What I'm For

Over the past decade, Pat Green has transitioned from Texas troubadour into Nashville hitmaker with considerable skill. 2003’s “Wave On Wave” proved that this resourceful singer/songwriter could score big singles without discarding his integrity. What I’m For pushes Green further into mainstream country territory with mixed results. This time, he pairs up with producer Dann Huff (Faith Hill, Keith Urban) for a set of anthemic heartland rockers and thoughtful mid-tempo tracks. Green’s versatile vocals — reminiscent at times of John Mellencamp, Bob Seger and ‘80s-era Steve Earle — sound folksy and unaffected one minute, aggressive and heroic the next. He binds the strands of his music together by celebrating old-fashioned values from a populist angle, whether in a rock context (“Footsteps of Our Fathers,” “Lucky”) or with country/pop overtones (“What I’m For,” “In This World”). What I’m For’s reassuring sentiments and bright production should earn it airplay, though the album’s slickness on clever but less-then-convincing tunes like “Country Star” and “Carry On” sometimes blunts its artistic impact.