Diamond Rio may sound like your typical run of the mill 90’s country band (all for good reasons mind you) but there’s a handful of things that set them apart in my opinion. The first is the fact that every single one the band members actually play every single lick on every single one of their albums (including this self-titled debut). In country music that’s basically unheard of– session players are beloved and respected for the very reason that they are incredibly proficient at their instrument, which typically means that with limited expensive studio time it makes the most financial sense to bring in a ringer. But Diamond Rio has the distinction of having the entire band playing each and every sound on this album. Gotta respect the hell out of that. I also love their three part vocal harmonies that pays a lot of homage to bluegrass music. It’s a pretty standard recipe for old school country but damn does it ever sound good when the boys from Diamond Rio pull it off.
Standout Songs: “Meet In the Middle”, “Norma Jean Riley”, “This State Of Mind”
