Luke Bryan's: I'll Stay Me

You almost expect to see some red Georgia dirt in the case for Luke Bryan’s debut CD, “I’ll Stay Me.” The songs on this album are totally country and tell the story of small towns and homespun families. 

Luke Bryan was born in Leesburg, Georgia. He grew up with his dad’s peanut and fertilizer business, listening to and playing country music.  His first CD is filled with many of the songs he co-wrote about life in his own small town. Start with “We Rode In Trucks:” 

“We thought tobacco and beer in a can
Was all it would take to be like our old man
Then I saw how it made my mama cry

It was huntin’ and fishin’ and football games
Then it was girls and everything changed
Fallin’ in and out of love, we rode in trucks.”

The CD has a good mix of honky-tonk and ballads, showing off Bryan’s vocal range and his twang.  There are songs about marriage, love and work.  Like “Country Man” where Bryan declares: 

“Hey, I’m a country man
A city boy can’t do the things I can
I can hot wire your tractor and plow up your land
Hey baby, I’m a country man.” 

There’s also plenty of sentiment in Bryan’s easy to listen to drawl, like “missin Grandpa” in “Tackle Box’ and the aptly named “First Love Song.”

Bryan moves easily from frat house drinking (“All My Friends Say”) to hunting and fishing trips. In all, he remains unapologetic about his roots, as he explains in “I’ll Stay Me:” 

“My granny and paw paw
Still missing Hee-Haw
And I love my little town
Where the people don’t let you down
There’a a girl down the street
Got a kiss just waitn’ on me
Hot dog, sweet-potato fries
When I go over tonight
She knows exactly who I am
A soft-touchin’, her love-lovin’ hard workin’ man.” 

Georgia fans have been running after Luke Bryan for some time and now his first CD should give the rest of us a chance to catch up!