Drivin N Cryin - Fly Me Courageous (1990)

The fourth studio release from the Atlanta-based trio Drivin' N' Cryin' found the band managing to make inroads onto the national scene following years of being a major attraction in the South. Building on a base of Southern-styled rock, they infuse 11 tracks on Fly Me Courageous with elements of R.E.M.-like jangle folk and more muscular, hard-driving guitar rock while never losing their sense of melody. Lead singer Kevn Kinney possesses a distinct voice with a nasally quality and he's backed ably by bassist Tim Nielsen, guitarist Buren Fowler, and drummer Jeff Sullivan. The thunderous, politically charged title track (built around an instantly arresting guitar riff) deservedly received heavy airplay, but other standout tracks include the driving "Around the Block Again," the boogie stomp of "Chain Reaction," and the sweetly muted, folk-tinged "For You." Fly Me Courageous proved to be Drivin' N' Cryin''s finest moment, both commercially and artistically.