Little Bit of Everything (CD - 2008)

Personnel: Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Troy Lancaster, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Scotty Emerick (gut-string guitar); Tony Harrell (keyboards); David Smith (bass instrument); Paul Leim (drums); Chip Davis, Wes Hightower (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: John Kelton.

Recording information: Sound Station, Nashville, TN; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; Wedgewood Sound, Nashville, TN.

Photographer: Danny Clinch.

True to its title, the third album by Nashville's Billy Currington throws some rock and R&B influences into his contemporary country music. A rocking blend of crunchy guitars, in-your-face drums, and more subtle traditional country instrumentation like fiddles and pedal steel characterizes the album's brash but not noisy or harsh sound. Highlights include the idyllic opener, "Swimmin' In Sunshine," a sure-thing evocation of a gorgeous lazy summer day, and the wry "That's How Country Boys Roll."

Although there's an undeniable soft center to A Little Bit of Everything, the title of Billy Currington's third album is accurate: Currington dabbles in a lot of styles here, cranking up some rocking country, singing sentimental schmaltz, getting a bit reflective but mostly spending a lot of time singing mellow country-pop. Currington showcased this sunny sound on his 2005 sophomore set Doin' Something Right but here he relies on it, pushing his rocking side, or even faster tempos, to the background. Really, it only surfaces on the straight-up redneck anthem "That's How Country Boys Roll," which is a perfectly fine tune but Currington is a bit more interesting when he relaxes into the mellow melancholy of "Every Reason Not to Go," glides along to the sleek '80s sheen of "Don't" or beats Kenny Chesney at his own game with the breezy island vibes of "I Shall Return." Here, Currington's strong yet supple voice gives soul to his fondness for soft, melodic tunes which, combined with his understated musical explorations, helps turn A Little Bit of Everything into one of the best country-pop albums of 2008. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize