George Strait

George Strait

Already holding the most chart-topping country albums and singles, King George furthers his reign on Troubadour, the Central Texan's distinctive drawl and twanging tenor remaining one of mainstream radio's consistent high points. Strait's 37th album sways comfortably familiar, the waltzing "It Was Me" playing almost as a postscript to his classic "The Chair," while his duet with songwriter Dean Dillon on "West Texas Town" swings as freely as Asleep at the Wheel. "River of Love" stretches a touch of Southern soul, and "Brothers of the Highway" rolls road anthemic, though "I Saw God Today" delivers a more innocuous fare. Bruising "House of Cash," featuring Patty Loveless, broods low and dark, and "House With No Doors" aches blue-collar heartache. "I was a young troubadour, when I rode in on a song, and I'll be an old troubadour, when I'm gone," declares the title track, and George Strait stays true to his word.