The guys in Beatin Path describe themselves as alt-country on their website and in press. On first listen, though, Beatin Path sounds less like Son Volt or Wilco and more like the Wallflowers or Train being fronted by Don Henley. That being said, it surprises me how enjoyable I found their third album, appropriately titled 3. Maybe it’s their youth or the drive with which they approach their varied sound, but I’d listen to 3 over any of those other artists’ music any day. The band bounces between rootsy acoustic material and more traditional rock songs, and these provide the better moments on the album. From the slow sincere power-pop of “Not that Kinda Guy” to the witty bar-band rocker “Naked” and the straightforward rock of “Shine a Little Love,” Beatin Path more than prove themselves in this department. They even throw in a sped-up cover of the Beatles’ “Help” that nearly lands them into punk territory. They also incorporate the blues pretty successfully into their sound, especially on the edgy “You Get What You Deserve,” although we could have probably done without some of the cowbell on that track. The more acoustic songs would work and sound a lot less MOR if they had at least some of the rock songs’ bite. Only on the second-to-last track, the excellent “Tangled Web,” do the members of Beatin Path live up to their self-description. The song blends the twang and feel of late ’70s country and the jangle and power of alternative rock. You’ve also got to love a song that can shamelessly quote the riff to “Stairway to Heaven” and get away with it! That alone is an achievement worth noting for Beatin Path, but 3 is a treat for any fan of breezy, roots-heavy rock.