Album Review – Oak Ridge Boys, ‘It’s Only Natural’

Cracker Barrel has found a nice recipe for releasing music: Package a handful of brand new songs from an established group of singers with a few classics and see if loyal fans stop by and sit down for some fried chicken and cole slaw.

The Oak Ridge Boys have teamed up with the restaurant-turned-record label, and their new collection of original material and re-recorded hits is a good fit for the Old Country Store. There is plenty of sincerity, a little bit of silly and a whole lot that feels familiar about this project.

Of the five new songs on ‘It’s Only Natural,’ we think the best is  the opener, ‘What’cha Gonna Do?’ Fans get to hear all four parts of that famous harmony, including Richard Sterban’s deep bass “Whatcha gonna, whatcha whatcha gonna gonna do” hook. ‘The Shade’ has great lyrics. It’s easy to listen to and provides a seg into ‘Elvira.’

There are lots of smiles on songs like ‘Elvira’ and ‘Gonna Take a Lot of River’, and you can look for a few surprises as well, like Sterban taking lead vocals on ‘Lucky Moon.’ It’s a version that will really have you hooked after a couple of listens.