Review: Tim McGraw – Let It Go
On Let It Go, Tim McGraw (who is, I must confess, an occasional guilty pleasure, albeit in small doses) does his usually mix of cowboy-hatted shtick and thoughtful, often surprising material.
Opener “Last Dollars” is discouragingly aimed at the line-dancing beer-swilling Good Ole” Boys, and Let It Go ends with a song that cringingly refers to “cowboys” and “shotgun riders” (presumably even a country singer aspiring towards seriousness has to keep the redneck audience happy).
So it is a relief that in between things get progressively better with a clever mix of songs that will satisfy McGraw“s various constituencies.
One of the surprises is “Suspicions”, a very good cover of “˜70s adult-rock semi-mediocrity Eddie Rabbit (whom one may file under the label Guilty Pleasures as well). “Kristofferson“ is an obvious and suitable nod to the country legend of that surname (second perhaps only to Johnny Cash in the genre), while “I Need You” is the obligatory duet with wife Faith Hill, this time dispensing with the customary treacle.
The title track, with its “oh-woo-woh-oh-woo-woh” chorus is hardline formulaic, but a catchy bastard nonetheless. The stand-out track is “Nothing To Die For”, this year’s “Live Like You Were Dying” moment, which kicks off like a rock song and settles in with a kick-ass singalong chorus.
Within its genre of mainstream radio-friendly country music, this is a mostly pleasing album.
Tim McGraw – Nothing To Die For.mp3
Tim McGraw – Kristofferson.mp3
And here’s the real deal:
Kris Kristofferson – Loving Her Was Easy.mp3
Kris Kristofferson – Josie.mp3
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