River County - Rockin' The Country CD

Relying on a tried-and-true formula that has given many bands a leg-up in country music, River County has recently released their national debut "Rockin' The Country."  Does rehashing a formula pay off for the Indiana-based trio?

Relying on a blend of country and southern rock, River County doesn’t break much new ground. In fact, the Indiana trio sounds more like a cover band, especially on the first two tracks – “Rockin’ The Country” where they namecheck their influences from Molly Hatchet to the late Chris LeDoux. And then when there wasn’t enough money to pay the bills, mama ran a “Moonshine Still.” – another southern rocker.

The band recalls memories of Lonestar on some of the ballads. For example, on “I Thank God” the singer is thankful for the love of his significant other; a theme that gets repeated on “The Thrill of A Better Chase.” Things get a little bit tongue-in-cheek with “We’re All Here” because we ain’t all there, but it stays in the southern rock vein, as does “Becky Brown’s Daddy.” The latter song was also recorded by Texas Country newcomer Zane Lewis. The 10-song album’s highlight is “It’s Alright to Cry,” a tender ballad that shows the band’s sensitive side. Few songs strike a nerve like Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take The Girl,” but this is one of them.

If River County does more songs like that one, they could separate themselves from the rest of the pack of southern rockers trying to find a spot in country music.

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