Trace Adkins
Love Will…
(Show Dog/Universal Music)
Big, up-front vocals, “rangy” electric guitar and a big, poppy country rock chorus fuels “When I Stop Loving You,†the first tune from Trace Adkins’ 11th studio album, Love Will… “Come See Me†utilizes a softer approach with well-placed keys and a nice moment of falsetto from Adkins in the chorus, even though the lyric is a bit trite. I like the electric guitar chunk of “Right Now†and its chorus, though as poppy as the rest, has a nice retard and is therefore more effective in showcasing Atkins’ vocals. This is one of the better tunes here.
There’s good, screaming guitar spikes at the beginning on “The Altar of Your Love†(again though, these lyrics really are cringe-producing), but the production is tight for the big chorus (and really, that’s what all this pop country is all about – “get to the chorus and don’t bore us”). Trace covers Exile’s seminal 1978 hit, “Kiss You All Over,†with Exile actually on-board with him. It’s a competent read, but doesn’t really add anything to the original.
“If The Sun Comes Up†is a tight balled featuring a nice light touch from Adkins’ band and his best vocals here. Some bad boy-isms come through on the semi-mover “Say No To A Woman.†“Watch The World End†features Trace and Colbie Caillat, but it’s much too overproduced really and looses it’s way. The title track ends this collection of 11, again showcasing one of the better Adkins vocals on this album, with some spiking synth strings in a simple chorus.
