Thank God for Believers (Decca, 1997)

Mark Chesnutt is one of the few true honky tonkers making a mark today. And while he may have strayed a bit in recent albums in catering to Nashville currents, he seems to have rectified that. The strength as usual is Chesnutt's voice. The smooth baritone delivers the goods time and again whether on the mid-tempo swing of the lead-off of "Goodbye Heartache" and the out and out honker "Hello Tonky Tonk" to the ballads "Numbers on the Jukebox" and "Wherever You Are," Chesnutt is on target. He seems to sing effortlessly, but this is certainly not a case of going through the motions.

Chesnutt always has enjoyed the knack of picking excellent material. Here, he penned half the songs, by far the most writing he has ever done. So, not only can Chesnutt p8ick quality songs, he also can write them.

The lone misstep is "Useless," where producer Mark Wright put turning up the drums. Fortunately, Chesnutt kept Wright in line throughout in veering towards the traditonal Texas music with which Chesnutt has become known.