USA Today
Reviewed by Brian Mansfield
April 1, 2008
George Strait is the most reliable record-maker and biggest one-man hit factory in any genre of music — so much so that we'd call him ''Old Faithful,'' if it didn't feel just plain wrong nicknaming such a laconic guy after a geyser. Troubadour is his 37th (!) album, and the reassuring high quality and lack of surprises steer this toward an almost inevitable B+ rating, pretty much the same as the 36 that came before it. Actually, if I had it all to do over again, I'd raise his last one, It Just Comes Natural, to an A-, just because the string of great singles it produced sounded even better dominating country radio over the last two years than they initially did as a single body of work. The song selection here — and song selection is really all that comes down to differentiating his albums, in the long run — isn't quite as undeniable. But you'd be hard-pressed to point out many missteps among the two-steppers.
Even when the themes of the songs are hackneyed, Strait and his usual co-producer, Tony Brown, have an unerring sense for picking material by writers who have a graceful and covertly poetic way of turning a phrase. The project's initial single, ''I Saw God Today,'' isn't the first or best song ever written about finding the divine in the stuff of corporeal life, but with help from painterly splashes that describe the time on the clock as well as the color of the sunset, the message manages to be affecting anyway. And lest you think Strait is as shameless as some of his contemporaries in sucking up to his audience with purely inspirational material, he counterbalances that uplifting ballad by following it with the almost weirdly fatalistic ''Give Me More Time.'' That one breaks down into three separate lyrical vignettes — one about a farmer facing foreclosure, another about a woman not sure what to do about a marriage proposal, and the third about a young man facing terminal illness — and none of 'em has a happy ending, or any ending at all. Who says they don't write inconclusively somber bummers like they used to?
A couple of duets stand out. Patty Loveless joins Strait for the most novel track here, ''House of Cash,'' which describes the Johnny Cash/June Carter homestead burning down, and their voices blend so well, it almost hurts to think that they'd probably never do an entire album together. Strait turns his role as a benefactor to Nashville songwriters up a notch by having undersung longtime contributor Dean Dillon share lead vocals with him on ''West Texas Town,'' which, along with ''Make Her Fall in Love With Me Song,'' adds a good dose of nifty Western swing toward the end of the disc.
The album could have done without ''It Was Me,'' a glorification of perfect love that is bound to be sung at any number of weddings (and subsequently disavowed in divorce court). And the CD comes close to having a rare Strait clinker in ''House With No Door,'' which is one of those songs that stretches symbolism about love and loss past the breaking point: A guy comes to an architect asking for a doorless house so he can imprison his lover the next time she comes back, only to be told that if you love someone, you set them free, or at least allow an actual exit point as part of your architectural plans. Yes, I know it's a freakin' metaphor, but shouldn't we still be able to buy a song's premise on a halfway-literal level?
Speaking of stretched metaphors, though...Troubadour is a solid helping of guilt-free musical comfort food. And you can set your watches for Old Faithful's next eruption of placid, classy country lyricism, as Strait's 38th album will surely arrive right on schedule in 2009.
Grade: B+
USA Today
Reviewed by Brian Mansfield
April 1, 2008
Thirty-seven albums into his career, Strait remains a master of understatement: “I was a young troubadour when I rode in on a song,” he sings, “And I’ll be an old troubadour when I’m gone.” In the 27 years since he rode in on Unwound (co-written by Dean Dillon, who duets with him here), Strait may have switched rides a few times, but he still knows how to pick winners, from the song about the fire that destroyed Johnny Cash’s house to the honky-tonk shuffle about what makes great honky-tonk shuffles.
Grade: 3˝ stars (out of four)
Billboard
Reviewed by Ken Tucker
March 28, 2008
George Strait is one of music's most consistent hitmakers for a reason—he knows a hit song when he hears one and he only sings it if it fits him. "Troubadour" is chock-full of classic Strait. "I Saw God Today" is a perfect example of a track that speaks to the country core, while the title cut finds the singer reconciling his age with how old he feels. "When You're in Love" cleverly equates romance with a vacation destination ("There's so much to see and do when you're in love"), and "River of Love" will have women swooning at King George's invitation to a "stream of kissin' about 10 miles long." "House of Cash," with Patty Loveless, is a powerful tribute to the loss of the Cash family home to fire a year ago.
Grade: -
The New York Times
Reviewed by Jon Pareles
March 31, 2008
Year in and year out since 1981 George Strait has rarely left the country charts. Mr. Strait, 55, is the genial, pious, faithful, casually virile Texan whose music leans toward old-fashioned honky-tonk but doesn’t rule out other possibilities. With a voice full of classic country slides and breaks, he often sings about loyalty and attachment: to a woman he loves or to a woman who left him that he can’t forget. Stability counts both in the songs he chooses and in his career.
