In a just world, every album coming out of Nashville's pop-country hit factories would sound just like
Ranger's Command. A seamless blend of straight country, honky tonk, Western swing, '70s country-rock, and even Native American sounds, this album seems as if it was made solely for the love of music, yet remains completely accessible.
The Red Dirt Rangers' ace musicianship is always in service of the song, so much so that even their
Charlie Daniels Band-style cover of
Prince's "1999" sounds completely natural. In fact, it's really pretty astounding how many different influences the band manages to incorporate without ever sounding inconsistent; there are bits of everything from
Bob Wills and
the Band to
C.W. McCall and
Firefall here, all played with a smooth, tight-but-loose rootsiness that at times recalls Flatt & Scruggs. Special mention should also be made of the Red Dirt Rangers' excellent songwriting, which has all the craft of top Nashville writers, yet is loads more substantive and interesting. ~ Pemberton Roach