Cowboys And Dreamers George Strait

Released on 9/6/24 by MCA Nashville
Main artists: George Strait
Genre: Country

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George Strait is no stranger to eulogizing people he loves in song. After the tragic death of his 13-year-old daughter in 1986, he recorded "You'll Be There," which is believed to be a tribute. On his 31st album, the towering singer, now 72, is facing down the inevitability of age. The record is dedicated to his longtime manager and longtime road manager, both of whom passed away in early 2024. And he opens the song "Rent" with a spoken intro honoring its songwriters—Keith Gattis, "an amazing songwriter, singer and guitar slinger" who wrote such past Strait cuts as "I Got a Car," and "Goin' Goin' Gone" and who died in 2023; and "Texas legend" Guy Clark, who passed away in 2016. Set to pretty acoustic guitar and with Strait using his rich baritone, it rolls out like an epitaph. "The years, well I don't know where they all went/ Til the roll is called up yonder, all I can do is wonder/ If I even did enough to make a dent/ But I made a few good friends and I always paid my rent." Faced with all this loss, Strait isn't taking his good luck for granted. On the expansive ballad "The Little Things," one of his only writing credits on the record, Strait reveals "the secret to life." Happiness is: "an old Merle Haggard song/ Mama on the phone/ Midnight on a back porch/ Slow kiss on a dance floor/ Tiny diamond in your pocket/ A baby that needs rockin' back to sleep." But it's not all introspection. "Honky Tonk Hall of Fame" is a blast, with barroom piano, blustery fiddle and duet partner Chris Stapleton, whose wooly rumble sounds great against Strait's clean edges. Drinking song "Three Drinks Behind" is classic Strait: Nothing flashy, yet totally memorable, its border-country melody warmed with good-natured mandolin. He tries on Jimmy Buffett breeziness, and it suits, for "MIA Down in MIA." And a shit-kicking version of Waylon Jennings' sly "Waymore's Blues" sounds like Strait's sung the words a million times before, getting playful with the band—"Aw, let's do some work, boys"—before guitar and piano take rollicking solos. The title track is Waylon-esque, its drums galloping like horses across the plain, and fits Strait like a favorite old pair of boots. Even when the music gets a bit purple (the ballad "People Get Hurt Sometimes" is embroidered with the swooning flourishes of a 19-piece string section), Strait eschews the drama. But he does pull out some of his most emotive singing for the chorus of "Wish I Could Say," an old-school country ballad with excellent fiddle from Gene Elders. And it's easy to imagine "The Journey of Your Life" becoming a live favorite, with Strait detailing the ingredients for a good life, including "a good song you can sing on/ A shoulder you can lean on" and "a good dog—especially a good dog." © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

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Cowboys And Dreamers

George Strait

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Three Drinks Behind