Chesney, who made his mark as a fun-loving party boy, with upbeat hits like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "Summertime" is noticeably older in this new project.,”Kenny Chesney's new album Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates might be one of the most anticipated country records of the year, but fails to deliver to those expecting the lively sing-a-long songs that usually grace his albums.
Chesney, who made his mark as a fun-loving party boy with upbeat hits like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "Summertime," is noticeably older in this new project. The songs on his latest album are slower and mellower than those the casual Kenny listener might be used to.
With songs focusing on marriage and raising a family, such as "Don't Blink" and the appropriately named "Wife and Kids," Chesney seems to be catering to a more mature crowd. He has departed from carefree lyrics and instead sings of the perils of the hardworking 30-somethings of blue collar America.
The duet "Shiftwork" with country legend George Strait includes Chesney's familiar Caribbean rhythms, but sounds like a workingman's version of Dolly Parton's immortal hit "9 to 5." "Dancin' for the Groceries" is a stereotypical country song – melodramatic and sappy – about a single mom who (surprise) strips, or "dances," to pay the rent and buy the groceries.
The mediocre first single off the album, "Never Wanted Nothing More," was a harbinger of the deeper material Chesney delves into on this project as he reflects on the skeletons, not kegs, in his closet in "Demons" and struggles with growing older in "Just Not Today."
A glimmer of hope for those wanting something upbeat is present in "Wild Ride" featuring Joe Walsh, but for the most part this album is for those looking for something a little more chill.
As he approaches middle age, the 39-year-old singer/songwriter seems to be longing for a slowdown and something more than a brief marriage to a Hollywood starlet, and bequeaths the spot of country's party-loving cowboy to newer stars like Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.
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