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Grade • B
CD • With Kenny Chesney on his way to Utah this summer, the time is ripe for a new album from the country singer. So "Life On a Rock" is here, only a year after his last album, the underwhelming "Welcome to the Fishbowl."
The album is billed as songs that Chesney wrote in a personal journal that he initially never meant to be heard, and the 10 tracks do show off the 45-year-old's more contemplative side. The mood is relaxed with songs that emphasize Chesney's love for the Caribbean (and Jimmy Buffett), featuring collaborations with the Wailers, the calypso-inspired title track, a gut-stringed paean to Bob Marley, and steel drums throughout.
"Pirate Flag," the lead single and arena-ready anthem, is the anomaly on this breezy album, and while the collection doesn't break any new ground, and isn't well-suited to blasting on a car stereo, it shows off Chesney's always-comforting voice and song-writing talents that too rarely emerge. —
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