Let It Go (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Bob Minner, Byron Gallimore (acoustic guitar); Denny Hemingson, Darren Smith (electric guitar); Dean Brown (fiddle); Jeff McMahon (Hammond b-3 organ); John Marcus (bass instrument); Billy Mason (drums); David Dunkley (percussion); Greg Barnhill, Wes Hightower, Russell Terrell (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Faith Hill (vocals).

On his first album in nearly three years, Tim McGraw delivers more of the rock-influenced country that has made him one of Nashville's biggest stars, but in a more reflective, at times almost somber, mood. The title track sets a tone of heartbreak and unspecified desperation that's amplified through the album's other 12 songs. Even the traditional duet with McGraw's wife, the eternally sunny Faith Hill, is darker than usual: "I Need You" flirts with themes of addiction and helplessness, as does the rock-edged "Between the River and Me." In this context, the album's first track and leadoff single, the Big Kenny co-write "Last Dollar (Fly Away)," has a slightly weary vibe underscoring its good-times surfaces. Other highlights include the respectful tribute "Kristofferson," a version of Lori McKenna's "I'm Workin'," and the powerful "Nothin' To Die For," which encapsulates the undercurrent of desperation throughout the album as a whole. While not a cheerful listen, LET IT GO is a complex and ultimately hopeful album that ranks among McGraw's finest and reveals a previously unknown artistic depth. minimize