Brad Paisley : Wheelhouse review

Country guitar superstar Brad Paisley stepped out of his comfort zone for this album, eschewing the safety blanket of the usual Nashville session crowd and calling in unlikely guests ranging from LL Cool J to Monty Python’s Eric Idle.

The result isn’t the experimental hotch-potch you might expect, rather an accessible album which both celebrates Skynyrd southlands and addresses redneck racism.

LL Cool J, on a rare break from filming NCIS Los Angeles, softly raps on Accidental Racist and Charlie Daniels takes that devil to Georgia once more in the wry Karate.

The purists will hate it but it’s good to see Paisley’s guitar skills stretched, even on such a radio-friendly album.