Tired of Drowning (Ultrapolitan, 1999)

Despite what their moniker might suggest, the Countrypolitans are not hearkening back to the days when Billy Sherrill ruled the land; there's nary a string and barely a background chorus in evidence on their album, and the closest the band comes to some bygone variant of country-pop is Elizabeth Ames's hazy, Patsy Cline-ish vocals on "Lights of the Town."

What The Countrypolitans do play - and play well - is by turns country-rock and a less-hyphenated strain of country. The alt-country revaluing of values of their name aside, the band's proclivities and sensibilities seem more rooted in the latter, judging by the album's recurring themes - tears and beers, broken hearts and admonitions against both instant and stolen love - as well as by the group's tight ensemble playing.

To these ears, the songs that reflect such leanings - the rolling groove of "Tears'll Be Pouring," the catchy shuffle of "Instant Love," the back-and-forth, he-said-then-she-said exchanges of "Basic Information" (with the male side of the vocals provided by guest Dale Watson), the instrumental "Daybreak in Vegas" which brings things to a close - are the stronger cuts. And there's enough of those to make this an interesting and unusually accomplished debut. (Countrypolitans, E-Mail: cpinfo@countrypolitans.com or 503-294-4059