Who would have thought Alabama 3 would have made it to their fourth album? On paper they seem like such a bad idea, it’s hard to imagine how they ever even made it to their first. You would at least have expected them to have gone a similar way to their closest competitors back in 1997, Apollo 440 (i.e. Up fast and down even faster) but these days Alabama 3 are a band who are highly respected and this album is the most anticipated yet.

You can put some of their success down to a certain TV theme tune but mainly it comes down to the talent of this band and the unexpected adaptability of country music. Country and dance does indeed seem like a very bad mix on paper but on record Alabama 3 bring it to life, treating music with a long and rich heritage with the utmost respect whilst simultaneously stamping on its face - something shown no more perfectly than on the single Hello… I’m Johnny Cash.

This time around they’ve found plenty of people to join this crazy party; BJ Cole, MC Tunes and Gary Lucas from The Magic Band all pop up at various points. Great train robber and inspiration for Outlaw Bruce Richard Reynolds also turns up on Have You Seen Bruce Richard Reynolds?.

The album’s stand out track is Honey In The Rock and features amazing Malaysian vocalist Devlin Love. There are plenty of other tracks to keep your ears pricked for though: the aforementioned Hello… I’m Johnny Cash; Last Train To Mashville, one of the many train references that fill the album; How Can I Protect You? with it’s tack-changing 80s-style chorus; the albums closer Gospel Train; and the album’s Centrepiece, Have You Seen Bruce Richard Reynolds, featuring one of several appearances from veteran British pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole.

In the hands of the wrong people any idea can be a bad one. Luckily for us, it was the guys in Alabama 3 who came up with this one first and are still pumping out great music after nearly ten years.

Label: One Little Indian
Website: www.alabama3.co.uk
Release date: 23rd May 2005

Tracklist:

1. Train Intro
2. Last Train To Mashville
3. Terra Firma Cowboy Blues
4. Keep Your Shades On!
5. Hello… I’m Johnny Cash
6. Up Above My Head
7. Adrenaline
8. Have You Seen Bruce Richard Reynolds?
9. Honey In The Rock
10. How Can I Protect You?
11. Let It Slide
12. Gospel Train