BRAD PAISLEY
Part II (Arista)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Pure and simple statement, needs no interpretation or reading between any lines: Brad Paisley is the most exciting new performer in country music. The man has it all. He can sing at any pace and relate any emotion with conviction, he can write songs quite well (remember "Me Neither?") and he's just getting better, he's a natural performer, and unlike 99% of the other country stars with a guitar strapped over their shoulders, he knows what to do with his. In fact, every time he plays... hell, every time he TUNES, asses are kicked! When he goes for a high speed solo on that Fender Telecaster of his, jaws drop all over town. He's one of the finest players to come down the pike in decades.

Part II's title track is a ballad, but while way too many modern country acts rely on them, partly because they can't maintain any excitement at a higher energy level, this CD covers a broader range of tempos, though there are still more ballads than non-ballads. Paisley's brand of country is accessible to pop audiences without selling out, retaining banjos, mandolins, twanging electric guitars and pedal steels. Paisley and his band give us songs to stomp to ("Two Feet Of Topsoil"), sing along with ("I'm Gonna Miss Her"), be amused by ("Munster Rag") and be moved by and care about ("When Two People Fell In Love").

My own prejudices concerning modern country are well known by Cosmik's readers, so I'll skip ahead a few paragraphs and sum up by saying that I am absolutely crazy about Brad Paisley's music when it's mid-to-uptempo, and I find his ballads to be far better than most anyone else's in the young country classification. Although... there's one track that features Buck Owens, George Jones and Bill Anderson. It's called "Too Country," and as much as I respect them all and nearly worship Buck, this is one of the sappiest things I've ever heard and it just makes me want to get back to track one. Boy, would I love to hear a whole album of Paisley just kickin' ass on that Telecaster. Maybe someday. Meanwhile, Part II is a fine album and proof that Paisley skipped right over that whole Sophomore Jinx thing that messes up so many careers. This guy's here to stay.

© 2002 - DJ Johnson