Eleven Hundred Springs

Eight the Hard Way (Smith Entertainment)

This Dallas fivepiece continues making country rock that sounds like 1974 without apologies. Eight the Hard Way again finds them leaning toward the formulaic, with lots of romance and the ensuing problems. A waltz, a knock at Nashville (“Hardcore Honkytonk”), and a song with Texas in the title (the comically stereotypical “We’re From Texas”) are sincere, yet pedestrian songwriting continues to prevent Eleven Hundred Springs from rising above the mundane.

**

This article appears in July 22 • 2011.

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