Everybody Knows

In the world of Prairie Oyster, the stars above are little more than throbbing neon beer signs, the ground below a soft sawdust dance floor. An accomplished country dance band, this Toronto sextet knows the appeal of a soft-chugging shuffle (''Will I Do (Till the Right Thing Comes Along),'' ''Here's to You''), and the emotional release of a pounding piano (''Everybody Knows''). Led by bassist Russell deCarle, who handles the vocals with almost as much flair as Western-swing legend Tommy Duncan, Everybody Knows also includes an old-fashioned, Carter Family-style love ballad (''Did You Fall in Love With Me'') and a funny song (''I Think That We Did Something'') about a couple who gets so drunk on the dance floor that they forget whether they did anything they ought to regret. Prairie Oyster is a little too restrained, but if they ever recover from that reserve, we'll be cutting a new path across the border. B