Nate Smith (Deluxe Edition)

Nate Smith is an unassuming title for an unassuming country singer, one who doesnt rely on any flashy tricks and is happy to sing whatever kind of tune comes his way. Fortunately, Nate Smith got to sing all kinds of songs on his eponymous debut, especially when the deluxe edition is taken into consideration: it runs 26 tracks that span a whopping 82 minutes. Smith has a slight rasp in his pleading voice that helps give his songs a slight earthiness, an affect that is emphasized on his breakthrough Country Airplay number one "Whiskey on You." With its surging, booze-filled chorus, "Whiskey on You" gives the appearance of being an old-fashioned barroom anthem, but its filled with electronic flair in its rhythms and productions, elements that become more apparent later in the record when Smith drifts further away from conventional notions of country. Often, he strays toward refurbished disco -- "Bad Memory" tempers its beat with guitar swiped from U2, but "You Only Want Me When Youre Drunk" might as well be excavated from 1979 -- and, despite Smiths carefully rugged, bearded appearance, he truly flourishes when hes singing an appealingly tacky combination of modern pop and retro-dance. He doesnt do that all the way through this lengthy debut, but he does it enough to distinguish himself from the po-faced likes of Bailey Zimmerman. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine