So what happens when the sun goes down? A couple of different things, actually. The onset of evening can bring the promise of laughter and good times with friends - and there's plenty of that on Kenny's new album.

But night can also bring solitude. While the sun is away, the mind can drift toward mistakes made and good times that will never return. There's plenty of that on Kenny's new album, too.

When the Sun Goes Down is the sound of a man escaping to the beach - and bringing his every problem along with him.

The contradictions that are quickly becoming Kenny's artistic trademark are best heard in the two hits Sun has already spawned: The seven-week No. 1 "There Goes My Life" is powerfully philosophical, while the title cut, a duet with Uncle Kracker (and a virtual rewrite of Kracker's rock hit "Follow Me"), keeps the mood high. The compelling contrast between lighthearted and heavy-hearted hinted at on Kenny's previous CD, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, breaks out into an all-out war on Sun.

This is fertile ground, inviting much more emotional complexity than is often heard in country's mainstream. The confessional themes may put a crimp in Kenny's party-hearty image, but it's a fair trade - the worried, vulnerable guy on When the Sun Goes Down's more thoughtful moments is much more interesting anyway.