Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney may title his 12th album after the pop standard that he sings here with Willie Nelson, but don't mistake Lucky Old Sun for Nelson's Stardust. Chesney is tipping his hat not to the Great American Songbook but the great ball in the sky, the one that shines on beaches from coast to coast, with the Gulf of Mexico being a particular favorite in his book. Lucky Old Sun is designed to be a soundtrack to laid-back afternoons on warm sand, which by now is very familiar territory for Chesney in his personal and professional life. Since Chesney swaps Jimmy Buffett's boozy goofball schtick for gentle strumming, this isn't music for a party, it's music that laps softly against the shore. To be sure, there's some pleasure to be had here, but it's all about appreciating the album as pure texture and sunbleached mood music, which is appealing as far as it goes. [The Deluxe Edition contains a second disc with four live tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide