Brand New Me ~ John Michael Montgomery ~ Contemporary Country ~ CD ~ Good

You can't say John Michael Montgomery is an American original, but he's certainly an American. Brand New Me is as masculine, wholesome, and conventional as a pickup commercial. His perspective comes through loud and clear on one of this 10-song set's pivotal numbers, "Thanks for the G Chord": "Thanks for the G chord / Teaching me about the good Lord / Giving me that old Ford/When I turned 16." Holding down the middle ground between honky-tonk traditionalism and unapologetic country-pop, Montgomery matches gestures toward country's roots (a little mandolin here, some sweeping steel there) with the full-bodied drumming and cranked guitar that marks many a modern Nashville production. And of course, no one can wring a ballad dry like Montgomery can. There's nothing inspired or original going on here; indeed, the brand new John Michael sounds mighty familiar. --Steve Stolder