'Hey Pretty Girl' is the signature track from Kip Moore's remarkable 'Up All Night' album. The singer slows down the tempo and proves himself to be one of the most emotionally complete artists in the genre.

On 'Hey Pretty Girl,' Moore uses the unconventional songwriting approach that he followed on 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck.' The track is built with four-line stanzas, each beginning with the song's title. There's no chorus, just seven poetic testaments to his bride -- or theoretical bride, if that better suits the listener.

"Hey pretty girl, it feels so right / Just like it's meant to be / All wrapped up in my arms so tight / Hey pretty girl, it feels so right," Moore sings early on, describing how he and the girl meet and fall in love. "Understated" is an understatement. The singer employs no studio tricks to make his point. He brings you in with a performance as intimate as any you'll hear this year.

"Hey pretty girl, I wanna take you home / My momma's gonna love you / She'll make me sleep on the couch, I know / But hey pretty girl, I wanna take you home."

The story builds through marriage to the birth of a daughter. These words aren't much on paper, but spoken through Moore's husky tenor they are delivered drunk with emotion. Grab a tissue for the final two stanzas -- especially if you've recently become a father or mother.

"Hey pretty girl, you did so good / Our baby's got your eyes / And a fighter's heart like I knew she would / Hey pretty girl, you did so good."

'Up All Night' is the very balanced album one doesn't find until a singer's second or third project. 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck' and 'Beer Money' may have provided the spirit, but 'Hey Pretty Girl' provides the heart and soul.

5 Stars
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Listen to Kip Moore, 'Hey Pretty Girl'

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