Billy Currington Albums (3)
'Little Bit of Everything'
Release Date 10/14/2008
Tracks 11
Label Mercury Nashville
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Although there's an undeniable soft center to A Little Bit of Everything, the title of Billy Currington's third album is accurate: Currington dabbles in a lot of styles here, cranking up some rocking country, singing sentimental schmaltz, getting a bit reflective but mostly spending a lot of time singing mellow country-pop. Currington showcased this sunny sound on his 2005 sophomore set Doin' Something Right but here he relies on it, pushing his rocking side, or even faster tempos, to the background. Really, it only surfaces on the straight-up redneck anthem "That's How Country Boys Roll," which is a perfectly fine tune but Currington is a bit more interesting when he relaxes into the mellow melancholy of "Every Reason Not to Go," glides along to the sleek '80s sheen of "Don't" or beats Kenny Chesney at his own game with the breezy island vibes of "I Shall Return." Here, Currington's strong yet supple voice gives soul to his fondness for soft, melodic tunes which, combined with his understated musical explorations, helps turn A Little Bit of Everything into one of the best country-pop albums of 2008. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Doin' Somethin' Right'
Release Date 10/18/2005
Tracks 11
Label Mercury Nashville
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Billy Currington was helped enormously by his duet with Shania Twain on "Party for Two," a new track on her 2004 Greatest Hits album. She had two versions of the song on the record -- one cut with Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath for the pop audience, the version with Currington for country fans, and it's not entirely a stretch to say that Currington is a country McGrath: good-looking, likeable, entirely comfortable with selling out so he can reach as big of an audience possible, yet kind of ingratiating because he's not only charming, he's good at it. And his second album, Doin' Something Right proves this: while it doesn't take any chances, it's a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying contemporary country album. Despite his protestations that he wants to be a hillbilly on the rocking, twangy opening cut, Currington has as strong a foundation in pop as he does in country. He not only gets a nicely mellow, relaxed Californian vibe on the title track, but he collaborates with Michael McDonald on "She's Got a Way with Me," a song that could have fit comfortably onto soft rock stations in the early '80s, when McDonald provided his signature gruff, soulful harmonies on every other track. Currington also covers Kenny Rogers' hit "Lucille," but he does a neat trick with it, one that illustrates why this album is so enjoyable: he does a harder country version than Rogers, proving that he can pull off both lighter pop and straight-ahead country with one performance. The rest of the record goes back and forth between these two extremes -- sometimes subtlety, sometimes not -- and Currington comes across like a blend of Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, and Alan Jackson: he has the good looks and frat-boy sensibility of Chesney and the pop sense and common touch of Shania, but it's tempered by a touch of the neo-traditional twang of Jackson. The end is a cheerfully commercial country album, but one with muscle and heart, one that's as enjoyable when it's laid-back as when it rocks out. It's an excellent second album and one that should make Currington a star. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
