Country superstar McGraw sticks to the basics on his 10th album.
That means there are a few goofball toss-offs (“It’s a Business Doing
Pleasure With You,” co-written by Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger), some
twangy nostalgia (“Ghost Town Train,” the title tune) and the usual
dose of heart-tugging weepers (“You Had to Be There,” “Love You
Goodbye”). Aside from a couple of not-down-on-the-farm guitar solos and
overstated choruses, Southern Voice doesn’t aim for a pop
crossover, making it McGraw’s most natural-sounding album in years.
It’s also one of his blandest. Without a big showstopper like “Live
Like You Were Dying” or a boundary-jumper like “Red Ragtop,”
Southern Voice settles into a sort of languid southern comfort
that not even McGraw’s typically warm voice can rouse. —
Michael Gallucci
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2009.
