The country road is tough on a city boy. But it is down in the country where one finds soul and the root of all that is wholesome. Thus even the most seasoned of metropolitan dweller often yearn to get out of the concrete jungle and into the great wide open. All musical genres have room for experimentation, but some don't offer a lot of it.  Country Rock - or anything of the sort - is certainly one of those musical frontiers that may not offer too much in the way of sonic progression; and yet, when you have a group of individuals who are passionate about pushing the envelope, nothing is impossible. CRYPT TRIP are one such group, and their most recent offering "Haze County" they look to take the progressive mentality of city streets out back onto the country roads.

"Haze County" is like that seasoned nomad biker who, unlike his more hot-headed counterparts, rolls into town with a good and wise heart, bringing with him an air that is as genuine as leather. Welcomed by the locals, the rider's soul play tunes in the like of record's opener "Forward", which plucks at that smooth, glassy pedal steel to the steady beat of gentle drums. Yet the biker also has plenty of gasoline running through those veins, and without waiting too long, "Hard Times" trades the bottle-neck slide for some thick, groovy chords, as the band start to offer a taste of their inner Prog ancestry to bring in varied tempo changes and extensive instrumentation.

The fire is lit, the keg is tapped, and the party is a foot. As "To Be Whole" comes in on a strangely Celtic-influenced riffs, CRYPT TRIP infuse their 1970's fringed Rock aesthetic with a fresh, albeit twisted edge.  The latter track sets the jam session in motion as the band go on prolonged instrumental Rock 'N' Roll tirades with tracks like "Death After Life" and the heavy ripper "Free Rain", which just scream of a cookout by the lake to the sound of a six litre V8; or a TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND show. Yet for all the southern Rock connotations, the presence of a Prog. mentality is always there, ready to amplify that camp fire with a spark of electricity - like Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival.

Speaking of the aforementioned TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, the CRYPT TRIP truly tap into a heartfelt, Country/Blues blend on songs like "16 Ounce Blues" and the acoustic piece "Pasture", which clears the alcoholic fumes with a gulp of fresh air under a dose of pleasant sunshine as the dew tickles your feet. Nonetheless, one of the things that stifle the otherwise organic nature of this record is its production. The over-compressed sound locks the otherwise lively instrumentation in a box, thus keeping the songs from living out their true gregarious potential in full.

Overall - get the grill going and invite the family for an afternoon under the sky. Whilst CRYPT TRIP's "Haze County" carries the familiar twang of 70's Country Rock, the record packs enough progressive spice and energy to keep it stuffed in that 8-track deck. And with its pure heart and hospitable attitude, it's hard not to find it endearing.