Sundown Heaven Town

On his second album for new label Big Machine, Tim McGraw delivers the sort of country-rock brawn and first-rate balladry on which he’s built a staggering 20-year career. Self-produced alongside longtime collaborator Byron Gallimore, <i>Sundown Heaven Town</i> is a supremely confident, gorgeously recorded collection that finds McGraw sounding as refreshed as he did on its relatively recent predecessor, 2013’s <i>Two Lanes of Freedom</i>. The opening highlight, “Overrated”, brims with beautiful touches: a gleaming banjo melody, warm layers of organ, a searing guitar solo, and a titanic and timeless chorus. Elsewhere, McGraw joins forces with his wife, Faith Hill, for “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”, a tender duet and nostalgic single whose lyrical observations—simultaneously comforting and heart-wrenching—are just as rich.