A longtime D.I.Y. country traditionalist, it only makes sense that Georgia-bred singer/songwriter
Corey Smith would ink a deal with longtime D.I.Y.-supporting roots label Sugar Hill for his seventh studio long player, the immensely likeable
While the Gettin' Is Good.
Smith is an affable narrator with a strong voice and a good-natured hedonistic streak, and his songs tend to walk the line between folk, Southern rock, and
Zac Brown Band-style country-pop.
While the Gettin' Is Good works best when
Smith finds the sweet spot between all three predilections, which he does on the sunny, vaudeville-laced opener "Don't Mind," the cinematic, roadtrip-ready "Dahlonega," and the galloping, hook-laden single "Ain't Going Out Tonight," the latter of which serves as the magnanimous flipside to the aptly sodden "Drinkin' on My Mind." The album gets a tad bogged down in midtempo place holders like "Flip Flop" and "Feet Wet," but
Smith manages to treat the 12-track set's weaker moments with the same big-hearted enthusiasm that he brings to its more immediate offerings. ~ James Christopher Monger