What makes you country

"During his decade of dominance, the sound of mainstream modern country was largely the sound of Luke Bryan: cheerful odes to country, drinking, and love ... On What Makes You Country, he's not quite so slick. Covered in a shiny electronic gloss, the album flits between slow-burners and mellow pop ... When it comes to the ballads, though, or the numerous laid-back pop numbers, Bryan demonstrates that familiar, friendly charm, and that helps sell productions that are otherwise trying a little too hard to make him sound a little less cozy".

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"There is a degree of mawkish sentimentality to Pick It Up's reflections on fatherhood, or Win Life's depiction of encroaching middle age, but if you're averse to mawkish sentimentality you might be best advised to give the entire genre of country music a wide berth. Besides, there is a genuine emotion amid the corn: the sound of country's reigning king looking to a future when the fad that made him famous has died away".

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"There are a few whiffs, like the foul "She's a Hot One" ("She might be a mess, but she's a hot one"), but Bryan truly excels when he's all nostalgic for the uncomplicated ease of a summer fling in "Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset" or subtly acknowledging the beauty of all types of love in the gently uplifting "Most People Are Good."".

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