Riley Green has never sounded particularly interested in chasing whatever happens to be trending in country music. On his fourth studio album, That’s Just Me, the Alabama native doubles down on what has made him one of the genre’s most recognizable voices: strong storytelling, traditional country instincts and songs that feel lived-in rather than manufactured.
Released Sept. 18, the 19-track album arrives during a particularly expansive chapter of Green’s career. Following the success of Don’t Mind If I Do and a string of major hits, Green uses That’s Just Me to show more sides of himself without losing the down-home character at the center of his music.
The album moves comfortably between heartbreak, whiskey-soaked nights, summertime escapes and the kind of everyday observations that have long been Green’s specialty. “My Way” brings a more reflective side, while “Think As You Drunk” delivers a rowdy, good-time energy with a nod to the late Toby Keith. “Imagine That” leans into Green’s quieter, more vulnerable storytelling.
The guest list adds another layer of country credibility, with appearances from Brooks & Dunn, Randy Owen, Jake Worthington and Hannah McFarland. Produced by Dann Huff, the album also gives Green room to draw from a broad range of influences while maintaining a cohesive, largely acoustic country sound. Perhaps the album’s greatest strength is right there in its title. That’s Just Me doesn't attempt to reinvent Riley Green. Instead, it gives him 19 songs to explore the different versions of himself—the songwriter, the storyteller, the troublemaker, the romantic and the guy who still sounds most at home with a guitar in his hands. For an artist whose career has been built on authenticity, That’s Just Me feels less like a new direction than a statement of purpose: this is Riley Green, exactly as advertised.