Revelation
Joe Nichols's acclaimed2002 debutwas refreshingly free of artifice, brimming with honest, straightforward songs that put him in a rare position. Few critics' darlings deliver commercial success, but Nichols confounded that equation by delivering hit singles, formidable album sales, and three Grammies. His sophomore effort (again produced by Brent Rowan) mixes jovial, breezy honky-tonk ("Don't Ruin It for the Rest of Us" and "What's A Guy Gotta Do") with smart oldies picks:Gene Watson's 1979 hit "Farewell Party" and the title track, an obscure 1972Waylon Jenningsalbum cut. Nichols's evocative tableaus continue with a winning rendition ofIris DeMent's poignant "No Time to Cry." Poignancy, however, must be handled with care. It packs an emotional wallop when used sparingly, as it does on "If Nobody Believed in You." But too many similar tunes--"Things Like That (These Days)," for example--erode the impact. Nichols earned the right to strike out in more ambitious directions, and while nothing here is below par, he needn't have played it quite this safe.--Rich Kienzle