Pure BS (CD - 2007)

The 2008 deluxe edition of Blake Shelton's PURE BS adds three bonus songs--"Chances," "I Can't Walk Away," and "Home"--to the original album's 11-track lineup. The additions are entirely in keeping with the rock-tinged hard country of the initial release's material, which blended rowdy honky-tonk rockers like "This Can't Be Good" and pure pop ballads like "Don't Make Me" and "I Don't Care."

Despite its lighthearted title, Blake Shelton's 2007 album, PURE BS, finds the Oklahoma-born country singer tempering his rollicking, humorous tunes (see "Some Beach," from BLAKE SHELTON'S BARN & GRILL) with a considerable number of introspective numbers. Of course, Shelton is no stranger to serious fare, as BARN & GRILL's poignant "I Drink" ably proved, but BS's lovelorn lead single, "Don't Make Me," sets the tone of the record, signaling a more mature direction for the charismatic performer. Even though the record marks a greater focus on thoughtful ballads, admirers of the young vocalist's more carefree numbers aren't left out in the cold, as the winking opener "This Can't Be Good" makes clear. minimize