On “The Road and the Radio” the artist puts an unhappy past in his rearview mirror, ready to forge ahead with the help of friends. He grieves for a lady who “died too young” and looks forward to a heavenly reunion (“Who You’d Be Today”). A family-minded trucker ponders the meaning of “Freedom.” There are passing nods to God, Jesus and prayer throughout the album. A man revisiting his small-town roots thinks of church as a sanctuary and calls drugs a dead end (“In a Small Town”). “You Save Me” appreciates a woman’s strength. There are consequences to “Living in Fast Forward.” While not ready to change, Chesney says of his vices, “One day they’ll get me if they ain’t got me yet.”
Mild profanities mar several cuts. Alcohol numbs heartache (“Tequila Loves Me,” “Somebody Take Me Home”), and getting drunk beats growing up and taking responsibility (“Beer in Mexico”). A lusty line on “Summertime” finds boys ogling bikini-bottomed girls slipping out of cut-off shorts.
It’s more positive than his last effort. Still, Chesney (whose four-month marriage to actress Renée Zellweger was annulled last fall) hasn’t settled down entirely and still leans too hard on the bottle.
