Sundown Heaven Town (Deluxe)

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, Sundown Heaven Town is a supremely confident, gorgeously recorded collection that finds McGraw sounding as refreshed as he did on its relatively recent predecessor, 2013’s Two Lanes of Freedom. 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.