Cheap Thrills (Shanachie, 2007)

Confederate Railroad has always had a lot of southern rock and honky tonk influences. The band showcases that on an 11-song cover album that runs the gamut from Johnny Paycheck to Lynyrd Skynyrd, all with the band's southern fried spin intact.

The most impressive song on the album is the cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s "Whiskey on Ice." Those type of songs are what made the group successful neo-outlaws in the early 1990's.

The band also successfully tackles Billy Joe Shaver's "Georgia on a Fast Train," a song suited well for lead singer Danny Shirley's voice. The simulated train whistle at the beginning of the song also adds something.

Confederate Railroad shows it can shine on southern rock tunes like Charlie Daniels Band's "Trudy" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "I Know A Little." Lowlights, however, include covers of the early '90s counterparts Alan Jackson ("Don't Rock the Jukebox") and Joe Diffie ("Light Up An Old Flame"). On these songs, CR sounds like a Hot New Country cover band.