Somewhere Down in Texas (CD - 2005)

Personnel: George Strait (background vocals); George Strait (vocals); Steve Nathan (Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ); Glenn Worf (bass guitar); Casey Wood (percussion); Chris Rodriguez, Jaime Babbitt, Lisa Cochran, Vicki Hampton, Bob Bailey (background vocals); Bryan Sutton (guitar, acoustic guitar); Steve Gibson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Brent Mason (electric guitar, nylon-string guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Nashville String Machine (strings); Matt Rollings (piano, synthesizer); Eddie Bayers (drums); Wes Hightower, Marty Slayton (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Kyle Lehning.

Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Emerald Studios, Nashville, TN; Loud Studios, Nashville, TN; OceanWay, Nashville, TN; Starstruck, Nashville, TN; The Tracking Room, Nashville, TN.

Photographers: Peter Nash; Tony Baker & His Orchestra; Terry Calonge; Mark Tucker .

George Strait has been so good for so long that it's easy to take him for granted, and Somewhere Down in Texas -- his 28th album, if you're keeping score -- is the kind of album that's easy to take for granted, since its scope and scale are so modest. Which isn't to say that it's dull: it's just that it's such a low-key, assured album, it's easy to overlook the craft and skill involved in its production, particularly because Strait always makes his music sound so effortless. He never changes, always staying within the confines of pure country, but part of his genius is that he has an excellent ear for material, picking songs that uphold the hardcore country traditions of George Jones and Merle Haggard yet feel fresh and contemporary. He also knows how to group these songs together, sustaining a mood throughout a full album. If 2003's Honkytonkville was a lean, tough honky tonk record, this 2005 sequel is its more sedate, introspective flip side. There are still moments that are pure honky tonk -- from the mid-tempo anthem "If the Whole World Was a Honky Tonk" to the quick two-step "High Tone Woman" -- but this is a gentle, nostalgic, ballad-heavy affair that takes its tone from Strait's terrific cover of Hag's sweet, lazy (and often overlooked) "The Seashores of Old Mexico." It's a warm, occasionally bittersweet, often soothing collection of perfectly pitched, reflective tunes, ranging from the clever breakup tale "She Let Herself Go" and the Lone Star valentine "Texas" to the excellent slow duet with Lee Ann Womack, "Good News, Bad News." Again, there's nothing new or surprising here, but it's a completely satisfying listen thanks to the strong material, sustained mood, and Strait's unhurried, confident performance. These have been hallmarks of Strait's work throughout the decades, and they haven't let him down yet, nearly 30 years and 30 albums into his career, as Somewhere Down in Texas proves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

On SOMEWHERE DOWN IN TEXAS, the ever-reliable George Strait stays the course he'd charted for years prior, which is to say that he once again manages to combine mainstream appeal with a classy, understated country style that makes no secret of his roots in George Jones, Merle Haggard, and the like. Unlike nearly every other country star of his era, Strait never comes anywhere near the rock trappings or power ballads that are de rigeur in so much contemporary country. There may be the occasional extraneous orchestration here and there, but any album that opens with "If the Whole World Was a Honky Tonk" and lives up to the title must have its heart in the right place. Along the way, there are echoes of Roger Miller's slightly jazzy sound ("The Seashores of Old Mexico") and Dwight Yoakam's neo-Bakersfield boogie ("High Tone Woman"), some strikingly inventive harmonic twists ("Good News Bad News"), and a broken-hearted ballad that's arguably the album's highlight ("Ready For the End of the World"). Ultimately, what truly amazes is the way Strait makes putting together such a sophisticated, pleasure-giving album seem so easy. minimize