Sep 14, 2007

Kenny Chesney
Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates [RCA Label Group] 2007
Produced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
Review by Cheryl Breo

The title of Kenny Chesney’s newest album, “Just Who I Am: Poet & Pirates”, is a definite hint about the flavor of the music on this CD … Kenny Chesney more poet than pirate … just briefly slipping on his Caribbean sandals,  the pirate … but it’s the poet, a man taking a serious look at his life that grabs most of this CD.  Despite the near autobiographical songs on “Just Who I Am”, it’s interesting to note that none of them were written by Chesney.
 
That’s not to say that Kenny has left the pirate and the islands behind.  “Shiftwork”, a breezy duet with George Strait about the 7 to 3, 3 to 11, 11 to 7 working hours of the everyday person.  But, listen closely to the clever way Kenny and George “blend” that F in the title, you will get the biggest grin.
 
“Got A Little Crazy”, a fun, up tempo track about the “morning after” an alcohol filled “night before”…”first one drink, then two and I woke up next to you, so I know things can’t be that bad”…and the rockin’ “Wild Ride”, sung with Joe Walsh, showcasing Walsh’s hard driving guitar, definitely remind us of Kenny’s party side.
 
But it’s the introspective, soul searching ballads that make this album remarkable.  “Just Not Today”, whose lyrics remind me of Peter Pan… the boy who never wanted to grow up and face adult responsibilities, trying to hold on to his youth… ”one of these days we’ll have to grow up - just not today”.  Then, mix in “Wife And Kids”, with it’s exact opposite sentiments, a bittersweet  ballad of a man who realizes he has let his youth slip by and is facing the coming years alone, longing for a family, for “kids that yell daddy’s home” and wishing he had someone to share his life with.
 
“Better As A Memory” and “Demons” are both soulful ballads with haunting lyrics. In  “Better As A Memory”, you can almost hear the sadness in Kenny’s voice as he tells a love that “I’m better as a memory than as your friend” mixing with a crying guitar interlude… ”goodbyes are like a roulette wheel, you never knew where they’re going to land.”   Such a heart tugging track.  “Demons” is a mournful, lyrically moving song about the fears, the addictions, the phobias, the quick fixes, we all use and have deep inside of us… from childhood monsters under the bed to the adult fear of being free and alone.
 
The real standout track for me is “Don’t Blink”, the current single release from the CD.  “Don’t Blink” is a lyrically poignant, brilliantly written song, reminding us all how quickly life rushes by; that we allow it to move at hyper speed, keeping an almost impossible hectic pace and we never take the time to “stop and smell the roses”.  I simply love the hook verse, “best start puttin’ first things first, ‘cause when your hourglass runs outta sand, you can’t flip it over, start again”.  There’s our “poet” Kenny Chesney.
 
Over the last years we’ve all gotten to know Kenny Chesney’s island, Jimmy Buffett sound, complete with tank tops and flip flops, but in “Just Who I Am”, we begin to see a deeper, more mature artist, going back to his country roots, getting more personal and emotionally intense.  He’s zeroing in on what country is all about; the music; the songs.  This reviewer gives it 4 out of 5 stars.