(4 Out of 5)

Daughtry, originally from American Idol fame, debuting with a multi platinum freshman album has continued where his success started with his sophomore album, Leave This Town. Collaborating with new writers and performers and never changing what made him famous, this album is a very nice follow up to the debut.

“No Surprise” is the best radio anthem on the album and was co-written by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. This song provides a nice mix of the Daughtry / Nickelback sounds so much so, one could see the two headlining an upcoming concert tour. Daughtry shows a lighter side teetering on the edge of the rock / country line with “Tennessee Line,” a song where country crooner Vince Gill provides backing vocals.

One thing is for sure, Daughtry knows who he is. He does not need to experiment and find new sounds. He has an audience, he like playing the music, so why change. If you are looking for something new, you will not find it here, but if you are looking for the Daughtry you had come to know and love, Leave This Town gives you exactly what you ordered.

Suggested listening: “No Surprise,” “Ghost of Me” and “ You Don’t Belong”

By: Josh Wheeler - Contributing Writer