I suppose I’ve been more a fan of Brad Paisley’s guitar playing than a fan of his singing ability. Although his lyrics at times are more tongue-in-cheek than most country artists nowadays, causing him to stand out from he pack, i find it a little over done on this release. Almost like he’s reaching to stay afloat. His newest release “5th Gear” isn’t much different from his past albums. He tosses in his ‘chart toppers’ and then the rest are ballady ramblings about women, etc. Songs i never have gotten into. Brad Paisley’s guitar work, i found, doesn’t jump out like it has in the past. Perhaps he was focusing more on singing the high notes than branching out with his guitar style. Overall, i found the album entertaining, yet nothing really jumped out at me.

Ump