The 13 songs on Drew Rice’s debut CD, Uncharted Waters, hints at his bayou upbringing, and though his heart maybe Cajun, his songwriting hand is definitely all country.

The literal quality of country music is not lost with Rice, especially during the title track, where a handful of water metaphors reveal familiar country themes that Rice employs on about half of the songs—relationships and love. This includes the true love timeline, “Dying To Get To You,” where the recollection of a grandparent’s relationship comes complete with a historical wartime reference capable of pulling modern heartstrings. The recording also includes my all time favorite country music archetype, the I-love-my-truck song. “Highway 29,” a serious, yet silly, song about a hard decision to be made, whether to trade his “baby”(truck) for a “mini-van” (family)? Guess what? He chooses his truck.

A strong point of the album is Rice’s vocals, which elicit and express emotions that fit his songs perfectly.