Red Rider

Released shortly after the successful single "White Hot," Don't Fight It shows Red Rider balancing between the folk roots of lead singer Tom Cochrane and the more progressive rock tendencies of the rest of the band. Indeed, while the single "White Hot" (which is also included here) was different enough from other commercial music on the radio at the same time to attract some attention, the rest of the album is fairly traditional pop/rock. (The track "Good News," for example, sounds almost distressingly like one of the Doobie Brothers' soul-tinged pop songs.) For a debut effort it's quite good, but the band would really hit their stride on the follow-up album, As Far As Siam. ~ Sean Carruthers, Rovi