Dangerous Man

*Dangerous Man*, is Trace Adkins’ most rock-influenced effort to date. “Dangerous Man” and “Swing” follow the blueprint of Adkins’ smash hit “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”— wide and low, these songs have the punch of AC/DC and the kind of fat-bellied hooks that impel bars full of people to sing along at the top of their lungs. “Southern Hallelujah,” “Fightin’ Words” and “Ride” are even heavier, suggesting that Adkins probably spends more time listening to Nickelback than he does Nickel Creek. Even though he has upped the toughness in recent years, Adkins still has a way with a ballad, and he’s especially good when dealing with the two subjects that have been present in his work since the beginning: changing oneself for the sake of love (“I Wanna Feel Something,” “Words Get In the Way”) and untangling the complex nature of family roots (“I Came Here to Live,” “The Stubborn One”). Admittedly, Adkins has made some of the most memorable barroom anthems in recent memory, but don’t let his flashy hits obscure the quieter ones — those songs offer the singer’s truest stories.

In perpetuating every unfortunate, ugly stereotype of the country genre, Dangerous Man is still an embarrassment.

Excuse me? The First Amendment? Son, the First Amendment protects you from the government. Not from me. You can say whatever you want to out there