Country powerhouses Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban, and, um, Sammy Hagar, may take the top spots at this weekend’s Poets & Pirates Tour, but it’s the guy at the very bottom of the bill who’s the real star here. Gary Allan has been making really good albums for a little more than a decade. But with 2005’s Tough All Over, he started making great ones. Recorded after his wife committed suicide, the CD ponders the singer-songwriter’s loss, pain, and heartbreak. It’s not an easy record to listen to, but it’s not meant to be. Last year’s Living Hard continues the healing process, but Allan also manages to work in a few kick-out-the-jams road tunes and moving-on love songs.
This article appears in May 21-27, 2008.