Killed the Cowboy

Dustin Lynch may have titled his sixth studio album <i>Killed the Cowboy</i>, but the beloved country hitmaker still has plenty of giddy-up left to give. The opening title track—a co-write by the ace trio of Jordan Reynolds, Devin Dawson and Anderson East—suggests as much, as Lynch’s smooth baritone lends grit and gravity to a song about the kind of woman who can tame a wild man. Thematically, much of the record takes cues from that track, as Lynch grapples with his own freedom as a single man approaching 40, a source of tension heard on more introspective cuts like “If I Stop Drinkin’” and “Blue Lights”. Lynch has a co-writing credit on five of the LP’s tracks, including the melodic heartbreak anthem “Trouble With This Truck” and the winking love song “Long Way Home”. And on “Chevrolet”, Lynch joins forces with quickly rising country/hip-hop star Jelly Roll, who lends vocals to a track that also playfully interpolates the melody from the Dobie Gray hit “Drift Away”.