Having touted multiculturalism and Saturday Night Live to open his 2009 album, Paisley cuts his sails, making nice to Nashville on a lead/title/theme track that touts salvation and Lee Greenwood (among other things), and then for an encore singing the praises of Alabama the group and Tennessee the state. Then watch the video and hope Paisley isn't wrong either. Listen carefully to "Welcome to the Future" and try to tell me I'm wrong. As woman-friendly as Garth Brooks without the emo overkill, Paisley seems happier than ever, and I don't think it's just about his wife and kids. Here's an album where the marriage ballads are so meaty and convincing that the two exceptionally well-turned breakup songs seem like formal exercises, where a comedy number about fishing and beer would sound just dandy if there weren't so many subtler laughs on the agenda-like when the title number ends up in Manhattan, or when "Welcome to the Future" ends up on a synth outro, or when Paisley's rowdy guy friends join in on a hearty "You wear the pants/Buddy good for you/We're so impressed/Whoop-de-do." In short, here's an album from the capital of hits-and-filler where the filler could be somebody else's hits. Getting set in his ways-"Online," ugh-but still smarter than the Nashville norm ("Ticks," "Letter to Me"). So much command of Nashville conventions he'd fool with them as soon as feel with them ("Little Moments," "Famous People") ** There's words in that there cowboy hat ("He Didn't Have To Be," "Me Neither").
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