Norman —
Blake Shelton – “Hillbilly Bone” (Warner Reprise) 2010
Smelling an opportunity to fill that space in country music, somewhere between Toby Keith and Brad Paisley in the “hammin’-it-up” department, country singer and Ada, Okla. native Blake Shelton just dropped a new six-song EP, appropriately nicknamed a “Six Pak,” on the market. This one is called “Hillbilly Bone.”
Sure, you got your funny bone, but do you have a “Hillbilly Bone”? Shelton and his buddy Trace Adkins (he of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” fame), remind listeners that you can be from a place as far from the holler as New York City and still love country music and country living, just so long as you get in touch with your “hillbilly bone.”
Leading up to the beginning of “Kiss My Country A--,” a cover of a five-year-old Rhett Akins tune, is a faux recording of Shelton being subtly insulted by a radio deejay who calls Shelton “Brad” and makes sure the confused singer doesn’t talk about “huntin’, killin’, drinkin’, camo … all those kind of country things.” Once Shelton figures out what is going on he tells him off he then breaks into the Hank Jr./Montgomery Gentry-sounding country-rocker that hits every country cliché, (tongue firmly in cheek, Brad?) This will appeal to folks who like the “down home, backwoods redneck” sounds of newcomers like Justin Moore and Josh Thompson.
What at first sounds like a tender acoustic ballad, “You’ll Always Be Beautiful,” is actually a pretty amusing look at Shelton still loving his woman even when she’s sick following a night of partying.
While not as strong as “Some Beach,” Shelton has tropical fun on the steel drum-infused “Almost Alright.”
And what guy hasn’t tried to impress “a beauty queen” with expensive drinks, even if he really can’t pay the bill. That’s the subject of “Can’t Afford To Love You.”
Shelton penned “Delilah,” a fine, mid-tempo tune with just enough mandolin and atmospheric guitar and piano to make it stand out.
Now living down in Tishomingo, the Twitter-obsessed boyfriend of Texas country star Miranda Lambert (“White Liar”) has hit the mark with “Hillbilly Bone,” his sense of humor intact.
Grade – B+
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