Review: "Tailgates and Tanlines"

Luke Bryan was the second country artist to release his third studio album over the past couple weeks (Eric Church being the other). Church took "Chief" to the top of the charts, but I have a hard time believing Bryan will have the same success with "Tailgates and Tanlines."

1) "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" -- I don't know if everyone shares this opinion, but Bryan comes across as a bit of a creep in this "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)." The chorus just sounds like it should be spoken by a creepy old guy. That being said, it's still kind of a fun song, and I like the sound.

2) "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" -- Look at the middle word of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye." That's what this song reminds me of, Chris Young's recent hit "Tomorrow." Bryan asks his leaving lover for one last night together before the inevitable end of the relationship. While not awful, it's not nearly as good as "Tomorrow"

3) "Drunk On You" -- Bryan titled the album "Tailgates and Tanlines" and with "Drunk On You" you start to get a good idea why. Like "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," Bryan sings about a girl in a truck. Again, not a horrible song, but nothing special.

4) "Too Damn Young" -- Bryan reminisces about two kids falling in love out on a dock in "Too Damn Young." Again, nothing special with this track.

5) "I Don't Want This Night To End" -- And, we're back to the girl in the truck. The formula starts to get a bit stale on "I Don't Want This Night To End." On its own its not a bad song, but three of the first five songs on the album address the same thing.

6) "You Don't Know Jack" -- "Tailgates and Tanlines" finally starts taking off with "You Don't Know Jack," a song about a man who's lost everything to Mr. Daniels. To this point it's the best song on the album.

7) "Harvest Time" -- A song about the work those who provide us with our food put in, "Harvest Time" probably won't resonate with everyone. However, it's still a decent song.

8) "I Know You're Gonna Be There" -- Bryan belts "I Know You're Gonna Be There" to his ex who's going to the same bar. He's got his strategy all planned out, bringing another girl to make her jealous, accidentally walk by her table, yada yada yada.... Another ho-hum offering.

9) "Muckalee Creek Water" -- Definitely the most aggressive song on the album, Bryan sings about the peace he finds when he disappears into the "Muckalee Creek Water." Definitely one of the top two tracks on "Tailgates and Tanlines," Bryan captures the essence of letting worries go when you slip away from society for awhile.

10) "Tailgate Blues" -- Bryan addresses what happens when you have a tailgate but no tanlines in "Tailgate Blues." Hands down the best track on the album, it's a simple track about having the blues on a tailgate (obviously). Bryan again gets away from it all to bemoan the loss of his lover, with only the crickets singing to console him. Definitely worth a download.

11) "Been There, Done That" -- Sung from the opposite perspective of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," "Been There, Done That" features Bryan singing as the one who's ending the relationship. When she begs him to come back, Bryan refuses, saying he's already "been there, done that." Another one of the better tracks on the album.

12) "Faded Away" -- Bryan mournfully remembers a wild spring break weekend with "Faded Away." While it seems like the memory would be what fades away, he vividly recalls the details of the affair, with the girl being the one who faded on him.

13) "I Knew You That Way" -- Bryan closes the album with "I Knew You That Way," the fourth straight song about a heartbreak. Again, not a bad song, but the formula gets old.

Honestly, I was very disappointed with "Tailgates and Tanlines." I think Luke Bryan has the talent to be one of the best singers in country music, but he takes a step backward with this album. Most of the songs on this album blend together, with only one or two standouts. The rest of the tracks are very average, which is unacceptable for someone with Bryan's talent.