Gary Allan brought California cool to country music like no one since Dwight Yoakam, and while he has been consistently excellent, his dues-paying is starting to offer both commercial and artistic returns. Allan knows where of he sings on the Buck Owens-inflected twangfest “Guys Like Me.” He moans with authority on “Can’t Do It Today” and “Songs About Rain,” then turns Springsteen-esque on the stubborn title cut. Allan excels on the neo-classic parental ballad “Tough Little Boys” and smolders and swaggers in “Nothing on but the Radio.” The swaying “You Don’t Know About Me” and mandolin/organ interplay of “I Can Love You” bespeak taste and versatility. This guy makes great records.—RW
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