November 1, 1998
 

V-Roys, All About Town (E-Squared)

What sets this Knoxville outfit apart from the rest of the alt-country pack is its refusal to submit to the genre's sometimes hegemonic tendencies.  If a raucous Celtic arrangement fits the tune, as it does on "Over the Mountain," then so be it.  There's also sprightly jangle-pop ("Miss Operator"), A Beatles-Bee Gees nod ("Arianne," written with co-producer Steve Earle), blistering rock ("She's Strange"), and even a folk-bluegrass number ("Virginia Way"/"Shenandoah  Breakdown").  Yet it all sounds of a piece, a nifty accomplishment, and one that makes this a band to reckon with.

--- Dan Durchholz