Let's Be Us Again

1	County Fair 3:52
2	Class Reunion (That Used to Be Us) 4:32
3	Let's Be Us Again 3:53
4	That Gets Me 3:53
5	Women Rule the World 3:53
6	What I Miss the Most 3:54
7	Let Them Be Little 4:01
8	T. G. I. F. 2:54
9	Summertime 3:55
10	Now 4:05
11	Mr. Mom 3:28
12	From There to Here 3:32
13	Somebody's Someone 4:20

Barnes & Noble

In its love songs and thoughtful reminiscences of days gone by, Lonestar's Let's Be Us Again betrays a reflective, nostalgic streak a bit wider than has been evident on the group's previous albums. "County Fair" opens the disc on a stomping note, with fiery fiddle work and stinging guitar lines punctuating the band's tight, soaring harmonies celebrating the virtues of small-town life. The what-was-and-what-is yin-yang fuels a propulsive country-rock take on class reunions, "Class Reunion (That Used to Be Us"), whereas a certain urgency attends the plaintively rendered parental advice on child rearing in the country-pop ballad "Let Them Be Little." Alabama's Randy Owen does a guest shot on "From There to Here," a pounding litany citing examples of undaunted optimism down through the years. Sometimes the guys cut loose with nothing more in mind than partying hard and long, as on the rocking salute to weekend hedonism "T.G.I.F.," and at other points they simply offer up a heartfelt paean to a good woman's love, as in the soaring, tender-hearted "Now." It's all Lonestar being Lonestar again, and that should translate into another long-term winner for the veteran hitmakers. David McGee

All Music Guide

Toward the end of the '90s, Lonestar decided to move firmly into the mainstream of contemporary country, leaving behind any hardcore country influences they may have had in favor of sweet anthemic ballads and poppy country-rockers. In essence, they picked up where Alabama left off, so it's little surprise that Alabama's Randy Owen sings on "From There to Here" on the group's fifth album, Let's Be Us Again -- he's passing the torch to this likeable bunch from Tennessee. Like Alabama, Lonestar are catchy and bright, not as concerned with keeping country as they are with hooks and tunes that keep them on the radio, and after they moved toward contemporary country with 1999's Lonely Grill, they have stayed near the top of the country charts. Given that success, perhaps it's inevitable that the group doesn't try much new on Let's Be Us Again, but they're savvy enough to pick up on some early-2000s trends, whether it's dedicating "Somebody's Someone" to "the fallen heroes" or cribbing from Kenny Chesney's island obsession on "T.G.I.F." Lonestar are at their best when they keep the tempo and the mood upbeat, and fortunately most of the album is on the faster side, which makes it more entertaining than some of their previous albums. It's also a consistent album, with only a handful of duds -- such as the well-intentioned "Let Them Be Little," which sounds disarmingly close to "Let Them Belittle," as if it's an anthem for condescension -- which also makes it one of their strongest records. If Lonestar don't quite have the engaging personality to truly make them an heir to Alabama's throne, they at least are likeable and reliable, a good workingman's band, and they're at their best on Let's Be Us Again. Stephen Thomas Erlewine