Songs for My Mother

Hoping to capitalize on the surprising success of the recent reunion, 's fifth studio album, a collection of songs dedicated to his late mother, goes back to basics following the disappointing sales of 2006's . Considering that his solo career started so brightly with the infectious guitar pop of and it's rather disappointing to see how lazy and uninspired this decision is. With just one original composition, the dull acoustic ballad relies heavily on the kind of limp, lifeless cover versions that , his managerial proteges, have made a career out of. Of course, is not exactly a stranger to covers. Only a handful of 's singles were original material and several of his solo hits have been cleverly chosen interpretations of lesser-known U.S. country hits. But the majority of tracks chosen here are unimaginative to say the least. The classic was only recently tackled with far more aplomb by , are overplayed karaoke staples, and 's has already been covered by everyone from to . But even when the album does stray into less familiar territory, on the traditional folk songs it's hampered by 's bland, insipid production, which makes it hard to distinguish one track from another. only confirms the belief that has given up on being a relevant chart force and is now content to make records purely to be given as presents for Mother's Day. ~ Jon O'Brien