Big Kenny was always the more interesting half of Big & Rich, with his idiosyncratic, almost cartoonish croon and his colorful personality. To say nothing of his especially unusual songwriting, which was present as early as his 1999 album on Hollywood Records, and certainly present on his Tim McGraw cut "Last Dollar (Fly Away)." I mean, who else would think that "one, two, three, like a bird I sing" would turn into such an ear-worm?
Surprisingly, the lyrics on "To Find a Heart" (which Kenny wrote with Richard Supa) are straightforward and lean. Sure, countless songs have begun with something along the lines of "Lord knows I ain't perfect / I make my share of mistakes," but when faced with that lyric, Big Kenny smartly tones down the swagger, convincingly playing the role of the man who's been there. The rest of the song is similarly familiar, but still somehow interesting, terrain: get lucky, you'll fall in love; it might hurt, but it's worth it to find a heart. Simple enough. At times, there is a hint of the sound that Vince Gill pioneered in the nineties, marrying simple, unpretentious lyrics with a gently-flowing melody and a naturally crossover-friendly production.
Big Kenny has always been "unafraid to lead the freak parade," but even someone as quirky as I would have to agree: always playing that same role can quickly make one's colors fade. That's why it's comforting to see him play up his more serious side at times. Because when he does, he proves that he can still be just as interesting a musician even when he's not putting a little bang in his yin-yang.
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