So here I am, once again reviewing a Kenny Chesney song. The last two times I did, I mentioned that I'm really getting into his music — maybe it's not the deepest, most soul-baring kind of material, but it's more truly Kenny than anything he's done before. "Somewhere with You" was a little darker and very unusual, while "Live a Little" had flashes of introspection under its radio-friendly chorus. His latest song, "You and Tequila," has a lot of things going for it even before the first listen: besides following a trifecta of top-notch tunes, the song brings two familiar, talented names (Matraca Berg and Deana "Strawberry Wine" Carter) and one unfamiliar name (Grace Potter of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals) to the table. 

"You and Tequila" lives up to its expectations, without a doubt. It settles nicely into the acoustic vibe that Kenny has excelled in before, but still offers a little more than that. With a bit more color to his voice than usual, he convincingly sings about the struggles and temptations of wanting to see that one girl who drives him crazy. The lyrics are straightforward and direct, eschewing cute turns of phrase for understated simplicity ("You and tequila make me crazy"). Grace's backing vocals give the feel of her echoing the same torturous sentiments, adding a wonderful amoung of reciprocation. 

Kenny's at an enviable point in his career: entrenched as a top-tier hitmaker, he's decided not to run on autopilot, but rather to use his star power to make hits out of the kinds of songs that radio doesn't usually play too often. Even though it's way off the beaten path, "You and Tequila" is a fine song, and I'm sure it'll get to the top of the charts for two reasons: number one, it's a Kenny Chesney song, and number two, it's a great Kenny Chesney song.

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