Reprise released the title track of
Paul Brandt's third album as a single months before the full disc appeared, in an attempt to re-ignite radio interest in the singer. But like all his singles and radio tracks since the two country Top Tens that launched his career in 1996, "That's The Truth" was a disappointment, which did not help set up the subsequent album. The song, co-written by
Brandt, is a lyrically confused effort that starts out excoriating politicians and lawyers before settling into romantic cliché.
After it's out of the way,
Brandt turns to simpler, more conventional country sentiments, from the wedding song "It's A Beautiful Thing" to the unrequited love of "That Hurts." "Scrap Piece Of Paper" is an entertaining novelty in a honky-tonk style, but the big surprise is
Brian Setzer's typically rockabilly/jump blues-tinged "Let's Live It Up," which is given a Western Swing treatment and could be a left-field hit. Certainly, it's time to take chances in
Brandt's faltering career. ~ William Ruhlmann