Record Label: Seven Ridges Records

Country singer Luke Combs takes the proverbial horse out for a spirited ride on “Back in the Saddle.” You could do worse than a party anthem like “My Kinda Saturday Night” in your life. Combs switches up the mood on the pleasantly mellow “Days Like These.”

There’s more fun to be had on “Alcohol of Fame” and some deep musings about the difficulties of relationships on “The Way I Am.” The album isn’t uniformly awesome, but some mid-disc highlights include “Soon As I Get Home,” “Giving Her Away” and “I Ain’t No Cowboy,” which I suspect will become a slow song at school dances and some future wedding couples’ first dance. There are 22 tracks in all; they aren’t all stunners, but latter-album standouts include “Be By You” and “Rich Man.”

Combs continues to show promise with “The Way I Am,” even if the result can be uneven—but never unenjoyable.

Notable Tracks: Back in the Saddle, My Kinda Saturday Night, Days Like These, The Way I Am, Be By You
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