Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 08/23/2005
Trick Pony was doing rough and rowdy long before
Gretchen Wilson came along and flew the flag for redneck women, but their third album (and first for
Curb),
R.I.D.E., proves that the trio sounds rougher and rowdier than
Wilson.
Trick Pony are a quintessential Southern bar band, nominally
country but just as comfortable with
rock & roll and
blues. They'll also throw a little
pop in the mix -- as in
"When I Fall," a bid for a crossover hit -- but they're better off when they relax and kick out music that's the ideal soundtrack for a weekend.
Heidi Newfield has a sexy, throaty growl that adds grit even to the slower songs and she's complimented by
Keith Burns' clean swagger, and the combination of two lead vocalists helps give
R.I.D.E. a welcome sense of variety. Sometimes, the trio can get a little silly and sometimes their material leans a little bit too close to the generic, but for the most part this is a lean, mean redneck
country-rock album, one that promises and delivers a damn good time.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide