by Ryan Coulter ‘12

One of country music’s most prominent singers is back with more stories to share. When naming an album “This is Country Music” you need to deliver on that promise and Brad Paisley does exactly that on his eighth studio album. “This is Country Music” offers 15 tracks of love, loss, family, sunshine, partying, hurt, hope and everything else one would expect from a country album.

Many people look down their noses at country music because they see it as only twang and fiddle. Today, country music has reached a totally different level than the stereotype that so many judge it by, and Paisley’s sound is a direct correlation to country’s new generation of music. Straying away from that hard country sound, Paisley’s music revolves around a slightly more mainstream pop sound with the occasional twang of his guitar solos.

From the summer-like feel in “Working on a Tan” to the lively beat of the title track “This Is Country Music,” there is nothing more complete than having the privilege to hear one of Paisley’s guitar solos.

“So turn it on, turn it up and sing along/ This is real, this is your life in song/ This is country music,” Paisley sings on the title track. There has been much debate about what modern country music really is, with mainstream artists sounding more pop and rock than traditional country and bluegrass, but these lines sum up country music better than anyone has in a while. Country music is more about the songs than the sound. It offers snapshots of everyday life and touches on topics that no other genre dares to.

The reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year enlists several fellow superstars to help him make his case, even persuading beloved country vocal group Alabama out of retirement and into reuniting for the single “Old Alabama,” Paisley’s latest No. 1 hit. Sampling pieces from Alabama’s hit “Mountain Music,” Paisley crafts a song that perfectly blends country’s old fashion twang, with a touch his own flamboyant melodies.

The true standout of the album is “Remind Me,” a duet with Carrie Underwood about rekindling the flame in an aging relationship. Underwood’s voice soars on the record and blends perfectly with Paisley’s. The pair previously teamed up on “Oh Love,” a track from Paisley’s 2007 album “5th Gear.” “Remind Me” is bound to be a No. 1 single on country radio and its success will hopefully in turn lead to more collaborations between Paisley and Underwood.

Listeners will love this album if they are just getting into Paisley’s music or have been a fan of his music from the beginning. With each song in of itself its own story, listeners may find a preference towards some songs over others, which, in that case, they should just buy select songs rather that the whole album. Overall, “This is Country Music” is a great update to Paisley’s already remarkable music career. Paisley sure is one of his own: a great guitarist with a good sense of balancing both modern and classic country music.