Country veteran Mark Wills is back with a brand new record, “Looking for America.” With the 4th of July coming up, this is a great album if you’re looking for songs to honor the brave men and women defending our country and fighting for our freedom.

The album’s leadoff track, “Rockin’ the Country,” is exactly what Wills needs at this point in his career. I feel that this is a song that could definitely get him back on mainstream radio. With the rockin’ guitar riff and the clever lyrics (“like Haggard with a swagger / like Jagger with a twang”), it sounds like it could be a #1 hit for Jason Aldean. This could definitely get Mark Wills back on the radar.

The record’s title cut, “Looking for America,” is a nostalgic tune about the way things used to be. The world has become a scary place these days with the number of murders and the sky-rocketing unemployment percentages. What happened to the days when our kids used to be able to play outside until the sun went down and you didn’t have to worry? What happened to those factories that used to employ so many people, allowing men to provide for their families with only one income?

“Crazy Being Home” is a song about a soldier who comes home and isn’t sure how to adjust to everyday life after having been gone for so long. Just going out to grab a burger or going to get a new phone seems like such a luxury. It really makes you stop and think about the sacrifice these men and women make for us each and every day.

The album’s highest point, in my opinion, is a song called “Phantom of the Opry.” I was immediately intrigued by the title as I am a fan of both the Phantom of the Opera and the Grand Ole Opry. I knew right off the bat that this song was going to be good, and it is — very good. It’s about the spirit of the Opry that every person that stands on that stage can feel. When you step foot into that wooden circle taken from the original stage of the Opry’s former home, the Ryman Auditorium, you can feel it. “Some say it’s Hank or Lefty, or that Kentucky bluebird flying back again. No one knows for certain. We all know it’s more than just the wind.” Having stood on the Ryman stage myself, I believe that there really is a Phantom of the Opry. There’s something about that scuffed up wooden floor that makes you feel like you’re having an out-of-body experience. This song is, without a doubt, the most stone-cold country song on the record.

If you want to learn more about the Crazy Being Home campaign that is very near and dear to Mark’s heart, visit http://www.crazybeinghome.com/ to find out how you can help soldiers and their families that are in need.

“Looking for America” is available now on iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Mark and his music, check out the following web sites:

Official: http://www.markwills.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/markwillsmusic
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/markwills
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mark_willsmusic

Kristi Olson
CMTT Music Contributor