Mark Chesnutt  (Audio CD) 
by Mark Chesnutt

At his former label, Mark Chesnutt could usually be counted on for two things--solid honky-tonk with discernable meat on its bones and an edgy tune that flirted with rock & roll. Now, at his new Columbia recording home, the Beaumont, Texas, native reprises his winning formula. The rocking "Don’t Know Why I Do It" proves a droll meditation on the absurdity of relationships and the need to sabotage even the best of them, and "Sacred as a Sunday" lets the singer explore a Waylon-like beat with a lyric that appreciates a girl who offers love as "wild as a Saturday night" but also befitting the title. And while "Population Minus Zero" plays on rube sentimentality, "I Drew Me" nods its Stetson to family values, and "My Dreams" takes the easy road to romantic fantasy, Chesnutt balances these predictable forays with decent dance tunes and intelligent ballads. Call Mark Chesnutt playing it safe, but also brand it something for everybody--a serviceable album from a still-bankable voice. --Alanna Nash