Let's Be Us Again

by

Lonestar

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Prime Cuts: Let's Be Us Again, What I Miss the Most, From There to Here

Back in the late 90s, Lonestar enjoyed a career makeover. Divorcing itself from its Texan honky tonk spit and sawdust roots, they have indulged in anthemic balladry and Eagles-influenced country rockers. Gone are the pressed starched shirts, Stetson hats and cowboy boots, the Lonestar of today (as pictured on the album sleeve) wears designer jeans and leather jackets, looking more like an over grown boy band. Such a move certainly paid off handsomely as Lonestar has anchored itself firmly as country radio's darling.

"Let's Be Us Again" continues Lonestar's winning streak with the standard over-the-top power ballads and popish rockers. I have no qualms with artists trying to placate the support of radio; after all without airplay, it's commercial suicide for any artist. But has Lonestar gone too far? So far that "Let's Be Us Again" becomes a marketing ploy rather than an artistic expression of the group's ingenuity.

How sincere are these guys on the loquacious "Mr. Mom" and the guitar driven rocker "Women Rule the World"? Are lines such as "They're so sexy when they're mamas," "In all shapes and sizes they make my temperature rise" really from the heart? Or are they pretentiously written so as to tickle the fancy of country music's largely female audience? Trace Adkins has done it with the extremely degrading and insulting "Hot Mama," is Lonestar following suit?

The rest of the album doesn't get better. Most of the songs deal with themes that are far too safe within country music's canon. The titles say it all: "County Fair," "T.G.I.F.," "Summertime," and "Class Reunion." Following in the shadow of their mega smash hit "Amazed," most of the ballads here are powerhouse performance with Richie McDonald trying to prove that he could reach and sustain the high notes, rather than trying to express the emotions of the songs. With that said, the romantic title cut "Let's Be Us Again," the melancholic "What I Miss the Most" and the inspirational "From There to Here" are still ingratiating.

Like many male bands and artists, Lonestar's eagerness for success has made "Let's Be Us Again" pretty pretentious. Maybe Lonestar should take their own advice and "let's be us again." They need to re-discover their own identity and chose songs that express that identity, rather than fashion itself into an over grown boy band singing mawkish material.