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As if almost effortlessly, Travis proves track after track the difference between bravado and stone-cold brilliance.
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A collection that finds the 49-year-old singer laudably unchanged on tunes that are comfortably quaint and rich with homespun charm.
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Some songs still leave you wishing to hear what George Jones or John Anderson might have done with them, but a quarter-century down the line, Travis finally seems comfortable inhabiting his human skin.
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Around the Bend is still worth hearing and a welcome return, but what works so brilliantly about it makes its shortcomings all the more disappointing.
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It’s a record on the traditional side of pop-country, with plenty of nuanced conceits but no knockout punch.
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His steady, patient style seems be one smooth surface but isn’t. There’s depth within this one man’s voice, now as much as ever.
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His interpretive use of his rich, burnished baritone has never been better, and that remarkable voice is still a force to be reckoned with.
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As always, that easy touch is Travis' greatest strength, as it gives the best songs authenticity and makes the weaker songs palatable--and as Around the Bend is a fairly strong set of songs, it's easy to enjoy Travis' gentle authority.