Jerrod Niemann: Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury

"'Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury' (Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville) is Jerrod Niemann’s first major-label album, which might explain why he’s so eager to show off so many styles. There’s the rough country of the ’70s (the surprisingly wistful 'They Should Have Named You Cocaine'), the soft crooning of the 1980s ('Come Back to Me') and the exuberant pop-country of the ’90s ('How Can I Be So Thirsty'), each executed effervescently. In sum, Mr. Niemann is a gentleman outlaw, but mostly he’s a history-minded technician on this thoughtful, magnetic record, his voice carrying bits of Garth Brooks … and George Strait put in service of oodles of plain, forceful writing. Best is 'What Do You Want,' a tender scold … with a Hawaiian lilt to the melody. Even more striking are the skits — drunken calls from Mexico, girls begging for Robert Earl Keen covers, loopy fan mail — that make for a country album as it might be conceptualized by Prince Paul" (Jon Caramanica, "Playlist," New York Times, 7/16/10).

View catalog record here!