Now That's What I Call Country

Performer: Various Artists
Artist: Kelly Clarkson; Trisha Yearwood
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Although country acts have been featured throughout the long-running NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC series, this 2008 release marks the first time that the genre received its own NOW compilation. While a few veteran artists are represented--most notably George Strait (the thoughtful "I Saw God Today") and Reba McEntire (a wistful take on "Because of You" performed with the song's original singer, Kelly Clarkson)--the collection mainly focuses on younger guns such as Sugarland (the emotive "Stay") and Brad Paisley (the gentle "Letter to Me"). These kinds of up-to-the-minute collections have their place, working as a sort of time-sensitive snapshot, in this case presenting some of the most played contemporary country radio hits from the spring and summer of 2008. It's a kind of instant nostalgia, and as such, it has a brief and limited shelf life. Among the highlights here are Sugarland's wonderfully written (and sung) "Stay," Kenny Chesney's cautionary "Don't Blink," Trace Adkins' "You're Gonna Miss This," and Luke Bryan's everybody's-been-there "All My Friends Say." In the end, playing this disc is like being freeze-framed at mid-summer in 2008. If that was a good time for you, you'll smile at what's here. If that wasn't a good time, you might cry, or even curse, but don't fret, there'll be another collection just like this one along in a couple of months when hopefully things are going better. ~ Steve Leggett

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