Country music’s court jesters return for round two on the followup to their 3 million-selling “Horse of a Different Color,” the audacious debut that shook Nashville last year.

Partners Big Kenny (in the ringmaster top hat) and John Rich (in the cowboy hat) no longer carry the shock of the new, and this time they ratchet down the rap element of their enterprising hybrid of hard rock, honky tonk and hip-hop.

Still, they highlight their disdain for Nashville’s conservative conventions by announcing at the outset, “Somebody’s got to be unafraid to lead the freak parade,” before slamming into the high-speed title song that namechecks Marilyn Manson, Cincinnati chili, moonshine and eccentric hillbilly dancer Jesco White, among other things.

The duo balance footstompers like “Soul Shaker,” an Eddie Van Halen meets Earl Scruggs guitar-and-banjo rocker, with contemporary country fare like the mid-tempo ballads “I Pray for You” and “Nevermind Me.” They go heavy on clever novelties, including the Depression Era jug-band blues of “Filthy Rich,” then turn around and offer a somber Vietnam vet tribute with “8th of November.”

What keeps the shenanigans afloat is a knack for songcraft and populist hooks big enough to catch mainstream rockers and rowdy country fans alike. Their’s is an all-inclusive party that expands the guest list by breaking down walls between genres and inviting everyone to sing along.

By Michael McCall for The Associated Press