The Man I Want to Be

Tennessee native Chris Young seemed to be on the fast track to stardom when at age 20 he was named Nashville Star’s fourth-season winner. But his 2006 self-titled debut didn’t produce any major hits, and its generic feel failed to spotlight his considerable charm as a singer.

Three years later we have The Man I Want to Be, which does a far better job of playing to his strengths. The album really gets its groove in the second half, with the ace Willie Nelson duet “Rose in Paradise, romping “Twenty-One Candles,” contemplative title cut and closing cover of Brook Benton’s “Rainy Night in Georgia.”