Brad Paisley – Love and War (2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Brad Paisley – Love and War (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 58:48 minutes | 684 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Arista Nashville

The eleventh studio album from the country music superstar. Paisley has received numerous career awards, including three Grammys, two American Music Awards, 14 ACM Awards and 14 CMA Awards (including Entertainer of the Year). The album includes collaborations with Mick Jagger, John Fogerty, Timbaland and Bill Anderson. The album’s single, “Today”, peaked at #1 on the country radio chart.

Reuniting with Luke Wooten, the co-producer of Moonshine in the Trunk, Brad Paisley essentially supercharges that 2014 album for 2017’s Love and War. Paisley hauls out all his old tricks, singing about the love of country and family, heartbreak, and middle-aged melancholy, then adds a heavy dose of superstar power, contracting Timbaland for two cuts, bringing in both Mick Jagger and John Fogerty for duets, then tipping his hat to classic country by inviting Bill Anderson to sing “Dying to See Her.” Johnny Cash makes an appearance, too, with Paisley adapting the late singer’s poem “Gold All Over the Ground” into a song, a subtle moment in an album largely lacking in them. While there is some appeal in this bright blast of sound, especially when he’s in party mode — “One Beer Can” in particular recounts the aftermath of a raucous adolescent bash — it can also seem vaguely desperate, as if he’s still clutching a reality that’s faded into the past. Sometimes, Paisley acknowledges his advancing years: “Last Time for Everything” admits everything must come to an end, while the novelty “selfie#theinternetisforever” — a sweeter version of his earlier “Online” — accidentally reveals a curmudgeonly streak within the singer/songwriter. Strikingly, his invited elder statesman sound looser than he does, with Fogerty tearing into the title track and Jagger savoring all the punch lines on “Drive of Shame.” Inadvertently, these two songs highlight the main problem with Love and War, which is Paisley’s focus on having hits. While he never pushes too hard — even the Timbaland tracks don’t call attention to the beats — the shiny production, shopworn jokes, and eager melodies have the cumulative effect of seeming too ready to please any audience that comes his way. Since Paisley still has his skills, this is often enjoyable — he knows how to craft songs and can play a mean guitar — but it’s hard not to hear Love and War and think Paisley would be a little bit better off if he learned a lesson from Jagger and Fogerty: sometimes, it’s better not to try so hard. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist:

1-01. Brad Paisley – Heaven South (04:15)
1-02. Brad Paisley – Last Time for Everything (03:50)
1-03. Brad Paisley – One Beer Can (03:46)
1-04. Brad Paisley – Go to Bed Early (03:20)
1-05. Brad Paisley – Drive of Shame (feat. Mick Jagger) (04:33)
1-06. Brad Paisley – Contact High (04:34)
1-07. Brad Paisley – Love and War (feat. John Fogerty) (03:51)
1-08. Brad Paisley – Today (03:49)
1-09. Brad Paisley – Selfie#Theinternetisforever (03:41)
1-10. Brad Paisley – Grey Goose Chase (feat. Timbaland) (03:05)
1-11. Brad Paisley – Gold All Over the Ground (03:33)
1-12. Brad Paisley – Dying to See Her (feat. Bill Anderson) (03:45)
1-13. Brad Paisley – Solar Power Girl (feat. Timbaland) (03:44)
1-14. Brad Paisley – The Devil Is Alive and Well (03:59)
1-15. Brad Paisley – Meaning Again (03:45)
1-16. Brad Paisley – Heaven South (Reprise) (01:11)

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