Brad Paisley's previous release, Mud on the Tires, was the sort of landmark album nearly every artist has difficulty topping. Not so this time. On Time Well Wasted, Paisley's voice--never overwhelmed by overmixed instruments (a problem dogging many current vocalists)--remains keenly focused. There's quality material in abundance, heavy on originals and delightfully quirky bonus tracks. The album's first hit, Paisley's self-penned "Alcohol," has the potential to become a lasting anthem in a genre where booze songs long ago became an art form. Guy Clark's "Out in the Parkin' Lot," a duet with Alan Jackson, sounds more organic, less contrived than most Music Row pairings. The same applies to "When I Get Where I'm Going," a spiritual duet with Dolly Parton. As in the past, Paisley's country-jazz Telecaster prowess (phemonenal on the dazzling instrumental "Time Warp") remains remarkable, as does his insistence that his sidemen get ample space to shine. Such assets set Paisley apart, as does his ability to make real creativity commercially successful in a Nashville concerned mainly with the latter. --Rich Kienzle
Like his friend Vince Gill, Brad Paisley has achieved the often-difficult feat of reconciling being an entertainer and world-class guitarist. He's proven that on four admirable albums, and 5th Gear follows in that vein. Certainly "Ticks," an airy, radio-friendly ditty, is not the true substance here. That comes with such superior fare as the insightful "All I Wanted Was a Car" and "Online," a sly satire of people's Web facades. While his duet with Carrie Underwood ("Oh Love") is a bit cut and dried, Paisley ably handles "Letter to Me," "It Did," and "Mr. Policeman," a 21st-century outrun-the-law tune. The closing hymn, "When We All Get to Heaven," and ripping instrumental "Throttleneck" are Paisley at his best. It's admirable that he invites his venerable buddies, Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Vince Gill, and Bill Anderson, along with Dolly Parton, to join in, but the obligatory "Kung Pao Buckaroos" skit is wearing a bit thin. Better to feature them musically, the way he includes Dickens, Gill, and Anderson on "Bigger Fish to Fry." In a time where lines between county and pop are blurring far too much, it's comforting to know Paisley still realizes and respects the differences. --Rich Kienzle
