While sad songs are an integral part of the country music canon, this record contains some of the saddest ever. Watson is a strong, authoritative vocalist and a sturdy songwriter, and here he dedicates all his sizable talent to his late fiancée, Terri Herbert. The effect is almost too much to take in one sitting—a testament to the quality of these songs. Stylistically, Watson nods to the legends, including Merle Haggard on the title cut, Roy Orbison on “I See Your Face in Every Face I See,” and Roger Miller on “Your Love I’m Gonna Miss.” On “These Things We’ll Never Do,” Watson cries “tears for our never-known years,” the smoldering “I’d Deal With the Devil” reeks of bitter desperation, and the poignant “Our First Times and Our Last Times” is a tribute to the appreciation of small moments. Regret, loss, sorrow, and pain may not be palatable to everyone, but these songs are undeniably and unapologetically country. Racked by Koch.—RW
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