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. ~ Tom Demalon