Artist / Band: Kid Rock Record Label: Atlantic Records Release Date: November 11, 2003 Our Review: If you spent your first few albums screaming your head off, you'd want a break, too. Detroit's Kid chills out here, embracing southern jams, country music and a whole lot of heart. Gone are most of the deejay-aided hip-hop and rock mixtures, replaced with the down-home flavor that brought Kid crossover hits like Cocky's Sheryl Crow duet "Picture." He's giving life advice on "Rock 'n' Roll Pain Train," getting all emotional on "Cold and Empty" and getting nasty with Hank Williams Jr. on a track that we'd rather not mention. And he's doing it by expanding his modern twist on country music that anyone who legitimately wears a trucker hat can appreciate. Old-school songs--like an unnecessary remake of "Feel Like Makin' Love" and loose-lipped "Hillbilly Stomp"--appear here, too. He's better when he moves beyond that. This Kid is aging well. Audio Clips: Cold and Empty (RealAudio)
