All Jacked Up

Gretchen Wilson must have known that following her hell-raising debut Here For The Party, wasn't going to be easy. So with her 2005 sophomore album, she pretty much threw the same party all over again — and it's still a really fun party that's well worth attending. All Jacked Up lets loose with a country rocking title-track, reminding everyone that this badass bumpkin still rules the roadhouse with a git-'er-done danger. Before the second song even starts, Wilson has tossed back half a sixer, downed some shots, flirted with a guy, lost a tooth in a fight, broken into her own truck, exposed herself to the townsfolk and driven home drunk. "California Girls" tries to turn the Beach Boys song by the same name out on its ear with "Ain't you glad we ain't all California girls" in the chorus. The laugh out loud "One Bud Wiser" is a honky-tonkin', happy hour hymn that George Jones could've penned. Once the party winds down, ballads like "I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today" and the bluesy "Good Morning Heartache" showcase that Wilson can actually sing, as her gritty textured voice breaks in all the right places.