GIRL PROBLEMS

Audio Mixer: Joey Moi. Recording information: Big Loud Mountain Studio. Photographer: Delaney Royer. Back in 2012, Chris Lane presented himself as a good ol' boy but Let's Ride didn't take, so he had a slick modern makeover for 2016's Girl Problems. Heavily influenced by the R&B-inflected sounds of Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett, Girl Problems is so heavily produced it feels like a pop record, not country. That's also its appeal. Perhaps Lane is following a straight line -- Girl Problems almost begs to be mistaken for another act -- but he navigates the lithe stylistic flourishes with ease, and the gloss of the record is appealing. If Lane doesn't have a strong personality, he can nevertheless sell this commercial music with charm, and that's more than enough to make Girl Problems an effective record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

• Genre: Country
• Format: CD
• Released: 8/05/2016