Good Time

On his first traditional country album since 2004's WHAT I DO, Alan Jackson steps outside the comfortable routine he's created for himself in favor of creating a more personal and introspective work. The first album on which Jackson has written all of the songs all by himself, GOOD TIME is Jackson's most autobiographical album by some distance. "Small Town Southern Man" is a touching farewell to his late father, while "I Wish I Could Back Up" and "Never Loved Before" (a duet with country superstar Martina McBride) are intimate love songs more revealing than most country radio fare. GOOD TIME is true to its title, however; alongside the revealing autobiographical tunes, there are sly, swaggering country-rockers like "Country Boy" and more thoughtful fare like the devotional "If Jesus Walked The World Today." At 17 songs, this is one of Alan Jackson's longest albums, but GOOD TIME features remarkably little filler and many outstanding new traditionalist country songs in the great Alan Jackson style.