“Texas heart, Mexican soul” is the core song of the McKay Brothers’ CD, “Cold Beer & Hot Tamales.” While listening to the CD, it sounds like most Texas country artists, but the McKay brothers, Noel and Hollin, set themselves apart with clever and touching lyrics in English and Spanish. Musically, the brothers sound similar to Mickey and the Motorcars but with a Hispanic flare.

The brothers grew up in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio, and began playing at biker bars and honky-tonks in their teens. They have performed with acts such as Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Charlie Robison and Robert Earl Keen.

The Southern Texas atmosphere bleeds through their music and provides listeners with an array of different stories and feelings. The songs flow together like the waters of the Guadalupe River.

In “Bandera Style,” the woman kicks her man out for coming home smelling like the bar. Like in many country songs, the man may have lost his girl, but his dog stayed by his side. Though the song sounds like it was recorded while the McKay brothers were drunk, it adds character to the story of a man down on his luck.

“Bottle of Fire” is about a man who trades in his car for a lawn mower to drive to the liquor store “to get a bottle of fire.”

The brothers stay close to their spiritual and cultural roots in songs such as “Spirit Bird,” where the song’s character is on a spiritual journey to find God, and “Acompaneme,” which is a beautiful love song in English and Spanish.

The brothers’ lyrics reach out to the working man or anyone hanging out on a slow Saturday night. If you’re a fan of the local country music scene, you might enjoy some “Cold Beer & Hot Tamales.”

Rating: 6 out of 10