Chad Brock III
Burly Chad Brock scored at radio with "Ordinary Life," a predictable three-minute drama about a haggard husband who bolts the suffocating trap of his life, and "Yes!," the true story of the singer's chance meeting with his wife-to-be. But as a serviceable performer with a pleasant, undistinguished voice and a nondescript style that teeters between traditional country and mainstream pop, Brock is only as good as the song he sings. His third album, which reprises those earlier hits as bonus tracks, is a case in point. "The Thought of Bein' in Love," which marries midtempo soft rock with pop sensibility, precedes the banjo-laced "Park the Pickup (Kiss the Girl)," a song that bypasses the suburbs and goes straight for the country boy's heart. Both tunes are custom-made for radio, but after that, Brock stocks his album with a grab bag of material, and most of it goes by in a blur: the sensitive ballads, the occasional edgy tune, and the yahoo novelty songs, including the spectacularly bad "I'd Love to Love You," in which the singer engages in heavy panting to get his intentions across. Brock is a big, likable cuss, to be sure, but if you need something more than affability from your music, better mosey on down the line.--Alanna Nash