Blake Shelton

by Maria Konicki DinoiaThis impressive ten-song compilation is an earnest debut full of lots of promise and originality. Shelton delivers a wealth of traditional country music in its most honest-to-goodness form, with his young, delightful cowboy-esque charm. The Oklahoma-bred Shelton sure can fire off a tune with the sincerest tenacity. Notables include "Austin," a tremendously imaginative song about getting back together with someone by leaving messages for one another on their answering machines; "I Thought There Was Time" about neglecting a relationship; and "Same Old Song" about an artist looking for some originality in country music today. Along with producer Bobby Braddock ("He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E") and Shelton's "all-time musical hero," writer Earle Thomas Conley, the cast is rounded out on an album destined for musical greatness.