Posted on: May 11, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

George Strait – Troubadour / 2008 MCA Nashville / 12 Tracks / http://www.georgestrait.com /

George Strait has been around a hell of a long time. Ey has 38 hit albums, starting off with 1981’s “Strait Country”, moving to 1990’s “Livin’ It Up”, 2000’s self-titled release, and 2008’s “Troubadour”. “I Saw God Today” is one of many hits on this album, which contains duets with both Dean Dillon (known for “I’m Into The Bottle”) and Patty Loveless. The great thing about George Strait is eir ability to further eir own sound with each subsequent album, but also add hints and pieces of current trends in country music. That is why ey has sold so many albums over the years, and why a George Strait show will be a packed affair for years, if not decades, to come. “Troubadour” starts out with the title track, a mature affair that introduces listeners softly to Strait’s strong vocals. The wizened sound of Strait’s vocals here will have individuals focusing in on what’s happening on “Troubadour”, and marks one of many tracks that will break it big on the country charts.

“It Was Me” follows up “Troubadour”, and it continues the slower tempo of the introductory track. It is the strings that take the dominant position during the track, and while Strait brings in eir signature vocals to the track, it is the arrangements of the instruments that make this track special. “Brothers of the Highway” is a much more uptempo track than had been present during the early stages of “Troubadour”, and while it has a much different tack taken than either “Troubadour” or  “It Was Me”, Strait’s ability to shift pitches so masterfully is what acts as the glue between the numerous tracks on “Troubadour”. The duet with Patty Loveless (“House of Cash”) provides the perfect counter point to Strait’s vocals.

While Loveless and Strait’s vocals are strong in their own right, it seems that only these two could work so well together. It pushes on the earlier tradition of country music, while mentioning two individuals that were integral in creating the earlier style of country music. “Troubadour” is precisely the album that anyone that is looking to establish themselves in country music should look at. The number of hits, the number of styles approached, everything about the album is impressive. I’m not the biggest fan of country music, but I was able to find more than enough in the way of tracks to keep me interested through the 36 minutes that this album comprises.

Top Tracks: I Saw God Today, Make Her Fall In Love With me Song

Rating: 7.1/10

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