Mr. Strait gets more au courant than usual on “Troubadour.” Most of the productions beef up his old honky-tonk with extra instruments, big-room reverb and other rock techniques now favored by country radio. Although Mr. Strait recorded the album (like its 2006 predecessor, “It Just Comes Natural”) at Jimmy Buffett’s studio in Key West, Fla., it aims for modern Nashville style. In the title song, which addresses his age, Mr. Strait insists, “Nothin’s gonna change what I am,” but that doesn’t stop him and his co-producer, Tony Brown, from treating the tune as a midtempo rock march.
The songs touch Mr. Strait’s usual bases — true love, lost love, Texas geography — but the more ambitious ones also consider birth and death. The album’s centerpiece is “I Saw God Today,” a new father’s epiphany set to a pedal-steel-topped power ballad. In the ballad “Give Me More Time” Mr. Strait sympathizes with a farmer facing foreclosure and a young man who is terminally ill. The album’s oddest song is a fiddle-topped Southern-rock stomp, “House of Cash,” about the 2007 fire that destroyed Johnny Cash’s home while its new owner, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, was renovating it.
The updated Mr. Strait sounds as amiable and confident as ever, but the punchier production doesn’t equal more grit. Instead it lessens the distance between Mr. Strait and younger country singers who are just as cautious and sentimental and who can’t claim traditionalism as the reason.
Grade: Critic's Choice
Rolling Stone
Reviewed by Will Hermes
April 2, 2008
Like a bottle of Heinz ketchup on a diner counter, a George Strait album is a reassuring product. At fifty-five, dude's spent his life making fairly low-bullshit, high-yield mainstream country: Since 1981's Strait Country, his LPs have gone platinum or better thirty-two times, and the four-CD anthology Strait Out of the Box has shifted 8 million units. That's a lot of Resistol cowboy hats, pardner (although thanks to his endorsement deal, Strait no doubt gets 'em free). Troubadour is up to the usual standards, maybe better. There's witty, swaggering honky-tonk ("Make Her Fall in Love With Me Song") and the requisite hot-fiddle swing number ("West Texas Town"). "House of Cash" is a rock-edged duet with Patty Loveless about the blaze that leveled Johnny Cash's family home last year. Moving tribute or pop vampirism? Depends on your taste for sentimentality. Ditto the hit single "I Saw God Today," which is so disarmingly plain-spoken and deftly universal, only the most hard-boiled atheist could be offended. It's one example of why folks call Strait "King George" — although this monarch is a uniter, not a divider.
Grade: 3 stars (out of five)
The Miami Herald
Reviewed by Howard Cohen
March 28, 2008
If you're the kind of person excited by the fact that Saturday follows Friday, you're the type who could similarly celebrate a new George Strait CD every year. Reason being, country traditionalist Strait, 55, is as predictable as that happenstance -- this is his 26th studio album, not counting Christmas CDs and compilations, since his first Top 10 in 1981. His safely familiar sound has been a hallmark of those recordings.
Not as bland and uninspired as its generic album cover portrait, Troubadour (in stores Tuesday) isn't quite as strong as Strait's previous two releases, Somewhere Down in Texas and CMA's current Album of the Year, It Just Comes Natural.
Still, Strait die-hards will no doubt enjoy and seek comfort in the Western swing sound of That West Texas Town (a duet with Dean Dillon), the infectious honky tonker Make Her Fall in Love With Me Song, the busted relationship lament, House With No Doors or the warm count-your-blessings message behind I Saw God Today. All fine songs. It just comes natural to King George, dubbed by some the Sinatra of country music.
The one truly inspired cut here, House of Cash, finds the Texan in a more aggressive, electric mode than usual. Strait and guest vocalist Patty Loveless trade verses, singing about the day the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's house (then under the ownership of Bee Gee Barry Gibb) burned to the ground. A bit more fire in the recording studio and Strait's latest might have served as an entry point for new listeners rather than just yet another quality entry in his growing catalog.
Pod Picks:House of Cash, Make Her Fall in Love With Me Song.
Grade: -
The Dallas Morning News
Reviewed by Mario Tarradell
March 31, 2008
COUNTRY'S BLUE EYES: He's frequently referred to as the Sinatra of country music. That fits. The enduring Texas gentleman crooner is predictable in the best possible way. George Strait still makes country records with old-school elegance. Troubadour is no different. He selected a dozen solid songs steeped in the genre traditions that would make his artistic forefathers beam. Sure, there's nothing here that breaks new ground. But given country's ever-swinging creative pendulum, we'll take the sonic stability.
