Putting a southern spin on the Bob Dylan/Neil Young axis, this homespun trio combines a sound rooted in its native Mississippi with a spirit of restless yearning that resists retro complacency. The results range from the feverishly bluesy, banjo-driven ramble of "Bloody 98" through the sexy romp of "Babe." "Generic America" would sound like a generic rant if it didn't rock with such conviction. It's the exception, though: The songs of frontman Cary Hudson more often avoid such big-picture moralizing and carefully render the small details instead. Particularly evocative is the acoustic "Pretty Please," where he sings of "hanging around for so long now, I'm the last leaf on the tree ... searching the skies until my eyes begin to bleed." Throughout the album, the harmonies of bassist Laurie Stirratt blend bittersweetly with Hudson's reedier leads, making the music sound less like an alternative-country fashion statement and more like a lifeline. (RS 768)

DON MCLEESE