Aaron Tippin's first album with Lyric Street, What This Country Needs, released in 1998, met with modest success. Almost two years later, People Like Us is sure to bring even greater success to country's "hard-working," "honest," and "strong" Tippin, the man who gave us the colossal hit, "That's As Close As I"ll Get to Loving You" from 1995's Tool Box. Keeping traditional country alive with acoustic and steel guitars and fiddles, People Like Us breathes new life into a category of music that's been in a vegetative state. The 11 songs on this album are a welcome listen, including the animated "Kiss This" and "The Best Love We Ever Made" with Tippin's wife Thea providing sweet vocals on lead and harmony. Sounding "too country" sure hasn't killed this career.