NEVER A DUD: Especially when Mr. Strait doesn't falter. Among the highlights on Troubadour are the impassioned duet with Patty Loveless, "House of Cash," an homage to Johnny and June; the tropical-sounding gem, "River of Love;" a swinging diamond of a tune, "That West Texas Town," done as a duet with singer-songwriter Dean Dillon; the evocative "If Heartaches Were Horses;" and the title cut, which after more than two decades of recordings can definitely be called autobiographical.
BOTTOM LINE: Few artists, country or otherwise, have remained so consistent for so long. George Strait is a treasured rarity.
Grade: B+
Chicago Sun-Times
Reviewed by Bobby Reed
March 30, 2008
Fans know what to expect from a George Strait CD. His albums are like homemade chocolate-chip cookies or a well-crafted romantic comedy. There's nothing surprising, but it makes you feel warm inside.
Strait doesn't compose songs. Because every songwriter in Nashville dreams of getting a cut by King George, he always has plenty of sterling material from which to choose. And when you've found favor with the king, he shall call upon you again. Of the album's dozen tracks, three were co-written by Leslie Satcher (including the title song) and four were co-written by Dean Dillon, including "West Texas Town," recorded here as a duet by Strait and Dillon.
The emotional core of this album is comprised of three consecutive songs that showcase Nashville songwriting at its best. Strait teams up with Patty Loveless for the duet "House of Cash," which was apparently inspired a symbolic, real-life event: the April 2007 fire that destroyed the Hendersonville, Tenn., cabin of Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, who both died in 2003. Strait and Loveless sing a key line in tandem -- "And the ring of fire comes full circle" -- and it's a moving, fitting tribute to Johnny and June.
That track is followed by "I Saw God Today," Strait's hit single about finding evidence of a higher power in everyday details. It's a fine gospel song with a contemporary country structure. Then comes "Give Me More Time," a heart-tugging ballad depicting three distinctive, cinematic scenes in which one character tells another that she or he needs more time. Producer Tony Brown scales back the instrumentation at pivotal moments to heighten the emotional impact of Strait's conversational delivery.
The material gets a little limp after this mighty triumvirate, but Strait ends on a high note. A rancher who actually wears a cowboy hat for its functionality, Strait is the only country superstar who could convincingly croon the tune "If Heartaches Were Horses." Other acts might generate unintentional laughter with this song's ranching imagery.
Grade: -
Country Standard Time
Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
April 3, 2008
George Strait seems to get better with age. "It Just Comes Natural" from 2006 was one of his best. The 12 songs on his 37th CD almost all turn the trick as well. Strait once again benefits from very strong material from the likes of Buddy Cannon (and Randy Hardison with the ballad "It Was Me"), Leslie Satcher (the title track and "House of Cash," a strong duet with Patty Loveless, who given a chance to shine, sounds as fine as ever in this tribute to June and Johnny Cash) and Dean Dillon, a frequent Strait contributor, who helps on four songs, all with different writers (he also owned the only throwaway, the topically and musically light "When You're In Love").
Strait recorded some of the CD at Jimmy Buffett's Key West studio, but he doesn't go very tropical except on the breezy "River of Love." Strait mixes it up sufficiently between Texas swing (the bouncy, tailor-made for Strait "West Texas Town," a duet with Dillon and "Make Her Fall In Love With Me Song"), traditional country, an easier-going, midtempo sound (the single "I Saw God Today") and the slightly harder edged. Many songs are radio ready, but that doesn't mean that Strait suddenly veered commercial. Strait and his long-time co-producer Tony Brown ensure that on an album playing to Strait's vocal prowess.
If Strait really will just be "an old troubadour when I'm gone" as he sings in the title track, that should be the path that all singers follow.
