I'll Stay Me

Before he became the poster boy for Nashville's obsession with tailgates and tan lines, Luke Bryan was a humble songwriter from Leesburg, Ga., schooled in the ways of traditionalists like Clint Black and Alan Jackson. Bryan's debut lacks the studio sheen of subsequent hits like "That's My Kind of Night," but his favorite subjects are here. "We Rode in Trucks" is a gently lilting ode to his favorite mode of transportation, accented by slide guitar and a fiddle, and "First Love Song" showcases his facility with a smoldering ballad. Bryan pledges to stay true to himself on the jaunty title track, a promise he'd ultimately keep.