Some Southern Comfort Goes a Long Way

Front-line country stars such as Jackson don’t shoot for the moon anymore. They tend to keep things comfortably familiar for their legions of fans--and accountants. So although this long, tall Georgia native’s eighth album is no giant leap for country music-kind, it is a small step forward for the Chattahoochee man.

The progress comes in themes that reach a bit deeper than the what-you-hear-is-what-you-get charm that’s been the hallmark of his career. As the Jimmy Stewart of ‘90s country, he’s always eminently easy to listen to. That’s still true here, from the effervescent opener “Right on the Money,” which reels off the little joys of life to which love compares.

It’s the presence of a mood-setter such as Kieran Kane’s “I’ll Go On Loving You,” a largely spoken rumination on the sensual and spiritual aspects of love, that will challenge the casual listener. And since it’s the album’s first single, it also figures to throw a curve at conservative country radio programmers, who may balk at its unconventional style.

That and other songs, including “Little Man,” make it easier both to overlook the by-the-numbers filler material and to jump on board for the featherweight, radio-ready fun of “Another Good Reason.”

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).