Every Chance I Get

More than just a country rapper, Colt Ford draws deeply from his Georgia heritage to spin vivid tales of back-roads good times and working-class blues. On his third album this gifted word-slinger raises a jar of ‘shine to pickup-truck Romeos, plowboy bunnies, deer meat, cornbread and sassing Uncle Sam. Beyond getting the details right, Ford knows how to combine swagger with humor and a touch of unexpected vulnerability (especially in the country-boy lament “Twisted”). He’s joined by an A-list of singing guest-stars who pair their voices with Ford’s brawny drawl with pleasing results. Steamy guitar licks and wailing fiddles give “Country Thang,” “This Is Our Song” and “Work It Out” genuine Southern-rock bite, while a mellower piano and pedal-steel blend brings out the bittersweet edge in “She Likes to Ride In Trucks.” Ford’s narrative ability — as much rooted in classic trucker ballads as anything resembling hip-hop – carries him through honky-tonk rave-ups (“Skirts & Boots”) and hillbilly party tunes (“Pipe the Sunshine In”) with equal conviction.