Uncle Kracker - Midnight Special (2012)

Resurfacing on a new label after a three-year hiatus, Uncle Kracker also comes back with a new sound on 2012's Midnight Special. Cleverly picking up the thread left behind from his easy-rolling singalong hit "Follow Me," Uncle Kracker refashions himself as a country singer, which isn't that great of a leap. Working with producer Keith Stegall, best known for his recent productions for Alan Jackson and the Zac Brown Band, Kracker eases himself into a sunny groove, one that has just enough twang and octane to qualify for rocking country radio. Despite these occasional bursts of volume, Midnight Special is essentially a sunny, laid-back ride, a record made for lazy afternoons of day drinking. All the songs are amiable enough, some even catch in the consciousness, but Midnight Special isn't an album that commands attention. It's designed to drift along in the background, providing good times during blue skies and Saturday nights.