"What This Country Needs"
Despite the title, this is not a rebel-rousing
call to arms. In fact, the title track is a diatribe against
much of contemporary country fare ("What this country needs
/ is a little more steel guitar"). Unfortunately, the rest
of the album doesn't quite live up to this rallying cry. Instead,
Aaron Tippin treads common ground, too often falling back on
Eagles' country-rock conventions and lovelorn balladry. There
are exceptions, of course, namely the revelatory "I'm Leaving,"
the barroom swinger "Don't Stop (We're Just Getting Started),"
and the contrite "Back When I Knew Everything." On
these, Tippin's Haggardesque vocals and "stone country"
image mesh with the material. --Alexandra Russell |
