Justin Moore, the pride and joy of Poyen, Arkansas, has taken the world by storm with the monster hits “Small Town USA” and “Backwoods” from his self-titled debut album. He’s back with his sophomore effort, “Outlaws Like Me,” in which he hand in writing 11 of the album’s 13 tracks. Moore is out to prove that he’s got what it takes to stick around in a world of country music where it’s not easy getting your singles into rotation on country radio until you’ve fully established yourself as an artist.
Apparently, Justin must be doing something right. The record’s first single, “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” took over country radio and quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard country chart. If you haven’t heard this song, you must be living under a rock.
The album starts off with a song called “Redneck Side,” a song about being unashamed of his redneck ways. He’s been playing it in his live show for quite some time, but it has never been recorded until now. It’s a fan favorite with lyrics saying “I can’t hide my redneck side, it’s in my blood ’til the day I die.”
“Beer Time” is a little cliche, in my opinion. Every country music fan and their dog has heard this song a thousand times before. Been there, done that. However, this kind of song always seems to be a favorite in live shows when fans are getting to the point where they can no longer stand up on their own.
“Bait a Hook” is probably one of the better songs on the album. It’s a humorous track about a girl who leaves her country man for a pretty boy. He can’t skin a buck or bait a hook, so he’s trying to figure out why in the heck she’d even want to be with that guy in the first place.
“Till My Last Day” shows off Justin’s more sensitive side. This is probably the “softest” song of his that I’ve heard. It’s a tribute to his wife for putting up with him when he wasn’t always the best boyfriend or husband, but he’s become a better man because of her.
The album concludes with the title track, “Outlaws Like Me,” depicting his troubled past. Despite having been a Christian all his life, he made a lot of mistakes with alcohol, women, etc. It’s about seeing the light and realizing that he had to change his ways in order to become the man he ultimately wanted to be.
The record as a whole is pretty solid, but I don’t know that I would necessarily classify him as an “outlaw.” When I think of outlaws, I think of the great Waylon Jennings. Maybe Hank Williams, Jr. Moore’s voice is as country as they come, but I still find his music to be more mainstream country than outlaw country. Either way, he’s managed to create a quality record to follow up his stellar debut.
To learn more about Justin or see where you can catch him out on the road, go to the following web sites:
Official: http://moorejustinmusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moorejustinmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinColeMoore
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/moorejustinmusic
Kristi Olson
CMTT Music Contributor
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