But as he explained in an interview with Radio.com this week, Owen may have grown up in Florida, where a good time means friends hanging on the beach, but there's a lot more to him musically than just "Barefoot Blue Jean Night. Yhat's where Days of Gold comes in. Songs like the easygoing "Beachin'" and the pumped-up title track may echo the good-time vibes of previous hits, but at the same time he deliberately chose to exhibit a wide range of styles, songs and moods this time around. "I want people to see all sides of me and not just be a one trick pony," he said.

So for every "Days of Gold," there's also a "Ghost Town" or "What We Ain't Got." The latter is a slow, introspective song that is easily among the album's highlights — and was a surprising hit during Owen's live shows this summer, even though it was still months away from release. On the album, "What We Ain't Got" is stripped down and bare, just Owen with a piano and a steel guitar. He admits that puts it at quite a distance both musically and emotionally from what he calls "the rocking chaos" of the album's title track, but as he explained, "I think those are two songs that complement each other in a weird way" — the yin and yang that make Days of Gold, as a whole, a compelling listen.

After touring stadiums in past years opening for Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean, Owen will be hitting the road in 2014 as a headliner. And he's determined to create a live show that stands out. "I've progressed over the years and learned about myself," he explains, which includes having an increased "comfort level" on stage. Sure, he'll bring the hits — and he may just have a few more big ones under his belt by then — but as he puts it, it's perhaps most important to create a genuine experience and "make people feel that you care about them."