Same Truck

Scotty McCreery minted a new template with his 2018 album Seasons Change, one that's based on the melodic country of the 1990s but cognizant of the modern mainstream. The album gave the former American Idol winner three number ones on Billboard's Country Airplay charts, so it's not a real surprise that he gave Seasons Change an explicit sequel with Same Truck. Heavy on ballads and insistent pop tunes that unfold at the tempo of a ballad, Same Truck is handsome, sturdy country music, filled with songs about trucks, small town girls, home towns and George Strait. McCreery has an easy touch -- where he used to lean into his influences on his earliest records, he leans back now -- which gives these mellow, melodic tunes a gentle, welcoming feel. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine