Jimmie Allen responded to the success of his 2018 debut,
Mercury Lane, by delivering
Bettie James, a star-studded mini-LP designed to show that the singer can play in the big leagues. It's only seven tracks, but
Bettie James offers a little something for everybody. There are tips of the hat to his forefathers, a slight nod to hip-hop, some partying, a lot of ballads, and it's all unified by
Allen's nimble navigating of the byways separating country, pop, and R&B. He sounds as comfortable trading lines with
Tim McGraw and
Brad Paisley as he does emoting with
Noah Cyrus or crooning a barroom weeper with
Mickey Guyton. When he sings with
Darius Rucker and
Charley Pride on "Why Things Happen," the musical lineage is evident yet not heavy-handed, but the same can't be said of "When This Is Over," a sappy ballad that turns bizarro when the weathered voices of the
Oak Ridge Boys appear in the coda. It's the rare misstep on an EP that successfully showcases the versatility of
Jimmie Allen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine