Drivin’ N’ Cryin’
Wrapped in Sky (DGC) (star) (star) (star)
After a long detour into hard rock and a two-year absence from recording, this three-man Georgia ensemble wants you to know that it has returned to its folk-rock beginnings with this collection of quirky story-songs. On first listen, their appeal is evasive but the album grows on you–especially Kevin Kinney’s unvarnished vocals, which give some of the material a rootsy Bodeans flavor. R.E.M.’s Peter Buck lends his mandolin and dulcimer to “Indian Song”–a sad song about “the blue sky and broken promises”–and the coming-of-age “Telling Stories.” The message here is one of self-awareness and individual empowerment, delivered in a breezy, overtly alternative format. Hard to figure out where they fit, but enjoyable nonetheless.