Grade: -
All Music Guide
Reviewed by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
April 8, 2008
George Strait's greatest attribute is his consistency. It's not just how he rarely delivers a bad album but how his music remains rooted in pure Texas honky tonk, a fact that makes his reliably excellent music all the more remarkable. Sometimes Strait steps beyond reliable and delivers something close to transcendent, and 2006's nothing-but-the-basics It Just Comes Natural was one of those times. Playing exclusively to his strengths, the album was lean and strong, yet another hit under his belt, and more than earning its honors as the CMA's Album of the Year. It would be tempting for most artists to turn out another album just like the last but Strait isn't like most artists, as his 2008 follow-up, Troubadour, gracefully illustrates. Troubadour finds Strait turning introspective, getting softer and mellower, perhaps even slightly melancholy, yet it's a comforting melancholy, as the album never wallows in sadness — there are plenty of Texas 2-steps, breezy mid-tempo tunes, and love songs to temper the blue moments here. Nevertheless, Strait is the troubadour of the title, a musician who bears the scars of the road and is a richer singer for it. This is especially evident on Troubadour, as it has a warm, burnished sound suited for his gently weathered voice, and its 12 songs are by and large exceptionally crafted and deceptively simple; they're songs that benefit greatly from Strait's casual virtuosity. As always, he has his pick of the best songsmiths — Dean Dillon, Robert Earl Keen, Al Anderson, Buddy Cannon, Monty Holmes, and Scotty Emerick are among the writers bearing credits here — and he has an unerring ability to pick songs that suit his strengths and weave together to form a cohesive whole (the only minor misstep being a too-anthemic tribute to Johnny Cash, "House of Cash"). Here, the mood is subdued, with even the lighter numbers not quite breaking a sweat, but that's the charm of Troubadour: in its relaxed, intimate way it recalls Merle Haggard's quieter, story-heavy albums of the early '70s, only with Strait's signature, unhurried attitude, a trait that only grows more attractive over the years.
Grade: 4 stars (out of five)
AP (The Associated Press)
Reviewed by Michael McCall
April 1, 2008
As one of country music's traditional standard-bearers, George Strait mistakenly gets described at times as conservative or predictable. The wide-ranging, often surprising ''Troubadour'' should put that notion to rest, once and for all.
In fact, ''Troubadour'' emphasizes the opposite sides of Strait's musical tastes. Several songs are as contemporary and pop-influenced as he's ever sounded, as in ''River of Love,'' which unfolds to an upbeat island rhythm. Also, the complicated country-rock arrangement of ''Brothers of the Highway'' shows off Strait's vocal range in ways few songs of his past ever have.
On the other side, he steps back in time with the rousing two-stepper, ''Make Her Fall in Love with Me Song,'' and a delightful western swinger, ''That West Texas Town,'' a duet with Strait's favorite songwriter, Dean Dillon. Strait also soars in another duet, this time with the great Patty Loveless, on ''House of Cash,'' a fiery tribute to Johnny and June Carter Cash.
Strait has only rarely veered into the over-the-top sentimentality that runs through some contemporary country songs, but his current hit, ''I Saw God Today,'' is the kind of formulaic tear-jerker better left to lesser artists. But ''Troubadour'' finds Strait taking risks - a rare move for an artist with a three-decade track record. For the most part, his gambles pay off nicely.
CHECK THIS OUT: "If Heartaches Were Horses" is a wistful, and beautiful, cowboy ballad, landing somewhere between a Gene Autry romantic tune and a Marty Robbins' western story-song.
Grade: -
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Reviewed by Preston Jones
April 1, 2008
"Sometimes I feel like Jesse James, still trying to make a name," sings the native Texan not long into his latest album, Troubadour, and it's not hard to detect the self-deprecation intertwined with a grudging acknowledgement of time passing. But this 12-track collection isn't an exercise in dour introspection; there's plenty of fiddle, Strait's glowing baritone and fleeting tropical flourishes. Regular as sunrise, this old lion of Nashville turns out a new album every couple years. When it's a smooth, engaging and poignant affair like this, his 25th studio album, Strait effortlessly proves Music City just doesn't make 'em like they used to.
Download this: It Was Me
Grade: 4 stars (out of five)
News & Observer
Reviewed by Jack Bernhardt
April 6, 2008
In the galaxy of country stars, George Strait is the only artist enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame who's still turning out hit after hit. With "Troubadour" (MCA), his 37th album, he is certain to extend his record-setting string of No. 1 hits.
"Troubadour" ranks with Strait's best work. It's clever, thoughtful and country to the core. Leading with the self-referential title track, the 55-year-old Texan reminds us that age is a state of mind and that he was born to sing.
Strait reflects on the miracle of birth with "I Saw God Today," looks heavenward with the prayerful "Give Me More Time" and celebrates romance with a Creedence Clearwater Revival vibe on "River of Love." He offers swinging Bob Wills lilt on "West Texas Town," performed as a duet with Dean Dillon, his longtime songwriter. Another duet, "House of Cash" with Patty Loveless, pays loving tribute to Johnny and June.
In all, these 12 gems prove that Strait, like vintage wine, gets better with age.
Grade: -