This Is Country Music

Paisley wrote or co-wrote 12 of the 15 tracks, and though the album is musically diverse, lyrically the songs are anchored in the themes of love, loss, hope and heartache that have long defined the country format. The title tune kicks off the album, providing a blueprint for the songs that follow and some of the verses that he and co-writer Chris DuBois penned that didn't make it in the final version due to time constraints are used on the album as little interludes that intro other songs. It's all woven together to provide a thoughtful, creative look at the genre from the Country Music Association's reigning Entertainer of the Year. Vocally, Paisley has never sounded better, and the ace guitar player struts his stuff throughout, skillfully complementing the mood and timbre of each tune. He enlists an interesting mix of special guests, including Don Henley, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Alabama, Blake Shelton, Clint Eastwood and Marty Stuart. Country music's most talented young ambassador has delivered the ultimate love letter to his art form with "This is Country Music."