People Like Us (Lyric Street, 2000)

Aaron Tippin has one of the strongest and most distinctive vocal style of any male singer in Nashville. His RCA releases were some of the best country material of the 1990's.

Tippin continues with the formula that has brought him chart success in the past, mixing songs about the redneck, bow-to-no one, working man's lifestyle with sensitive and emotional love songs.

As with most Tippin albums, the real gems are the album cuts, not the radio singles. When you go beyond the likeable, yet made-for-radio tracks, "Kiss This" and "Big Boy Toys," you'll hear some real credible and heartfelt country music.

Best songs include "The Night Shift" and "Twenty Nine And Holding," which feature some fantastic harmony. "I'd Be Afraid Of Losing You," and "Every Now And Then," are as good as anything on the country charts today. The finale, "The Best Love We Ever Made," written with wife Tina, is a little schmaltzy, but enjoyable for its sincerity.

Tippin's sound relies heavily on big drum beats, electric guitar and fiddle. Though he paves no new ground, it's enjoyable because it provides more of the kind of country we have come to expect from Tippin.