Josh Turner Album: “Haywire”

Turner broke out in 2003 with the throwback single "

" and a bass voice that stopped listeners in their tracks. His bottomless notes and Southern accent seemed so innately country as to be resistant to Nashville's crossover practices. His debut was filled with slip-note piano, shuffle beats, mandolin and fiddle, and even on smoother ballads like "She'll Go On You" and "The Difference Between a Woman and a Man," there was an ache in Turner's voice that remained apiece with Travis, Cash and Haggard. His next two albums, 2005's

and 2007's

followed similar templates, decorating his vocals with banjo, blue twang and steel, and mixing up honky-tonkers, ballads and redneck rockers.

Producer Frank Rogers (who's also worked with Brad Paisley, Daryl Worley and Trace Adkins) crafted a sound for Turner that was radio-ready without severing the singer's ties to tradition. Turner showed himself acutely aware of his special vocal charms, introducing songs like "

" with low notes that instantly grab your attention. On this fourth album Turner and Rogers follow the same pattern, and become a bit formulaic in the process. Turner remains a hugely engaging singer, but his songs feel more calculated to satisfy his audience than say something that's burning deep in his heart or mind. The productions are smart and Nashville tight, but don't often match the earthiness and singularity of Turner's voice.

The album's lead-off track, "Why Don't We Just Dance," was pre-released as a single and topped the country chart. Hearing Turner climb up from his low register, you get a palpable sense of how great it feels to sing such deep, chest-rattling notes. Turner sings with an ease that's quite charming, and the band feels rougher and looser here than elsewhere on the album. His seductiveness is more direct on the ballad "I Wouldn't Be a Man," approaching the song similarly to Don Williams' 1987 hit single. Turner extols his mate on "Your Smile," but the tranquility and contentedness with which he sings seems at odds with the enthusiasm of the song's lyrical platitudes.

Turner's originals include the funky title track in which the singer is discombobulated by a member of the opposite sex, and his existing trio of everyman rockers ("Backwoods Boy, "Trailerhood" and "White Noise") is extended to a quartet with "Friday Paycheck." Blowing it out on the weekend is a time-honored topic, but Turner hasn't anything new to say about the joys one can find in a paycheck-to-paycheck life. Listeners celebrating the end of their own work week probably care, as the song rocks a shuffle beat and has a catchy hook. The New Orleans styled funk of "All Over Me" provides a brief respite from the album's contemporary Nashville rhythms, though the session players don't quite hit the second line beat convincingly.

The album's real highlight is the country soul slow-jam "Lovin' You on My Mind." Turner sings with strings and a backing chorus and the production artfully weaves together steel and Wurlitzer. Haywire is offered as

regular and a

deluxe edition. The latter adds two good studio tracks ("This Kind of Love" and "Let's Find a Church") and two live cuts ("Long Black Train" and "Your Man"), which are worth the extra couple of dollars. Turner remains a vocalist of distinction, but the head-turning edginess of "Long Black Train" has given way to cautious repetition. This is a good album by a gifted artist who should be releasing great albums full of memorable music that pushes the artistic ball further forward. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

. Anyone who enjoys great country music will want to add this album to their collection. Pair Josh's incredible voice with good country songs and you have a winner. The range he shows and the variety of music he has on this cd will have something for everyone. If you like good music to dance to, it is here. If you enjoy love songs, they are here. If you want songs which are meaningful, they are included.

You will want to buy the Deluxe edition. The four additional songs, especially two live performances, alone, are well worth the extra cost. I have a copy in each cd player and play them over and over. We have waited a long time for this album, but it has certainly been all I hoped for and more.

Josh Turner's new CD is as good as in the past. He definitly does not disappoint.

The first time I heard Josh Turner's deep bass voice, it blew me away. I was so surprised, all I could do was laugh. I called my wife over to listen and she laughed too. Some bass singers have limited ranges and are "oompah" singers without solo-quality voices. Turner is a soloist with a big range who can delight his audiences when he dips down in pitch where few can go.

The songs on this CD are loaded with variety in topic and speed. They are upbeat and fun listening. His live rendition of "Long Black Train" is amazing. The audience goes absolutely wild!

Josh Turner is back with his fourth all new CD and I could not be more pleased. Josh recently spent some well deserved time at the top of the charts with his single "Why Don't We Just Dance" and this was just a preview of all of the excellent music on this recording. It almost sounds like a "Greatest Hits" recording because so many of the songs sound like hits. "Your Smile" should certainly be another number one smash for Josh who deserves to see his name among the nominees for Top Male Vocalist at the CMA awards this fall.