Okay, so admit it. Not everybody likes country music. But if you can get past the fact that this guy’s got a picture of himself, cowboy hatted and grinning, on the cover of his first CD, New Orleans-born Larry Habetz has a whole lot more going for him than a southern twang and pair of snakeskin cowboy boots.

Habetz plays the guitar with a sophisticated feel that confidently backs his smooth and gentle voice. Many of the songs have an upbeat sing-a-long feel with simple and innocent verses including “Better Call A Preacher” and “She Don’t Love Me Anymore.”

The country-western remake of Neil Diamond’s “I’m A Believer,” is a bit much, but overall Habetz has enough guitar-playing talent to satisfy most Louisiana two-steppers.

For the rest of us, there’s something to be said for a guy who sings all of his songs about love and women. On top of that, he sings a pretty good rendition of “New Orleans Ladies” that any New Orleanian would like if only for the melodic mention of Bourbon Street and Esplanade.