What This Country Needs

Despite the title, this is not a rebel-rousing call to arms. In fact, the title track is a diatribe against much of contemporary country fare ("What this country needs / is a little more steel guitar"). Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to this rallying cry. Instead, Tippin treads common ground, too often falling back on Eagles' country-rock conventions and lovelorn balladry. There are exceptions, of course, namely the revelatory "I'm Leaving," the barroom swinger "Don't Stop (We're Just Getting Started)," and the contrite "Back When I Knew Everything." On these, Tippin's Haggardesque vocals and "stone country" image mesh with the material. --Alexandra Russell