Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 04/08/2008
Of all the
Big & Rich protégés -- and as of 2008 there are too many to count, with only a
capo or
consigliere of the MuzikMafia being able to keep track --
James Otto initially seems the closest to
Kenny and
John, as his second album,
Sunset Man, kicks off with
"Ain't Gonna Stop," the kind of party-pumping anthem that
B&R have managed to turn from refreshing raunch to boring BS in just under five years.
Otto gamely spits out
Big Kenny's mock-macho lyrics -- including the
de rigueur referencing to rocking out at an "
Ott-to show" -- seemingly happy to be given another shot at the big leagues after having his 2004 debut,
Days of Our Lives, sink without a trace, but fortunately for him and the rest of us
Sunset Man doesn't dip all that often into MuzikMafia burlesque (toward the end of the album there's
"Drink & Dial," a far better and funnier attempt at this blustering boogie). Instead, it quickly settles into a mellow, romantic groove, lingering on love songs. When the tempo does upshift, it's only a modest bump, as when
"These Are the Good Ole Days" eases into second gear with its tuneful unhurried nostalgia, which helps give the impression that
Otto is a reflective sort, whether he's ruminating on times passed or heartbreak (or on the easy-rolling title track, both). It all adds up to one of the sweeter MuzikMafia-related projects, one that has some genuine warmth and heart, and if it takes a boneheaded
Big Kenny shuffle to sell this very endearing record to a wider audience, so be it:
James Otto deserves a second chance and a little bit of pandering has never tarnished a good mainstream country album like this anyway.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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