Borderline
What I like about Brooks & Dunn is they never pretend to be anything more than what they are--entertainers whose main goal in life is to come up with hits so catchy they'll grab your attention through the tinniest radio speaker ever stuck in a pickup. Unlike, say, Garth Brooks or James Michael Montgomery, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn never pass themselves off as profound philosophers or social commentators. For this duo, lyrics are just an excuse to belt out a big, juicy chorus hook, usually over an equally sizable dance beat. It helps, of course, that both men are fine singers, but just as important is the fact that almost every song on "Borderline," their fourth album, contains a terrific refrain and almost nothing else that might get in the way.-- Geoffrey Himes