Love and War by Brad Paisley
Love and War by Brad Paisley

Album review: With help from some friends, Brad Paisley puts poignant in effort for Love and War



Love and War

Brad Paisley

(Arista Nashville)

Three-and-a-half stars

When you can namecheck the UFC and Zebco fishing reels in the lead track to your 11th studio album, you are probably Grammy Award-winning country music machine Brad Paisley and can do no wrong.

Paisley is the salve when someone throws a curveball at country. All the familiar ingredients are here – the not-so secret element is that Paisley can play the paint off a guitar and get the biggest names in the business to sing along with him.

Mick Jagger helps him out with stellar vocals on Drive of Shame, a raucous twang of a track. John Fogerty weighs in on title song Love and War, a soaring call-out to take care of America's broken veterans.

There are tracks here that will burn up hot country spots on the radio and cement his place as the most dependable act in the business.

The mix-down is a tad flat but this is meant to be heard in a bar, in a truck, on the road and on the go. You can hate bro-country but don’t hate Brad Paisley for being the best at it.

*Associated Press

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Company profile

Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices

Company Profile

Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8

'My Son'

Director: Christian Carion

Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis

Rating: 2/5

Bahrain GP

Friday qualifying: 7pm (8pm UAE)

Saturday race: 7pm (UAE)

TV: BeIN Sports

A QUIET PLACE

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou

Director: Michael Sarnoski

Rating: 4/5

Company Profile

Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices