name and watches his life fall apart. Richard Jewell, former suspect in the Atlanta Olympics bombing, might identify.

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* The Lonesome Strangers play Friday through Sunday at the Swallows Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8:30 p.m.; 4 p.m. on Sunday. Free. (714) 493-3188.

Ratings range from * (poor) to **** (excellent), with three stars denoting a solid recommendation.