The album’s best moments are the serious ones. “Tell Me I’m Wrong” effectively conveys that tangled emotions involved in an impending breakup. The narrator sees many clear signs that his woman has found someone new, but can’t bring himself to believe it. Another highlight is the duet “I’ll Do It for You,” in which soft and beautifully restrained guest vocals from Nicole Broussard which contrast nicely against Billy’s deep gravelly voice. “Wayward Ways,” an ode to unconditional love, is lyrically interesting, but it suffers from a dull and lifeless melody. One of the best tracks is the closing cut, “This Pain Inside of Me,” which straightforwardly tells the story of a man who is struggling to keep his bruised emotions hidden from the woman who has hurt him.
We also get a good sampling of Billy’s less serious side. “The Alphabet Song” namechecks a series of country music legends alphabetically in rapid-fire succession. It’s definitely not the best song on the album, but it’s oddly charming in its own way. One of the best ditties on the album is “Margarita Meltdown,” in which the production chugs along rapidly as Billy describes a hectic work week, and then slows down to lazier pace as he sings about unwinding with a cold margarita. Thus, the production mirrors the lyrics in a way that make the overall product uniquely engaging. “Fishin’ Around” employs a humorous fishing metaphor to describe a man’s attempt to find the right woman. It’s enjoyable, but it might not hold up after repeated listenings. The title cut's portrayal of a small-town barber shop easily could have ended up a total yawn, but Billy's laid-back playful delivery is more than enough to make the song work.
There aren’t any bad songs on the album, but it does lean a little too heavily on novelty songs. True, novelty songs aren’t inherently bad. When they are well-executed, they can be add an appealing variety to the lyrical themes of an album. But when an album contains too many novelty tunes, it just turns into a big joke. Fortunately, Bill’s Barber Shop doesn’t quite fall into that category, but a cluster of ditties do threaten to tilt the balance in that direction. By the time Billy gets to “One beer a day keeps the ex-wife away,” the act is beginning to wear thin.
Despite a few weak spots, there’s still a lot to love here, and there are some great moments to be found. Bill’s Barber Shop might not be Billy’s most varied or cohesive efforts, but it is full of enough heart and personality to make it a keeper.
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