Gary Allan

Gary Allan is one of the few New Traditional country singers who makes growing older and raising kids seem as cool as knocking back some longnecks in a beer joint on a weekday night. On the more up-tempo rockers, he dips deep into the Bakersfield honky-tonk sound.

Some singers, by dint of accent or upbringing, wear country like unsheddable skin. But a
gifted, versatile singer such as the California-born Allan who chooses the idiom is a rare
find. "Tough Little Boys," about the frailties of fatherhood, would make just as much sense
as an indie-rock moper. On the astounding title track, a sad ode to an ex ends with a
sudden kiss-off that explains the song's emotional schizophrenia. JON CARAMANI... More >