River Can Cry (Songmon Music, 2005)

If Hootie & The Blowfish were to devote half of their next album to reggae, you might get something like River Can Cry.  This isn't meant to be an insult; certainly, many people enjoy the folksy country-inclined rock sound.  Plus, Turchin's throaty vocals are warm and likable, like the aforementioned Hootie (well, Darius Rucker) or a hip Burl Ives.  However, this album isn't for everyone.  Those looking for a straightforward reggae fix might want to be wary.  The reggae and country-folk-rock sounds are strictly segregated, so that half of the album is reggae and the other half is, well, "other."  (There's even a helpful color coding on the back cover delineating which is which.)  Such rigid separation is risky, of course, as some listeners might only care about half of the album.  Since this is a reggae site, for instance, I wonder if I'm to judge this album on a scale of 1 to 2.5, instead of 1 to 5?  I'm not really into the sound of the rock portion of River Can Cry, so it left me ambivalent, although there are a couple of catchy ballads in "What More" and "I Remember."  As for the reggae tracks, "Always Love" and "Cornucopia" are striking roots grooves, but they sound a bit too much alike, as if one's merely a continuation of the other.  Turchin has buoyant, inviting pop reggae sound -- personified by the bubbly "Everythin' Irie" -- with a faux patois that works for the most part, albeit with a Southern twang.  The material here may be a bit too happy-go-lucky for some listeners, however; while "Everythin' Irie" comes close to the saccharine threshold, "Pineapple Head" trounces all over it, sounding like "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid.  But I'm sure there's a market for River Can Cry; it just doesn't include me.  Decide for yourself at scottturchin.com.