AMG Review of What Livin's All About

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

As the title suggests, What Livin's All About finds Rhett Akins stripping back the production gloss somewhat in favor of straight-ahead, direct neo-traditionalist country. Of course, Akins still has his eye on the new country audience, so the album is hardly honky tonk, but it does reveal that he has a strong ear for material. Most of the songs steer away from the frothy fun of early tracks like "That Ain't My Truck" and "I Brake for Brunettes" in favor of more introspective material (most of which is written by other songwriters). The result isn't as immediate as his first two records, but it's arguably more rewarding, proving that he's more than a flash in the pan.