CD Reviews- Clay Walker- She Won’t Be Lonely Long

The Background
Clay Walker is keeping things real as he launches this, his tenth album, She Won't Be Lonely Long. Of his nine previous albums, four are RIAA- certified platinum, 2 are certified gold and nearly 3 dozen singles have reached the top spot on radio charts. Like his 2007 Curb debut Fall, She Won't Be Lonely Long was produced by Keith Stegall. The album's first single, 'She Won't Be Lonely Long,' written by Galen Griffin, Phil O'Donnell and Doug Johnson is already inside the top ten.

The Review
Vastly underrated throughout his career, Walker has been known as much for his personal crusade and endless fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis than for his long line of music successes. But for the better of nearly two decades, Walker has generated generally good, if not truly spectacular albums, filled with radio hits. Along the way have also been songs that have gone under radio’s radar like “A Cowboy’s Toughest Ride” from Hypnotize The Moon and his Freddy Fender duet “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” off of Fall. “She Won’t Be Lonely Long” is a song celebrating being the rebound guys and is already a chart success for Walker. It’s followed up by the romantic storytelling tale “Like We Never Said Goodbye.” Two exes find each other again and it’s a touching story of rekindling that old flame with lyrics about a common dream and probably most important, believable. He celebrates the cowboy way of life of “Double Shot of John Wayne” not with horses and the old west way of life, but with the cowboy mentality of cowboy principles. It’s unique without being preachy, lightweight fare that’s entertaining. “People In Planes” is a great study of people-watching and the introspective feelings it dredges up inside of us personally. The strongest track on the album is held out for “Seven Sundays”- a reflection about sitting in the back pew of an old white steepled church thinking about his adolescence and getting his “soul washed clean” at the age of thirteen. We’re reminded what a good storyteller Walker is with such great inflection in his voice for country music. The slower-tempo-than-the-original version of Alabama’s “Feels So Right” feels so right with its deliberate and sensual timing- and he’s even backed by former Alabama lead singer Randy Owen for added familiarity. Overall, the album has no tricks, isn’t revolutionary and has no novelties. It’s just good consistent country music- just like Walker’s career.

Sounds Like:
Strong Joe Diffie song selection with Justin Moore vocals

Track Highlights (suggested iPod adds):
She Won’t Be Lonely Long
Like We Never Said Goodbye
Double Shot of John Wayne
Seven Sundays
People in Planes
Feels So Right

The Verdict:
Three & A Half Stars Out Of Five