Dreamin' Out Loud (CD - 1996)

Personnel: Trace Adkins (vocals, guitar); Michael Spriggs (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica); Matt Rollings (piano); Barry Beckett (organ); Bill Cuomo (synthesizer); Glenn Worf (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Denis Wilson, Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young (background vocals).

Principally recorded at Sound Shop, Nashville, Tennessee.

All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.

Personnel: Trace Adkins (vocals, guitar); Michael Spriggs (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica); Matt Rollings (piano); Barry Beckett (organ); Bill Cuomo (synthesizer); Eddie Bayers (drums); Curtis Young, Dennis Wilson (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Pete Greene.

Recording information: Sound Shop Recording Studios, Nashville, TN; Tejas and Dark Horse, Nashville, TN.

Trace Adkins' debut, Dreamin' Out Loud, illustrates that he does indeed have a powerhouse voice, one that's big and strong and capable of handling both honky tonk and ballads. It's a voice that makes singers into stars, and his producers must have realized this. Unfortunately, they wanted to ensure that Adkins became a star, so they gave Dreamin' Out Loud a production that's a little too clean and songs that are a little too predictable, when it's clear that he is capable of so much more. Even so, Dreamin' Out Loud remains a satisfying debut. Adkins sings his heart out on even the lesser songs, and when he does have a good number ("That's a Bad Way of Saying Goodbye," "There's a Girl in Texas"), he sounds like one of the finest new traditionalists of the late '90s. ~ Thom Owens

Trace Adkins' voice is earthy and rich with emotional experience. He applies that dusky baritone to songs that detail the ups and downs of life and love, from the randy "I Left Something Turned On At Home" to the introspective, sentimental title song. To his credit, Adkins is anything but a country purist. Eschewing the new traditionalism of singers like Randy Travis, he looks to other musical traditions for inspiration, covering the Wilson Pickett hit "634-5789" and belting out "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," which sounds for all the world like a lost Graham Parker (not to be confused with Gram Parsons) track. minimize