Now That's What I Call a Country Party

This edition of the ongoing, never-ending Now focuses specifically on party-hearty contemporary country hits. Usually, this means songs about drinking. Eight of the 18 songs here explicitly mention some kind of alcohol, while a good portion of other tunes are about parties, leaving the remaining handful of songs -- like the Big & Rich chestnut "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" -- as tunes designed for partying. Apart from Brad Paisley's "Alcohol," which has an undercurrent of regret running throughout, everything here is an unapologetic good time, so it follows that the album, as a whole, is indeed something that can be called a country party. Among the highlights: Toby Keith's sozzled "Red Solo Cup," Luke Bryan's ridiculous "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)," Joe Nichols' funny "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," Billy Currington's easy rolling "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer," George Strait's amiable "Here for a Good Time," and Alan Jackson's modern classic "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine