The Nashville singer's mix of pop, rock, and country sounds like summer

Singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett’s third album, Life Changes, is a nostalgic, sunny slice of Nashville country with sharp pop instincts and a few charmingly rough edges. With spit-shined modern production, “Craving You,” his duet with Maren Morris, almost resembles a dance track. And that studio gloss makes others like “Unforgettable” and “Smooth Like the Summer” more than just flirty bops. But there’s still plenty of room for the good ol’ boy to be a good ol’ boy: The wistful “Sixteen” references his F-150 pickup, and “Drink a Little Beer” (on which Rhett is assisted by his father, Rhett Akins) speaks for itself.