PROVIDENCE — Brad Paisley, who brought his Paisley Party Tour to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center last night, doesn’t have the outsized political personality of a Toby Keith or the big-pimpin’ island style of a Kenny Chesney.

What he does have is a collection of songs that recall the best of ’60s and ’70s Nashville countrypolitan pop and cover the verities — celebration of the simple life, good times and the love of a good woman — with a relatively no-nonsense delivery. Not that there weren’t video screens and neon lights aplenty, but they’re no substitute for a small, tight band, and Paisley had that.

He’s also got himself for a lead guitar player, and while most country singers barely wave at their guitars, Paisley’s got speed, precision and a melodic sense that make his solos veritable sing-alongs.

Paisley came out of the gate fast, running through charged-up versions of “Mud On the Tires,” “Better Than This” and “The World” (with an extended Paisley solo). He slowed down for the ballad “Waitin’ On a Woman” (complete with video cameo by Andy Griffith) and the nondescript “Celebrity,” but regained momentum quickly by tearing into a pedal-to-the-metal “Mr. Policeman,” begun with a recounting of his first speeding ticket and a blistering guitar intro, only getting faster from there into quotes from “East Bound and Down” and “I’m In the Jailhouse Now.”

Paisley did put a breakdown into “Letter to Me” to explain that “I’m living proof that high school is not necessarily the best years of your life,” but about halfway through the set he let the songs and his guitar do the talking, particularly on the breakneck instrumental suite “Throttleneck.”

Jewel, who preceded Paisley, made a country move on this year’s Perfectly Clear album, and the influence seeped into her older songs as well — the opener, “Love Me Just Leave Me Alone,” from 2001’s This Way record, was dominated by slide guitar, the chestnut “Standing Still” was guitar-heavy and “Foolish Games” was a pure power ballad.

The songs from Perfectly Clear were perfectly fine, especially the affecting “I Do,” but while it was nice to hear her voice (strong as ever) wrapped around some strong structures, “Stronger Woman” and “ ’Til It Feels Like Cheating” could have been written by mostly anyone.

Still, if you weren’t a Jewel fan before, hearing the old songs with new muscle and direction (such as a reggae lilt to “Who Will Save Your Soul”) was probably an eye-opener. Her traditional closer, the solo yodel “Chime Bells,” was disappointingly short.

Opener Chuck Wicks was only more country than rock on his closer, “She’s Gonna Hurt Somebody” — otherwise, it was mostly ’80s guitar rock with a (slight) twang. More Bryan Adams than Hank Williams — than Brad Paisley, even. There were hooks here and there, though, his plain delivery made the ballad “Stealing Cinderella” affecting, and you can’t go wrong with a cover of “Drivin’ My Life Away,” his penultimate song.

rmassimo@projo.com