Music review: Kenny Chesney 鈥� ‘Cosmic Hallelujah’
I鈥檝e always been a big Kenny Chesney fan.
Early in his career, Chesney conveyed his country leanings with hits like 鈥淪he Thinks My Tractor鈥檚 Sexy,鈥� 鈥淒on鈥檛 Happen Twice鈥� and 鈥淏ack Where I Come From.鈥� Then with the release of his 12th album 鈥淟ucky Old Sun鈥� in 2008, Chesney seamlessly morphed into modern country music鈥檚 version of Jimmy Buffett with sun-drenched tracks of living a relaxing life of white sand, cool blue waters, and plenty of drink and good times to last into the wee hours of the morning.
With 鈥淐osmic Hallelujah,鈥� the Tennessee native continues his stress-free lifestyle with 11 tracks that examine life and making the most of each day graciously given to us.
His 17th album serves as a natural progression from 2014鈥檚 鈥淭he Big Revival鈥� with nostalgic reflections on the exuberance of youth and colorful descriptions of shrugging off the tension and anxiety created from navigating these modern times.
鈥淭rip Around the Sun鈥� opens with Chesney getting philosophical in a playful way as he acknowledges the need to live without limitations and the importance of soaking in the moments that make for priceless memories as we ride the roller coaster of life with our hands held high in the air and the summer breeze in our hair.
The album鈥檚 lead single, 鈥淣oise,鈥� examines the constant barrage of information we receive 24 hours a day causing us to lose ourselves within the sensory overload.
The album鈥檚 second single, 鈥淪etting the World on Fire,鈥� features pop superstar Pink lending her passionate vocals to the spirited love song about living on the edge and having no regrets.
鈥淏ar at the End of the World鈥� and 鈥淪ome Town Somewhere鈥� carry a Buffettesque tone that鈥檚 been predominately featured on Chesney鈥檚 last few releases and serve as another perfect fit for his No Shoes Nation.
鈥淏ucket鈥� makes light of the bucket list craze by substituting the letter b for another letter, giving it a totally different meaning and providing a plausible excuse to just write it all down and then blow it all off.
Chesney recently received the Pinnacle Award during the 50th annual Country Music Association Awards. Chesney joined Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift as the only recipients of this honor that recognizes an artist who has achieved global prominence through performances and record sales and the highest degree of recognition.