If I had a dime for all the things I did, that didn't make no sense at all...

With Jake Owen’s Startin’ With Me, take everything I said about Eric Church’s Sinners Like Me album and augment it with weaker songs and cornier clichés. From the redneck-ad crap of first single “Yee Haw” to the closing requisite duet “You Can Thank Dixie” with Alabama lead Randy Owen (they’re swearin’ no relation, but I’m not totally convinced), to the braggadocio “Eight Second Ride”, this album is calculated to the point of forgetableness. There are a couple OK numbers, most notably the reflective “Startin’ With Me”, the yearning “Places To Run”, and the standard country-pop of “Last Night With You”. Unfortunately, the rest is too by-the-numbers, which may be explainable for a debut effort, but troubling nonetheless.

Grade: C-
Best Cuts: “Startin’ With Me”, “Places To Run”
Weakest Links: “You Can Thank Dixie”, “Yee Haw”, “Eight Second Ride”

Startin' With Me hit #8 country and #31 pop albums.
"Yee Haw" hit #16 country singles and #83 pop singles.
"Startin' With Me" made #15 country and #103 pop singles.

Listen: "Places To Run" (link)

Buy: You can pick up a copy of Startin' With Me at websites like here and here.

And here's the two videos, the first single "Yee Haw"...

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com

and finally the current single "Startin' With Me"...

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com