Overall, though the lyric content is among the best on a Tim McGraw album to date.

Mostly introspective, lower-key fare fills out the album's remainder, resulting in an occasional lag in momentum. This, however, is offset by inventiveness and instrumental wizardry, offering those who accept Follow Me Down's tempting invitation entry into a wonderland of musical riches.

Bocephus-like clarinets, old-timey lyrics and Toby's smooth-as-whiskey delivery assure purists that there is still Hope for classic barroom singalongs.

For the most part, Lady Antebellum strikes a nice balance between the two, keeping the penchant for bighearted ballads and the vocal chemistry between Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott intact.

Adventurous roots-music aficionados will want to book themselves a date for Traveler, a masterfully planned Dixieland journey that lets the good times roll easy.

Ghost on the Canvas is a lovingly produced nod to the musician and his music that summarizes the multiple dimensions of Campbell's remarkable genre-crossing career and, best of all, allows the honoree to help do the honors.

This road-tested group boasts tightknit sibling harmonies and an ear-pleasing tribute to the joys and tragedies of working folk and weekend warriors.

Emmylou and Rodney seem at their best with the more up-tempo offerings like Kris Kristofferson’s “Chase the Feeling” and “Bluebird Wine,” which features Rodney’s playful vocals.

Carrie’s never been in better voice, but a little more control in the production would have served her well.

Kill the Lights isn’t consistently pleasing, but it does represent a progression and evolution from Luke’s previous material.

There’s a common theme of relationships among many of the songs, with the ballads “Lonely Tonight” and “Anyone Else” coming away as the strongest of the bunch.

The project truly succeeds because of the various voices in The SteelDrivers, who consider their bluegrass to be one painted from a darker palette--which, at times, can feel a little too dark.

His recorded albums, and even his mesmerizing live show, have gradually incorporated a country sound. That trend continues on his latest, the rewarding 14-song Rebel Soul.

Both the chestnuts and The Band selections here sound best in their original versions (partly due to the diminished power of Levon's voice after his bout with throat cancer). But his singing brims with spirit, and he and his cohorts deliver these mostly vintage tunes with gusto.

Sara's pop-country sound is rich Southern comfort, delivered organically and with authenticity.

While Taylor turns her wrath on a woman who steals her man on "Better Than Revenge," she turns that critical eye on herself in "Back to December," a thorough apology to a former lover she regrets having left behind. Other tunes, such as "Mean" and "Sparks Fly," suffer from generic and sometimes underdeveloped lyrics.

Heroes indicates that the future is in good hands.

Overall, a solid debut from a young, still-maturing artist.

The turquoise-hued bluegrass offered here is anything but generic--it's specialty-shop stuff.

If you've ever been worried that good old Southern-fried boogie is an endangered species, then Dixie Lullabies should help you rest a little easier.

The disc reveals a few hard edges but offers optimism even as it explores the thornier corners of human behavior.

While it lacks the emotional heft of Merle's acclaimed 2010 album, I Am What I Am, the cancer survivor's latest album boasts plenty of flinty independence.

Joe is at his best on the traditional romps like "This Ole Boy" and "No Truck, No Boat, No Girl."

Quietly and artfully, if not especially dynamically, McKenna unearths striking truths about the fragility of life and relationships.

Taylor wrote or co-wrote everything here herself (including the hit “Tim McGraw”), and while the most immediately striking songs are her eviscerations of no-good teenage boys (“Should’ve Said No,” “Picture to Burn”), the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school.

Red may not be a bona fide country album, but it could very well be a pop masterpiece, more in line with P!nk's latest, The Truth About Love, than even Red's predecessor, Speak Now.

While the album lacks some of the energy and freshness of 2010's Nothing Like This, introspective tunes such as "A Little Home," "Sunrise" (co-written by Joe Don) and the Lady Antebellum-esque "Come Wake Me Up" add even more depth to the trio's sound.

True to form, his major-label debut is a personal, understated and unpredictable collection.