Chris Janson is a sharp singer/songwriter with an ear for commercial material, gifts that served him in good stead when he was working behind the scenes as a writer. They were also evident on
Buy Me a Boat, the 2015 debut album that turned into a hit on the strength of its title song. That record seemed a little diffuse, sacrificing a distinctive personality in favor of demonstrating range. Despite a title promising that
Janson wrote a song for everyone, his 2017 sequel,
Everybody, fixes that problem by telegraphing strongly and clearly that he's a nice guy next door. Sometimes,
Janson pushes this angle too hard, but this is an otherwise effervescent record.
Janson celebrates love of the long and short term, delivering the playful come on of "Fix a Drink" with a sly smile, but the very presence of "Bein' a Dad" is evidence he's a family man at heart. While he sings about "Redneck Life" and opens up the album asking "Who's Your Farmer,"
Janson never sounds particularly rural -- the surfaces of
Everybody are entirely too slick, the rockers designed for arenas, not beer joints -- but in 2017, his urbanity isn't necessarily modern. There are hints of drum loops scattered throughout
Everybody -- "Little Bit of Both" has a funky swing -- but he's not bothering with the R&B and hip-hop rhythms so in vogue in 2017's country-pop; he's maintaining an artful blend of
Brad Paisley's cheer and
Dierks Bentley's earnestness, adding just a dash of
Luke Bryan's hunky swagger. Maybe portions of
Everybody recall all these stars, but
Janson stitches together these elements in an amiable, casual fashion that belies the sturdiness of his craft. He delivers these (mostly) sweet songs with a grin and the hooks aren't pushed, they roll easy, and these two qualities turn
Everybody into a sunny, appealing album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine