Justin Moore

Justin Moore’s pastorally romantic life reads like he was carefully bred by Nashville scientists. He was born in Arkansas and raised in between the homes of both grandparents. While one set of grandparents mentored his fishing and hunting knowhow, the others showed him the ropes on ranching cattle. He began singing at the age of two and later in the church choir before bagging some local talent shows while in high school. So of course moving to Music City had to be the next step after graduation. And it was there where Moore met with the good folks at The Valory Music Company (home to Taylor Swift, Jack Ingram, Reba McEntire, etc). His eponymous debut opens by reflecting the grittier trials of his youth on the twangy, autobiographical, roadhouse rocker “How I Got to Be This Way.” The mellower “Small Town USA” is similarly telling of Moore’s upraising, with all the endearing hick-town trappings like, “Gimme a Saturday night/ My baby by my side/ A little Hank Junior and a six-pack of Light.” The prerequisite new-traditional nod to Bocephus surfaces again on “Hank It,” but you don’t need to be a genius to realize that “Back That Thing Up” is Justin Moore’s instant moneymaker. (iTunes)