R.I.D.E.
Trick Pony's third album finds them musically more varied and adventurous--covering Los Lonely Boys' "Senorita" and Bonnie Tyler's "It's a Heartache," and inviting Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish aboard the soulful "Sad City." But the band still suffers an identity crisis--whether to be a serious musical ensemble/honky-tonk presence under the lead of Keith Burns and Heidi Newfield, or to let the insufferable Ira Dean prank them into a crazy, fun-loving video band--that brands them as lightweights. And it doesn't help that they insist thatR.I.D.E.stands for "Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment," or that they sprinkle inane sound bites from George Jones between a couple of songs. That said, Newfield still belts a fine, honkin' attitude number ("Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You"), and knows how to wring the emotion out of a heartbreak ballad ("When I Fall")--and Burns is both an affecting songwriter and occasional lead vocalist. Yet in the end, there's a desperation about this record, seen in the inclusion of 14 tracks when they should have gone lean, and in their inviting a plethora of big names (particularly Kris Kristofferson) to add legitimacy. How long these Ponies can continue to learn new tricks remains to be seen.--Alanna Nash