1. Slant Magazine

   80

   The performances have always been there for Little Big Town; The Reason Why provides just more evidence that there isn't another act in any genre of popular music with greater skill in arranging vocal harmonies. At this point, there's no logical reason that this shouldn't be Little Big Town's long overdue star turn.

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2. All Music Guide

   80

   The Reason Why is mature, exquisitely crafted, and radio friendly; it ups the ante for contemporary country in songwriting, performance, and production (the latter by stripping away excess). It's as near to a perfectly balanced recording as one will find in the genre.

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3. Boston Globe

   80

   With the assistance of ace songwriter-producer-multi-instrumentalist Wayne Kirkpatrick "The Reason Why" does what all good records should do: It makes you laugh, cry, hoot, holler, and breaks your heart.

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4. The New York Times

   60

   Redolent of Southern gospel and feather-light country-rock, it's a comfort zone for this group, employed consistently in the choruses, which can be arrestingly sharp, and often elsewhere. But piled on top of plangent guitars, the convergence can become grating, with all the emotion of archery, or some other sport that prizes accuracy above all.

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