Trace Adkins is a bit of a wild card. Sometimes his songs do well on the charts; sometimes they do not. Oftentimes they are very good, but sometimes they are not. His latest single was the least successful single of his career, charting at a faint #49. Besides that, "Ala-Freakin'-Bama" was freakin' awful. Not surprisingly, that song was tossed out by his record label, and it will not appear on his upcoming album Cowboy's Back In Town. The album's "new" first single, "This Ain't No Love Song," could be heard as Trace's plea for forgiveness.
Basically, "This Ain't No Love song" is about being in denial. The man in the song is attempting to ward off a woman who is interested in him, refusing to admit that he is beginning to have feelings for her. He claims that his heart "didn't skip a beat" when he met her, and "the earth didn't move" when she spoke his name. But as the second verse rolls around, he sounds like he's getting tongue-tied. He says "I couldn't sleep last night, but you weren't on my mind." As the song progresses, it becomes clear that he is indeed falling for this woman.
The song's strongest lyrics are in the verses, but the chorus is a bit weaker. Trace claims "This ain't no love song/ I just felt like getting my guitar on and singing a tune." Those lines are a bit vague and - dare I use the word? - rather boring. Still, the song makes its point, and the story is told.
The song's mid-tempo production is a bit generic, but Trace vocals are always up to par, as he is one of the most talented men in country music. Regardless of the lyrics and production, his performance is never a disappointment, and this performace meets his previous standards.
"This Ain't No Love Song" has a few dull parts, but it was still a clever concept, and it is still an enjoyable listen. It may not be Trace's strongest song, but it's good enough that we can forgive him for "Ala-Freakin'-Bama."
TRACE'S SCORE: 7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)