In a genre that has occasionally drifted away from its three chords and the truth mission statement, Joe Nichols has never wavered. “I’m a singer of country songs,” he declares. “That’s what I do.”

It’s that steadfast commitment to country music that’s made Joe one of Nashville’s most honest and versatile voices, regarded for his warm and distinctly country tone by everyone from Dolly Parton to Post Malone — he’s sung with both. On his new album Honky Tonks and Country Songs, Joe continues to connect country’s traditional past with its diverse present over 11 radio-ready tracks.