Randy Travis

Country music has changed plenty in the past nine years, embracing songs of feminism and ass-kicking once again and continuing its current swing toward rock and pop. Randy Travis, on the other hand, has not. On his first secular (ish) record in nearly a decade, he sounds much the same as he ever has, possessing one of the most beautifully burnished voices in existence, an instrument he can use with amazing subtlety, but a fairly square sensibility even when compared to many of his compatriots. Many of the songs on Around the Bend either directly discuss faith or contain it as a strong background element, and Travis is a traditionalist when it comes to nostalgic pleasures and true love.

Still, when he gets to turn a humorous phrase, as on "Everything That I Own (Has Got a Dent)" and "Every Head Bowed" (a song about hunger and the seeming endlessness of food-blessing rituals), there's a lovely gentle wink in the way he delivers it, and he's often an interesting interpreter. His cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" phrases the song without a darker meaning, as a consolation rather than a text to be examined, and that choice may serve as an emblem for the rest of the album. Travis's music rarely has a great deal of intellectual depth, but neither do many of the simple aspects of life he addresses in it, and why should they?

—Hillary Brown
08.12.08

Around the Bend is Randy Travis' first secular album in nearly a decade, but he was hardly inactive in the years following 1999's A Man Ain't Made of Stone. After that record, Travis settled into a gospel career, which wasn't surprising as sacred music was never far from his heart to begin with. This extended sojourn was fruitful, producing a series of good heartfelt records, yet they also had a nice side effect of putting commercialism way on the back burner, as the gospel albums were made without the charts in mind. The same thing can be said about Around the Bend, as it stands apart from trends, not defiantly but comfortably. This doesn't quite mean that Around the Bend is a pure hardcore country record, however. There are times where things get a little sweet, even syrupy -- as on the sweeping "Faith in You," a ballad that's nearly drowning in strings -- but these play by old-fashioned rules, sounding as if they were unearthed from another era. Fortunately, the big ballads are the only time that Around the Bend feels a little creaky, as the rest of the record is blessed by a light touch that gives the album a freshness. This is most evident on tunes that rely heavily on nimble acoustic guitars, such as "Turn it Around" and a surprisingly jazzy reading of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," both excellent showcases for Travis' relaxed delivery. As always, that easy touch is Travis' greatest strength, as it gives the best songs authenticity and makes the weaker songs palatable -- and as Around the Bend is a fairly strong set of songs, it's easy to enjoy Travis' gentle authority, how he slyly delivers the punch lines on "Everything That I Own (Has a Dent)" and gives "'Til I'm Dead and Gone" a muscular pulse. These are the moments that give Around the Bend some blood and force, making it a welcome secular comeback from this peerless singer. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide