Major labels don’t often allow the first-person insight of a struggling artist on the road, but we get that throughout the album’s opening track – “Honkytonk Life.”  Worley opens the season questioning which midwestern state he's in, and from there, it’s a rollicking depiction of life for a road musician – from his misspelled name on the marquee to wondering if the club managers are going to provide free food and beverages for the band. And it talks about the most important part of it – the fans and their love for the music – “this joint has an atmosphere – blue collar, cold beer – decidedly come as you are…I love the neon, I love the people and I love the honky-tonk life.” Few songs have lyrics like those really speak to anyone who’s spent any time watching a live show at a honky-tonk.

The album’s first single and title track, “Sounds Like Life To Me”, walks us through a conversation where a friend is complaining to the narrator about all of the everyday challenges he’s facing. Worley throws the listener for a bit of a curve – in a good way – which the relaxing beach melody of “Tequila on Ice” delivers. It’s hardly about alcohol and more about finding that special someone; it seems like a song that would be more likely to appear in Kenny Chesney’s catalog than Worley’s. On the ballad “You Never Know”, Worley gets a little cliché, but tugs at the heartstrings nonetheless with an age old theme of loving your family and not holding grudges.

Worley has a little bit of fun with co-producers Jim “Moose” Brown and Kevin “Swine” Grantt on “Don’t Show Up (If You Can’t Get Down)." Jamey Johnson and country legends Mel Tillis and Bill Anderson lend their collective sense of humor and voices to the party song, which starts of with Worley and his producers lost looking for directions. In the end, “Sounds Like Life” is another solid collection of songs from the steady Darryl Worley.

You can support Darryl Worley by purchasing this album at iTunes | Amazon.