Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll  (Audio CD) 
by Keith Anderson

Oklahoma native Anderson, who wrote Gretchen Wilson's duet with Big & Rich, "The Bed," clearly takes his cues from their Muzik Mafia world on this raw, ripping debut. With the dense, guitar-heavy production that characterizes Here for the Party, the album is heavy on boogie tunes like the title track (produced by John Rich) and "XXL," which celebrates those with larger frames. While some of Anderson's songs OD on boogie and others go overboard invoking brand names, a gem like "Podunk" flawlessly evokes the love-hate relationships many have with their small hometowns. His fearlessness flares forth on the tough-love gospel number "The Clothes Don't Make the Man," a prison tune celebrating Christ that takes an unsubtle, nondenominational shot at pedophile clergymen. Anderson and producer Jeffrey Steele capture an itinerant, aspiring musician's sense of grit, pain, hope, and anxiety on their heartfelt ballad "I'll Know When I Get There." Even with a few uneven moments, Anderson's riding a cutting edge of rawer 21st-century country that honors tradition, yet remains totally of the moment. --Rich Kienzle