Hootie lives!

I was always a fan of Hootie and the Blowfish, and really liked their sound.  I just never realized that Darius Rucker was what I REALLY liked about them.  In his inaugural country album "Learn to Live," he picks up where Hootie left off.  He sings from the heart, about things most of us can relate to. 
"Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is the ballad that is getting the air time at the moment.  In it, Rucker sings of a past relationship that he chose to end, and hasn't stopped thinking about.  Aside from the fact that it is the first No. 1 country hit by a black artist since Charley Pride's 1983 "Night Games," it is a feat in and of itself.  Many past rock to country crossover attempts have not been so successful, or sounded nearly as good. 
"Learn to Live" is a song about a grandfather's life advice.  "All I Want" is a great ballad to dance to, about the singer letting the woman take everything, as long as she knows that all he wants her to leave him "is alone."  "Forever Road" sounds like a sure radio hit.  "History in the Making" sounds a little more like pop country, but it is about falling in love and has a good sound.  "Drinkin' and Dialin'" is exactly what it sounds like, and the regret that follows.  "It Won't Be Like This for Long" is about having a child and how fast she grows up.    
There are plenty of good tracks on this album, for the country enthusiasts and the Hootie fans alike.  My only negative is that it took this long to hear from Mr. Rucker again.