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As a teenager, country hunk Mark Wills was more fond of Bon Jovi than George Jones and that influence shows on Wish You Were Here. That's not to dismiss his country credentials--those are intact. But the songs on this album are infused with a punchy pop sensibility. The instrumentation is sometimes bigger than life, something more akin to stadium rock than country twang. The piano on the title track absolutely soars, and the crisp guitars on the standout track "Emily Harper" provide edge to what might have been merely charming. But despite the sonic heights achieved here, Mark Wills' voice stays on top of the mix. On "Love Is Alive" he trades in his twang for a New Jersey growl, all the more remarkable since he grew up in Georgia. Wondered where he learned that? --Tod Nelson