Bettie James [Gold Edition]

Jimmie Allen responded to the success of his 2018 debut, Mercury Lane, by delivering Bettie James, a star-studded mini-LP designed to show that the singer can play in the big leagues. It's only seven tracks, but Bettie James offers a little something for everybody. There are tips of the hat to his forefathers, a slight nod to hip-hop, some partying, a lot of ballads, and it's all unified by Allen's nimble navigating of the byways separating country, pop, and R&B. He sounds as comfortable trading lines with Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley as he does emoting with Noah Cyrus or crooning a barroom weeper with Mickey Guyton. When he sings with Darius Rucker and Charley Pride on "Why Things Happen," the musical lineage is evident yet not heavy-handed, but the same can't be said of "When This Is Over," a sappy ballad that turns bizarro when the weathered voices of the Oak Ridge Boys appear in the coda. It's the rare misstep on an EP that successfully showcases the versatility of Jimmie Allen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine