Personnel: Trace Adkins (vocals); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Pat Buchanan, Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie (fiddle); Gordon Mote (Hammond b-3 organ); Mike Brignardello (bass instrument); Greg Morrow (drums, percussion); Mickey Raphael.

Along with Toby Keith, Trace Adkins arrived at the forefront of a group of uncompromising, tough-talking singers who celebrated blue-collar values while playing a hard-edged, Southern rock-influenced brand of country music. Although Adkins didn't write any of the tunes on SONGS ABOUT ME, the material seems tailor-made for the tall baritone. The title track, an 1980s-influenced heartland arena rocker, recounts the story of a singer defending his choice of "hillbilly" music to a skeptical airplane companion; a tale that could have easily happened to Adkins himself. "My Way Back" is a heartwarming tribute to hearth, home, and family, bolstered by careening steel guitar. Likewise, "My Heaven" extols the virtues of the simple life with a swaying beat and Lynyrd Skynyrd-style bluesy guitar solos. A collection of memorable tunes that combines contemporary production with a down-home attitude, SONGS ABOUT ME should appeal to fans of both modern and traditional country.

Genre:

• Country & Bluegrass

Music Categories:

• Country: Contemporary