Josh Kelley spent the first ten years of his career writing soulful, bluesy pop songs.
Georgia Clay finds him switching gears and embracing country music instead.
Kelley is a Georgia native and University of Mississippi graduate, both of which contribute to his country pedigree, but it’s still tempting to attribute his twangy makeover to the success of younger brother
Charles Kelley, one of
Lady Antebellum’s three members. Country has often been mistreated as a last refuge for artists looking to resurrect their careers, and
Kelley -- armed with a batch of songs about trucks and whiskey -- doesn’t sound entirely convincing as a Nashville star. To his credit, he doesn’t blindly swing for the fences, either. Plenty of songwriters are credited on
Georgia Clay, but
Kelley co-writes every tune. He also works with a strong group of session musicians, including
Keith Urban’s percussionist,
Chris McHugh, and steel guitarist
Gary Morse, both of whom give the songs some lean country muscle. But he also leans a bit too heavily on co-producer
Clint Lagerberg, who wrote
Rascal Flatts’ chart-topping “Here Comes Goodbye” but fails to bring similar hitmaking hooks to
Kelley’s table, and his vocals sound forced, with a deep baritone twang replacing the breathy croon he used on earlier albums.