by contributing author Matt Rogers

If The Stage on Nashville’s lower Broadway ever lost its Saturday night house band, the boys of River Country could easily fill in without missing a step. This Whitland, IN-based trio – which has opened for acts such as Rascal Flatts, Andy Griggs and Jack Ingram – creates the kind of infectious energy that contemporary country audiences just can’t seem to get enough of.

The title track, slated to be the group’s commencing single, kicks things off with a blast. It’s a rip-roaring, Big & Rich-style assault that caters to party crowds and is tailor-made for country radio. “Moonshine Still” and “Becky Brown’s Daddy” serve up the same kind of potency. The problem, however, is that these three songs are the only hard-hitters on Rockin’ the Country. It seems self-defeating, too, considering that the raw, edgy tunes suit the guys far better than anything else they’ve presented on the record.

Most of the mid-tempo numbers and ballads are snoozers, not necessarily because they’re bad songs, but more so because they’re nothing the genre hasn’t had recycled umpteen times over. In essence, there’s a lot of filler material on the record. “It’s Alright to Cry” has the makings of a solid tune, but over-production and pitch corrected vocals render it utterly uncomfortable, and it compromises the group’s ability to deliver live performances with conviction.

In general, Rockin’ the Country sounds and feels like the band hasn’t yet decided on its forte. The potential is certainly there, though.