With a voice that could never sound anything less than “Pure Country,” Joe Nichols’s “Old Things New” is an unashamedly and refreshingly authentic country music CD. A mix of sweet and sad ballads with plenty of the fun tunes you expect from Nichols, and the songs sound better with every listen.

From the opening “Gimmie That Girl” to the closing extra track, a new version of the great “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” featuring the so-fun Colt Ford, it’s hard to pick a highlight – the CD is one gem after another.

The ballads are sweet without being overly sentimental. “This Bed’s Too Big” is a sexy tale of married lovers reconnecting that would make any wife swoon for her hubby; and “Gimmie That Girl,” the current single, is a bouncy, catchy testament to appreciating what’s special in your special someone. I’ll turn that one up every time I hear it on the radio, which I hope is often.

The fun tunes include “Cheaper Than a Shrink,” a honky tonk salute to the benefits of alcohol over therapy; and the live version of “Let’s Get Drunk and Fight” that is just hilarious.

There are plenty of “Broken Heartsville”-type songs, too, and “It’s Me That I’m Worried About” is a great one, with vocals that could almost pass for George Strait to the uninitiated (another reason Nichols will be staring in “Pure Country” on Broadway, perhaps?); and “Man, Woman” has plenty of twang. Both offer a different take on the traditional sad country song, with their upbeat music balancing the “cry in your beer” lyrics with a touch of ironic humor.

If there’s a weak track on the CD, I’d have to say it’s the first single, “Believers,” which seems a bit over-produced when compared to the rest of the songs here. But the worst song on this great CD still makes “Believers” one of the better singles of the year.

And the title track “Old Things New” didn’t really catch my ear but does feature some sweet pedal steel guitar and a beautiful, mournful fiddle.

If you’re looking for country pop or country rock, look elsewhere, but if you want to hear some pure country, Joe Nichols “Old Things New” is for you.

Vicky Dobbin is a country music lover in Falls Church, VA. Read her country music blog at www.lovemycountrymusic.com and follow her at http://twitter.com/vdobbin.