Drivin’ N’ Cryin’
Best of Songs
Plowboy Records
As much as I enjoyed the Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ EPs of the last few years- Songs From the Laundromat, Songs About Cars, Space and The Ramones, Songs From the Psychedelic Time Clock and Songs For the Turntable, I’m a vinyl guy, I’ve got D n C albums I picked up 20 years ago. Yeah, I’m old school, and as much fun as the tunes are, they deserve to be on an LP. My wish has been granted, and in creating a “greatest hits” from the EPs, Kevn Kinney and Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ have made one of their best albums in recent memory.
Starting off with “Hot Wheels” and followed up with “Out Here In The Middle of Nowhere”, the tunes sound expansive yet crunchy on wax. “Turn”, easily one of the band’s greatest songs, soars here, with Kinney’s hooky dynamics sounding even more epic than you remember from the CD of Songs for the Turntable. The band- leader and guitarist Kevn Kinney, bassist Tim Nielsen, drummer Dave Johnson and lead guitarist Sadler Vaden (who you can also see in action with Jason Isbell) have played together for years, and they do so with a learned ease that only time can give you, creating a perfect vehicle for Kinney’s catchy wisdom.
Plowboy Records have done it right on this release, which looks like those great K-Tel compilation records from when we were kids, promising “Psychophonic Sound” and the titles in garish colors…dig it! Still, you could put this record out in a plain white sleeve and it would still rock, because Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ know no other way. Easily one of the best ALBUMs of the year. Long may you reign, Atlanta’s Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, long may you reign.
