Brad Paisley: Anythin Like Me (not video)
“Read the song titles before you play the record, and prepare to be surprised. “Anything Like Me”: what does that imply? Well, you might think, it could be a song in which a guy interviews an ex-girlfriend about her current boyfriend, moving through stages of emotion: jealous, combative, pathetic, resigned. Not bad. Well, you lose; it’s so much smarter than that. It’s a about a man at the obstetrician’s office. First lines:
I remember saying, I don’t care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy, I’m O.K.
Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said, you see that thing right there? You know what that means.
It’s an acoustic ballad, with fiddle and mandolin, and the vulnerable daydream goes pretty far. It allows that his future son might hate him; it anticipates nostalgia and anxiety about time lost and, on a basic level, appreciates life. The last word, “me,” is sung by Mr. Paisley’s actual son, Huck. Thanks, and enjoy your day. Next!” JON PARELES, NY Times
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The new album again blends his respect for country tradition with unexpected sonic touches (such as the ’80s-sounding Moog synthesizer on “Welcome to the Future”). He’s audibly proud when he talks about using his touring band in the studio rather than session players who create the majority of music that comes out of Nashville.
“American Saturday Night” leads off the collection with the feel of an instant concert centerpiece, an upbeat singalong outlining the myriad threads in the fabric of the nation.
There’s a big toga party tonight down at Delta Chi
They got Canadian bacon on their pizza pie
They’ve got a cooler full of cold Coronas and Amstel Light
It’s like we’re all living’ in a big ol’ cup
Just fire up the blender, mix it all up”
