Artist: Brad Paisley

Title: This Is Country Music

Label: Arista 

It may be hard to find a better-targeted, more quantity- and quality-rich album this season than Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music.

Across fifteen choice songs, the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist pays tribute to the genre and its fans in ways that could easily lead to other honors down the road; his writing, singing, and playing are as creative, cordial, and cool as ever. Add in a great guest list of heroes (Alabama, Clint Eastwood) and contemporaries (Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton) alike, and the record simply never misses.

The title track is a strong thesis statement, a well-worded declaration of how country music looks trouble in the eye, loves Mama, Jesus, and America, and respects its past (as when Brad blends classics from "Hello Darlin'" to "Stand by Your Man" into the tune's heartfelt closing melody). The nostalgia continues on "Old Alabama," a clever rewrite of Alabama's "Mountain Music" with foot-stomping support from the legendary band itself.

Paisley is equally fun on all-original stuff. "Camouflage" is as hilarious as it is observationally true—a sing-along ode to some folks' favorite color driven by his trademark, fast-fretted Telecaster sound and some "git-r-done" help from Larry the Cable Guy. The surf's up in a down-home way for "Working on a Tan," a comedic look at how a guy's mind really operates. Shelton joins a similar discussion in Mexico-bound "Don't Drink the Water." And for "Eastwood," a Spaghetti Western-inspired instrumental, Brad gets Mr. Make-My-Day to laugh and whistle!

Going deeper, true country listeners will nod in agreement over "A Man Don't Have to Die," a poignant look at life's hell-on-earth moments co-written by Rivers Rutherford, who penned another Paisley anthem, "When I Get Where I'm Going." Paired with Underwood, "Remind Me" is an emotionally stirring power ballad packed with star power, a rocked up crossover pop hit about to happen. Its emphasis on making romantic relationships last forever continues with the Eagles-paced "Love Her Like She's Leavin'" (featuring Don Henley) and a honey-dripping waltz, "New Favorite Memory."

Respect for tradition concludes the set as more friends join Paisley on "Life's Railway to Heaven." While the spirit of that cut is more representative of the entire work, conservative listeners should know this project contains one carefree expletive and several beer drinking references. But what else would one expect? This is country music.

*This review first published 6/1/2011