'Something to Do With My Hands' is a safe introduction to Thomas Rhett. Fans get a taste of the singer-songwriter's rock and hip-hop influences (a very little taste of the latter), but not so much that he can be called anything but country.

The debut from the son of Rhett Akins falls into a sub-genre carved out by Jason Aldean, and more recently, Brantley Gilbert. Interestingly, he's on the same record label as Gilbert, but fans haven't heard enough of Rhett to confuse him with the fellow Georgian. Vocally, he's very much his own singer.

"Well I smoke and I fish / But not near enough to satisfy and itch / All the girls understand / I need something to do with my hands," Rhett sings to open the hard-rocking party song.

One begs to hear this song performed live in front of a few hundred charged-up (possibly liquored-up) men and women. It's clever, but not so cheeky that the joke tires after a listen or three. Rhett's chorus has a dirty sex-appeal that leaves one's imagination wandering away long after the story is told.

"So maybe I could stick 'em in your pockets / Run 'em through your hair and we can get to rockin' / There you are and baby here I am / I need something to do with my hands."

Finding a creative way to be suggestive without getting mushy or pushing the boundaries of mainstream country radio can be tricky. Rhett rides that thin rail in 'Something to Do With My Hands,' a song that should become his first hit despite the cookie cutter production. "Drive off in my Jeep / We can go for a ride and I can drive with my knees / I'll behave best I can / But I need something to do with my hands," he sings during the final verse.

"Safe" is smart in this case however, as there are a dozen directions he can go with future singles. He's not "that guy who (blank)" yet, and he doesn't want to be. If we learned all his tricks at once, there'd be no reason to stay interested.

3.5 Stars
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Listen to Thomas Rhett, 'Something to Do With My Hands'

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