Love and War

Reuniting with , the co-producer of , essentially supercharges that 2014 album for 2017's . hauls out all his old tricks, singing about the love of country and family, heartbreak, and middle-aged melancholy, then adds a heavy dose of superstar power, contracting for two cuts, bringing in both and for duets, then tipping his hat to classic country by inviting to sing "Dying to See Her." makes an appearance, too, with adapting the late singer's poem "Gold All Over the Ground" into a song, a subtle moment in an album largely lacking in them. While there is some appeal in this bright blast of sound, especially when he's in party mode -- "One Beer Can" in particular recounts the aftermath of a raucous adolescent bash -- it can also seem vaguely desperate, as if he's still clutching a reality that's faded into the past. Sometimes, acknowledges his advancing years: "Last Time for Everything" admits everything must come to an end, while the novelty "selfie#theinternetisforever" -- a sweeter version of his earlier "Online" -- accidentally reveals a curmudgeonly streak within the singer/songwriter. Strikingly, his invited elder statesman sound looser than he does, with tearing into the title track and savoring all the punch lines on "Drive of Shame." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine