by Stephen Thomas ErlewineIronically, Life of the Party is one of the slowest albums Neal McCoy has ever recorded -- not the bustling collection of honky tonk ravers and country-rockers the title promises. Instead, it's an accomplished collection of mid-tempo country-pop and tearjerker ballads, all of which McCoy can deliver quite convincingly. After all, by this stage in the game, McCoy is undoubtedly a professional. He knows all the right notes, all the strings to pull, even though ballads aren't necessarily his forté. As a result, Life of the Party is listenable, even though it only occasionally matches the heights of his previous work.