Irony abounds on this incredible set of songs. Mr. Chestnutt, who has always separated himself from his "hat-act" brethren by singing pure, unadulterated, sincere country, maintains on this album that he is proud of his keeper of the flame status among much of mainstream country's poppy glop, but wanted to prove on this disc that he can branch out and "rock with the best of them." Well, as we have seen lately from some mega-talented, but misguided, recent attempts by other country luminaries to "branch" out (The missteps of Alan Jackson's silly soft porn on "High Mileage" and Lorrie Morgan's beautiful, but empty, take on standards are glaring examples). Sometimes leaving the nest of what you do best results in the artist falling on their fanny. Not here folks. The pure country-fellow who started his stellar career with "Too Cold At Home," actually makes the TITLE cut of his album, a friggin' AEROSMITH song from a movie no less, and it works. Boy does it ever.

His glorious take on the "Armageddon" song doesn't sound contrived or mismatched at all, and is presently rocking the charts. (This reviewer's little self has to be given a prescient pat on the back for this. When Aerosmith's video debuted of the single last summer, yours truly said, "Listen to the way this song phrases, and the way Steven Tyler says THANG instead of thing, this could be a country song." And now, voila!)

Stylistic mixtures on albums these days are also sometimes a risk, creating jarringly out-of-whack CD's that sacrifice coherency on the altar of proving versatility. Not here. The whole album has Number Ones-to-be abounding. "That's The Way You Make An Ex," in its killer honky-tonk shuffle beat, and only-in-country virtuosic wordplay, is as pure country as it gets. "Jolie" is another cajun-power single waiting to happen, along the lines of George Strait's "Adelida" and Sammy Kershaw's "Vidalia." Mark claims to think he may be rocking too hard in his wailing falsetto of "This Heartache Never Sleeps," but it sure sounds like country to me. "Tonight I'll Let My Memory Take Me Home" is another heart wrenching slow song, following in the footsteps of his earlier ballad smashes, "I'll Think Of Something" and " Broken Promised Land." "What Was You Thinkin'," well how can ANY song that rhymes thinkin' with drinkin' NOT be an automatic country hit? The rest of the songs on the album fail to disappoint as well.

So, a note to all of Mark's colleagues. Wanna branch out and not make a fool out of yourself? Then maybe you oughta get you an Aerosmith song or watch more cheeseball sci-fi movies and/or VH1. Because THIS album folks is the quintessential example how you "branch out" and fly even higher, as opposed to falling out of the tree altogether and breaking your face.