Be As You Are

Kenny Chesney has made a number of side trips to the islands on past albums, but this time around, the Tennessee native takes up permanent residence in Margaritaville. Sitting in a chair down in the land of Jimmy Buffett, watching the world tick slowly by in a sun-induced state of bliss, inspired Chesney to write and record his latest album, Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair).

Be As You Are is a true artistic endeavor; Chesney wrote or co-wrote every single cut on the disc. Some people might think the country star is simply indulging his ego here, but that would be a mistake. Songs like the leisurely paced "Island Boy" and the jazzy "Magic" come from the deepest part of the singer's beach-loving heart. The latter track is as soothing and welcome as an ice chest full of beer on the face of the sun. A slinky arrangement of piano, gut-string guitar and saxophone punctuate Chesney's slow drawl. "Guitars And Tiki Bars," with its elastic rhythm, should awaken the escapist in all who hear it.

"Somewhere In The Sun," the only track on the disc (according to Chesney) that wasn't written in the heat of the islands, finds the singer in a Holiday Inn during a bad snowstorm longing for better days. "Boston" and "Something Sexy About The Rain" could be left over tracks from Chesney's last album, When The Sun Goes Down. The compositions are laid-back, with an easy production that underscores the warm vocals. The subtle instrumental shadings on the songs--the entire album really--have a tranquilizing quality that is almost as relaxing as being on the beach somewhere with a bottle of Cruzan.

Chesney is sucking down banana drinks in his straw hat and enjoying a big ole piece of everything the islands have to offer, on the tongue-in-cheek "Key Lime Pie." "We got Ginger and Mary Ann/ Cooking up a real good tan," Chesney sings with a dog-sly grin. "Soul Of A Sailor" seems to sum up the singer's life. Co-written with Scotty Emerick and Dean Dillon, the slow swaying song is one of the album's best cuts. "Old Blue Chair" bookends the disc: the album opens with the studio version and closes with a bonus ocean mix, which was literally recorded on the beach.

Be As You Are (Songs From An Old Blue Chair) is a solid singer/songwriter project, an artistic statement that gives fans a peek inside the heart of one of country music's biggest stars. Buy a bag of sand, grab the cooler, the heat lamp, your flip-flops and suntan lotion; head for the basement, plug in this CD and join Chesney in Margaritaville.