Brad Paisley took a massive hit to his credibility, not to mention his album sales, with 2013’s Wheelhouse.

The harsher blows were due to the ill-advised crapfest ‘Accidental Racist,’ a stab at racial harmony (performed with LL Cool J) that turned out laughably bad and, ironically, a bit racist itself.

But the album’s lack of chart success (relative to Paisley’s astronomical sales numbers up to that point) wasn’t the fault of ‘Accidental Racist.’ It was a sign that Paisley’s increasingly experimental, envelope-pushing approach to country music had finally alienated a sizable portion of his audience.

I applaud his pushing of the boundaries. And Wheelhouse, despite a few missteps, is a rewarding listen. But I can see why he decided to pull back a bit and record an album for the purists with his newest release, Moonshine in the Trunk.

This “honkytonk album,” as Paisley describes it, is a real blast. It’s weekend music, about cutting lose and having fun, with a few power ballad love songs thrown in for good measure. Some tracks veer into cheese, as when the otherwise effective call for national unity ‘American Flag on the Moon’ introduces a children’s choir for the final chorus, but mostly it’s a guilt-free blast.

As usual, Paisley fleshes out every clever tune with his trademark guitar acrobatics. His fluency on the instrument really sets him apart, and he lays down some elegant riffs here. And his humor shines through in some truly inspired lyrics, particularly on ‘High Life,’ a skewering of a family of litigious opportunists.

I hope Paisley wasn’t so burned by the failure of Wheelhouse that he doesn’t take chances again in the future. That risky spirit is what led to his best album, American Saturday Night. But as retreats to a safety zone go, Moonshine in the Trunk is an enjoyable one.

Sure, it’s the kind of thing Paisley can do in his sleep, but he does it so damn well that you don’t want to wake him up.