But I had the same initial reaction to Let's Do This Thing. There are three or four songs on the album where I felt certain cliches and overused motifs were played into. "Skip That Stone," "Messing Around," and "Hell of a Time to Go Crazy" feel overdone. Yes, the music is authentically country. It's not pop music, and it's definitely better than pop-country. Musically, the album gets it pretty much right. But by the same token, it' hard to not notice those motifs when they're used so frequently.
Don't take that criticism too harshly. Because I'd still rather listen to this album than the vast majority of what's out there on the radio right now. There are some songs on this album that are very good which give me hope that Chadwick could become an artist I'd take the time to follow. "She Just Might Be a Love Song," "Here We Are," "I'll Drink to That" and "What Goodbye Does" are all very strong offerings. These are the types of songs I'd like to hear more of from Chadwick. Because these are the songs where he shines.
With a little bit of "unpolishing," a little bit of un-conditioning towards some of those overused aspects, I'll look forward to seeing how Chadwick develops as a talent.