Jack Ingram's This is It CD is Almost Perfect

Title: This is It
Artist: Jack Ingram
Record Label: Big Machine
Release Date: March 27, 2007

Track Listing

Measure Of A Man
Hold On - (with Sheryl Crow)
Lips Of An Angel
Wherever You Are
Love You
Easy As 1,2,3 (Part II)
Ava Adele
Make A Wish (Coming Home Again)
Great Divide
Don't Want To Get Hurt
Maybe She'll Get Lonely
All I Can Do

Texas singer-songwriter Jack Ingram has, with is latest release "This is It", established himself as a radio-friendly country artist, while still keeping his alt-country/americana roots intact. The new CD is sure to please fans both new and old. Having only recently discovered Jack's back catalog in the last couple years, I've definitely enjoyed "This is It", with one serious exception.

The CD features a great blend of radio-friendly numbers such as "Measure of a Man", "Maybe She'll Get Lonely", and re-releases of his first two top-40 country hits "Wherever You Are" and "Love You", as well as songs sure to become classics on the few alt-country radio shows and on stations like XM's Cross Country (channel 12) like "Ava Adele", "Easy as 1 2 3", and "Great Divide". Jack's songwriting and vocal talents shine through on this CD, and I have a feeling it will be the release which makes him a true country star and place him alongside acts like Toby Keith, Gary Alan, and Brad Paisley on country radio and CMT.

My one complaint about this CD however, is Jack's lead single, his cover of "Lips of an Angel". Now, I'll admit, if I'd heard Jack's version before having become a fan of the original band to do the song, Hinder, I might like the song. I'm not even saying it wouldn't work as a country song. But, despite Jack's chart success with the song, it is the one unlistenable song on the CD, the one I always skip past. Something about the phrasing and Jack's interpretation of the vocals that simply grates on my nerves. This is surprising because in all honesty, other than this song, I haven't heard a Jack Ingram song I haven't liked. One bad song out of twelve isn't bad though; most other bands could take a lesson from Jack when putting out new albums.