Rodney Atkins (Curb, 2003)

Tim McGraw may not have a twin brother, but from listening to the debut of Rodney Atkins, that would seem to be the case. McGraw is the most obvious reference point vocally in song after song. Atkins seems to have gone to the School of Tim McGraw in recording this. Time after time, he bears an extremely strong vocal resemblance, and at least McGraw (and Atkins) has a voice that is soothing enough. "What's Left of Me" is typical in that it contains the Atkins/McGraw drawl, the elongated syllables and picks up the pace on the chorus, although the song ends prematurely.

During the course of the 12 songs, they tend to become less interesting, although there are enough catchy melodies ("The Man I Am Today," one of eight Atkins helped write, and the slightly bluesy "Uncomplicated") to warrant attention.

While a few songs stand out, the basic problem is that Atkins has latched onto McGraw way too much to forge his own musical identity. And after a little while, the real deal is more preferred.