Album Review – Running On Credit’s “Searching for the Sound”
Whatever sound this east Texas band is searching for, the certainly found one that makes fast friends with the ears and hearts of true country listeners who love to hear twang in their tunes, and songs inspired from real life. This band’s financial prospects might be shaky according to their name, but their future in music feels bright if they keep kicking out the kind of songs you find on Searching for the Sound.
As you start the record off, the sound immediately endears itself to you, whether it’s the Hank Jr.-esque half-time attitude of the opening track “Who I Am,” or the spot-on steel guitar from Chase Curtis on the song “Long Day Workin’.” But the first half of the record really doesn’t venture too far from the regular, predictable themes of country songs, even if they’re cut from the perspective of singer, frontman, and songwriter Sage Elmore, and his experience growing up on the Cow Bayou in east Texas, not far from the Louisiana border.
Even when the early songs try to say something a little deeper like on the track “Sunday’s Wine,” they still fail to really reach it. “Hit The Bottle” is clever for sure, but not completely original with it’s “bottle hit me back” reply. Nonetheless, you’re still compelled to listen on because the music is so damn good and you feel this band has something bigger they’re aspiring toward than the local honky tonk, garage country circuit.
The sixth song on the album called “AC Man” isn’t especially poetic or cerebral either. But man it sure is lot of fun. And though it’s just another take on the country “workin’ man” song, it’s original in its occupation. Anyone from Texas and the deep south can attest, the AC man might as well be your lord and savior whenever your unit crashes, and you’re at the mercy of the summer elements. There’s a lot of other songwriters out there kicking themselves for not writing this one.
This what leads you to “The Blue,” which finally fulfills your desire for Running On Credit to take their influences of artists like the Turnpike Troubadours and Tyler Childers, and do something with them. You knew singer and songwriter Sage Elmore had it in him, he just needed to get it out. It’s almost like you’re experiencing the maturation of a songwriter in real time as this album unfolds, and similarly the music itself is also willing to be more thoughtful and composed. And like many of their songs, it’s inspired by local geography in a compelling way.
Originally formed in 2019 in the coastal region of east Texas by Sage Elmore, guitarist Nick Wheeler, and bass player Rogelio Menchaca, Running On Credit is joined on Searching for the Sound by Chase Curtis on steel guitar, and Chris Cropper on drums. You can tell this is one of those work all day, pursue your musical dreams at night bands, and that’s what makes them so cool, and gives their songs that dirt under the fingernails feel. There’s no cosplay happening here. They’ve earned these songs, and now they’re looking to earn respect beyond the bayou circuit.
Searching for the Sound is just a starting point. But it’s one that finishes strong, and proves these guys have got what it takes to be heard beyond Texas. Running On Credit and frontman/songwriter Sage Elmore feel like names you bookmark now, and refer back to later when the sound and songs they’re searching for become part of a much bigger conversation.
8/10
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June 22, 2026 @ 8:57 am
Just listened to AC Man. Thought about a 3rd verse. Tried to make a wordplay with AC DC. I suck at music, so the lyrics might be suboptimal concerning fitting the music and singing but here’s a suggestion for a 3rd verse:
Folks wouldn’t understand this in DC
But sometimes hot becomes even hotter for me
When I put one in for the single mom in east Texas
She sometimes brings me a nice cold one
While wearing almost next to nothin’
Then the workday ends in a cool room lying on her mattress
June 22, 2026 @ 9:48 am
“Then the workday ends in a cool room lying on her mattress”
Or: “Then the workday ends working up a sweat on her mattress”
(The last option could be better because it ties in with the “hot becomes even hotter”, now both seeing the single mom in next to nothing AND working up a sweat. I’ll stop now, I enjoy looking at lyrics and trying to come up with a fitting new verse. I did something similar to a song by Ty Stone titled “Diamond” where I felt it could use another verse. There is a great rendition of him playing that song in some basement on just a guitar. Love that stuff.)
June 22, 2026 @ 9:39 am
I sent AC MAN to my AC man and he immediately added it to his Playlist and shared it with his coworkers. He said the “Gas station eggs and bacon” is so true! He was my savior just last week.
June 22, 2026 @ 9:58 am
why no review on the Jason Eady album “Tulsa Turnaround”
June 22, 2026 @ 10:23 am
Come on lol just comment on this album
June 22, 2026 @ 11:13 am
The reason I haven’t reviewed the new Jason Eady album is clearly because I hate Jason Eady, I hate his music, and I hate his face.
The last two albums I reviewed were from early May because we finally had a light release week, and that has allowed me to play some catch up. Jason Eady’s album came out on a massive release day of June 5th. I posted a dedicated article highlighting those albums, and have reviewed three albums from that release date already. Eady’s is being considered as well.
I don’t mind people requesting album reviews, and I appreciate when people make suggestions of things they think I might enjoy and can share with readers. But so often these “where’s so and so’s review” comes as an accusation. Nobody attacks for what Rolling Stone doesn’t cover. When they cover anything, it’s celebrated. There are 20+ albums coming out every week, and every album that I don’t review creates a vector of attack on my credibility, even though I review 3x the amount of country albums as Rolling Stone.
I have written articles about this. I’ve addressed it in comments like this countless times over the years. I can’t deal with it anymore. Nobody is harder on themselves for what they DON’T cover than me. I wish I could review all the albums. But I can’t. And people criticizing me for not reviewing so and so’s album only lends to my bad workaholic addiction that has already ruined my life in service of independent music.
I tell people all the time, what they’ll put on my gravestone is “Kyle ‘Trigger’ Coroneos’: Never reviewed Fifth on the Floor’s album ‘Dark and Blood Ground.'”