Tailgates & Tanlines

by Luke Bryan

Overview

The third time around, Luke Bryan doubles down on his calling card: his inherent sweetness, the warmth he has as the country boy next door. Bryan is so genial that when he implores his country girl to "shake it for me," there's nary a trace of lasciviousness: he just wants to be sure she's having a good time. This aw-shucks generosity resonates throughout Tailgates & Tanlines, a record that capitalizes on the relaxed professionalism of 2009's Doin' My Thing. Bryan's bright setting plays as pop -- it's too clean and crisp, too bereft of grit to ever be mistaken as something hardcore -- but his foundation is pure country, songs that are sturdy and unfussy, never bothering with sugary pop hooks. This is a slight shift from Doin' My Thing, which was pop enough to have a OneRepublic cover fit within the context, but Bryan retains the shiny friendliness of his sophomore set and marries it to songs that are strictly country, whether they're a lazy Sunday stroll like "Too Damn Young," the country corn of "You Don't Know Jack," the farmtown anthem "Harvest Time," the blues stomp of "Muckalee Creek Water," or the open-road sprightliness of "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye." Much of this is modern in sensibility, anchored by subtle ties to the past, a deliberate move from Bryan both as a writer -- he had a hand in penning eight of the 13 tunes here -- and a performer, showing that he knows exactly what his strengths are: he's not flashy yet he's not boring, he's laid-back and assured, a modern guy who knows his roots but is happy to be in the present, and it's hard not to smile along with the guy as he sings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/09/2011
Label:	Capitol / Emi / Liberty
UPC:	5099907041228
Rank:	5248

Tracks

1. Country Girl (Shake It for Me)
2. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
3. Drunk on You
4. Too Damn Young
5. I Don't Want This Night to End
6. You Don't Know Jack
7. Harvest Time
8. I Know You're Gonna Be There
9. Muckalee Creek Water
10. Tailgate Blues
11. Been There, Done That
12. Faded Away
13. I Knew You That Way

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Luke Bryan   Primary Artist,Vocals
Rachel Thibodeau   Vocals (Background)
Kenny Greenberg   Guitar (Electric)
Eric Darken   Percussion
Russell Terrell   Vocals (Background)
Greg Morrow   Drums
Jeff King   Guitar (Electric)
J.T. Corenflos   Guitar (Electric)
John Willis   Guitar (Acoustic)
Joe Spivey   Fiddle,Mandolin
Rob Ickes   Dobro
Mark Bright   Keyboards,Co-Producer
Jeff Stevens   Co-Producer
Ashton Shepherd   Vocals (Background)
Ilya Toshinskiy   Banjo,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Clare Dunn   Vocals (Background)
Adam Shoenfeld   Guitar (Electric)
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass
Mike Brignardello   Bass
Mike Rojas   Organ,Piano
Brent Mason   Guitar (Electric)
Georgia Middleman   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Chris Ashburn   Assistant Engineer,Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Rachel Thibodeau   Composer
Jody Stevens   Engineer
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Josh Kear   Composer
Rodney Clawson   Composer
Dallas Davidson   Composer
Patrick Jason Matthews   Composer
Ben Hayslip   Composer
Brien Sager   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Brent Cobb   Composer
Shane McAnally   Composer
Derek Bason   Mixing,Engineer
Lee Moore   Wardrobe
Mark Bright   Producer
Jay Clementi   Composer
Ted Wheeler   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Jeff Stevens   Composer,Producer
Joanna Carter   Art Direction
Mike "Frog" Griffith   Assistant Producer,Production Assistant
Debra Williams   Grooming
Wendy Stamberger   Package Design
Jed Hackett   Editing,Digital Editing
Scott Johnson   Assistant Producer,Production Assistant
Kristin Barlowe   Photography
Erin Enderlin   Composer
Casey Kessel   Composer
Michelle Hall   Art Producer
Hank Williams   Mastering
Arlis Albritton   Composer
Mike Rooney   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Tom Freitag   Assistant Engineer
Michael Carter   Composer
Neil Medley   Composer
Tom Frietag   Assistant
Chris Tompkins   Composer
Radney Foster   Composer
Ashley Gorley   Composer
Mills Logan   Engineer
Rhett Akins   Composer
Luke Bryan   Composer