Down the Road

Album Review

With steel and electric guitars, Rodney Hayden and friends kick off Down the Road with the funky title track. Hayden likes his country music with a touch of rock, and the results are catchy enough to make it on CMT, but gritty enough to satisfy alternative country buffs. "It Goes by Too Fast" follows in a similar pattern. With a bouncy electric guitar and memorable chorus, listeners will probably be able to sing along by the song's end. Hayden also knows how to slow things down for an emotional moment, as on "Whoever Wrote This Song," an ode to the power of songs to emotionally mirror our own lives. Lyrically, these songs flow easily, though one might note that many of the expressed sentiments — as is popular country music's habit — border on cliché. Luckily, Hayden's vocals have just enough nasal quality to sound authentic, and this keeps the lyrical truisms from seeming too cute. Sunny Sweeney joins Hayden for "These Arms," a nicely handled duet that reminds one of classic '50s honky tonk. Hayden and friends have concocted nearly 41 minutes of solid country on Down the Road, and the album should please fans who enjoy the whine of steel guitar and a good song well sung. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide