I think that it is safe to say that most Garth fans are the same ones that have stuck with him since the 90`s. In a world of Spotify and Apple Music, I would imagine it would be quite hard for Garth to garner younger new fans who are forced to either buy his new CD or do it through Amazon Music. I myself am an exception, but only because my dad first introduced him to me and I grew up listening to him. So when "Man Against Machine" came out, I went to Target and bought the CD. I enjoyed it, and enjoy it even more now than I did upon release. Yet I understood why so many early fans were skeptical. He didn't sound the same, he had more of a rock edge. While Garth has always included elements of rock and pop into his brand of country, it was always outshined by the fiddle, steel guitar, and usually with some good guitar work mixed in. This changed with "Man Against Machine." That album was more of an experiment than a comeback. If he puts out a wonky album, who cares. It`s been over a decade and he can put out whatever he wants. "Gunslinger" however, does not take the same risks that made his previous album a success. This album takes the safe route and puts out a batch of tunes that just ok. "Ask me How I know" is a pretty good song written by Mitch Rossell (He has toured with Garth recently, and is an artist worth checking out). Most everything else falls except for a couple great songs falls short though. After listening to this album I truly saw that Garth`s sound had changed. It isn't just his voice, but the production. Most things sound paper thin, flaky. "Baby Lets Lay Down and Dance" Starts out promising with a nice guitar lick, but then the odd lyrics mixed with Garth`s vocal delivery ensure that this is a song that will probably be skipped from now on. Garth`s voice just does not carry the same weight it used to. I understand the man is older, but at his show last December, I saw firsthand the power of his voice, which sounded great. On this album he just doesn't`t really let loose on the upbeat songs.Tracks like "Baby Lets Down and Dance" and "Pure Adrenaline" are the worst offenders here and where the discrepancies in his voice can be seen the most. Of course it isn't all bad, songs like "Whiskey to Wine" and "Cowboys and Friends" are actually quite great and do remind me that the old Garth is still inside somewhere, but I can't help but compare everything to his earlier output and how much of a letdown the overall album has been. The good songs are really, really good, but everything else is unfortunately forgettable and bland. Garth is a great artist who can do much better than putting out an ok album with a couple good songs.
The Good: Ask Me How I Know
Whiskey to Wine
Cowboys and Friends
The Mediocre:8teen
Weekend
Honky-Tonk Somewhere
The Bad: Baby Lets Lay Down and Dance
Pure Adrenaline
Bang! Bang!
