7/10

There’s something electrifying about a band that doesn’t treat tradition like a museum exhibit. And with 'Shoutin’ Good Time', Singing River plug into their shared history, crank the amp, and let it sweat.

What began as a stripped-back partnership between longtime collaborators Mike James and Anthony Kuhn has now expanded into a full-bodied six-piece, and you can feel the difference immediately. The new collection brims with movement. There’s a looseness here that only comes when musicians are listening closely to one another, when the room itself becomes an instrument.

The title cut is a crossroads moment; part Southern grit, part horn-kissed groove, part back-alley rock ’n’ roll strut. It pulses with confidence, the kind of track that feels tailor-made for crowded dance floors and long, humid nights. Elsewhere, 'King of the Minor Leagues' barrels forward with a mischievous twang and a grin you can practically hear, while 'I Thought I Heard Bob Dylan Say' leans into ragged piano rhythms and playful syncopation that nod to early American songcraft without sounding locked in amber.

Perhaps the emotional centerpiece sits with opener 'Lost by the River', a soaring, heartland-leaning anthem that balances grit and grace. It’s a reminder that this band understands how to scale dynamics, and how to let a melody bloom without over-polishing it.

What makes 'Shoutin’ Good Time' so refreshing is its refusal to cosplay the past. Here, Singing River are continuing a conversation that stretches back through jazz halls, front porches, jukeboxes, and dive bars. The joy is real, the grooves are earned, and the spirit is unmistakably human.

In a time obsessed with replication and shortcuts, Singing River offer proof that the old currents still run strong, and that when played with conviction, they can still knock you off your feet.