North Country (1993)

by Roch ParisienNorth Country solidifies the group's wholesome reputation. You can always count on The Rankins for at least one exquisite, stand-out pop melody per recording; that one here is the title track's tribute to Canadian wilderness. The voices of Cookie, Heather, and Raylene Rankin blend effectively with an intuitive sense of harmony. These are pure, attractive voices, but with a certain lack of emotional depth that parallels Jimmy and John Morris Rankin's sometimes over-sweetened, keyboard-dominated instrumentation. Three tracks rendered in Gaelic are pleasant, while Lisa Brown overdoses on the group's sugary, "golly-gee" side. For those who prefer eating the icing off the cake.