Dig Your Roots

Three albums in, Florida Georgia Line carved out their own niche -- part good times, part tearjerkers -- but they're not staying in place. Rather, if 2016's Dig Your Roots is any indication, they're choosing to settle into a groove, sliding into their status as slowly mellowing country bros. Staring down 30, FGL still find time to have fun, but the party no longer lasts all night; it's a gentle breeze on an "Island" or a Sunday afternoon reggae sunsplash with Ziggy Marley. Such softening of the ravers puts the rest of their music in sharper relief, making it all seem sentimental. Naturally, this is a conscious effort on Florida Georgia Line's part, a reflection of their steady maturation and the realization of their natural affinity for the MOR adult contemporary of the Backstreet Boys, the former teen pop band who cameo on "God, Your Mama and Me." Much of the album is devoted to slow-burning love songs that wouldn't have seemed out of place on a BSB album, romance that is offset by a striking number of songs about growing up and growing old including "While He's Still Around," a mawkish ode to a father who seems in no danger of kicking the bucket any time soon. Such bad taste has been a staple for Florida Georgia Line, but on their first two records, it's manifested in the bumping party tunes. Here, that inclination has been transformed into treacly ballads and the shift toward unapologetic soft rock does Florida Georgia Line a world of good: by favoring a gentle touch, they emphasize their melodicism, which has always been their most appealing trait. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine