Old Things New

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Joe Nichols’ <i>Old Things New</i> manages to draw from older traditions while incorporating enough contemporary touches to reach a mainstream country audience. “Gimmie That Girl” has power chords and a rockin’ guitar solo, but Nichols’ soulful singing imbues the track with a down home country vibe. On the nicely arranged “It’s Me I’m Worried About” the singer realizes his ex will be fine but that he’s in for a rough patch. The slow-tempo title track is a touching paean to family, friends, and old school country with a spare arrangement featuring pedal steel guitar and lines like “I’m dustin’ off Hank and I’m puttin’ him on.” Nichols loosens up on “Cheaper Than a Shrink,” which playfully sings the praises of drinking over therapy. A few tracks later, he strikes a more serious tone on “An Old Friend of Mine,” a piano ballad that bids goodbye to the bottle. The album’s bonus tracks show off Nichols’ wilder side: a live version of his hit “Let’s Get Drunk and Fight” is followed by a Fat Shan remix of another Nichols’s hit, “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,” which features the country rapper Colt Ford.

via Apple Music