Justin Moore - Kinda Dont Care (Deluxe Version) (2016)

Justin Moore toughened up his attack on 2013's Off The Beaten Path, his third album and one that found him developing a distinctive modern rocking country that avoided the smiling swagger of bro country. Moore specialized in fusing secondhand honky tonk tradition, Heartland rock and brawny country-rock in the vein of Hank Williams Jr, plus he had an easy way with a ballad as the hit "Lettin' the Night Roll" showed. Arriving in the summer of 2016, Kinda Don't Care accentuates all these elements but slyly threads in elements of the R&B-inflected country that dominated the airwaves in the three years between albums. Moore wisely doesn't attempt quick-stepping hip-hop inflections, a'la Sam Hunt—he's too deliberate a singer for that—but "Somebody Else Will" is a slow, soulful burner and "Got It Good" skips along to a buoyant beat. About a third of the record in its lengthy deluxe incarnation is dressed in this contemporary sheen and the remarkable thing about Kinda Don't Care is how this doesn't sound like pandering: it feels like an outgrowth of his ballad side. Also, it complements the rowdy and rootsy elements of the record, making them hit a little harder. At times, Moore's rebellion can feel a little canned—the growl of "More Middle Fingers" is a bit silly—but usually, there's he gets by on his casual authority and sturdily constructed songs. No matter the sound, this is the constant on Kinda Don't Care: Moore is quietly confident, probably because he knows he has the goods. Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

TRACKLIST
01. Robbin' Trains 03:25
02. Put Me In A Box 02:44
03. Kinda Don't Care 04:21
04. Hell On A Highway 04:21
05. Goodbye Back 03:13
06. You Look Like I Need A Drink 03:07
07. Somebody Else Will 02:45
08. Between You And Me 03:00
09. Got It Good 02:44
10. Rebel Kids 03:57
11. More Middle Fingers 03:55
12. Life In The Livin' 03:08
13. Middle Class Money 03:42
14. Pick-Up Lines 03:21
15. Spendin' The Night 03:16
16. When I Get Home 03:40