Emotional Traffic

by Tim McGraw

Overview

After nearly two years in the vault, Tim McGraw's Emotional Traffic was released by Curb. McGraw finished it in 2010 and turned it in. Curb refused to release it, claiming it was too soon after 2009's Southern Voice (though they released another hits compilation the same year). The two parties went to court to resolve the issue. Co-produced with longtime compadre Byron Gallimore, Emotional Traffic is McGraw's most ambitious offering to date -- the credits list is enormous and the range of styles on display is wide. That said, its balance is impeccable. While its production style and arrangements stay somewhat inside contemporary country's strictly defined boundaries -- guaranteeing it radio play -- the set also confidently pushes them to the breaking point, too. Take the album opener -- the midtempo ballad "Halo." While it opens with a pedal steel whine, the electric guitars and bowed electric cellos sound like they could have come from a Snow Patrol or later Coldplay album, though they have more teeth. The chorus, however, is pure contemporary country, yet despite the production sheen, the track's emotional depth resonates. McGraw also chose to cover Dee Ervin's "One Part, Two Part," with wife Faith Hill on backing vocals. Buddy & Julie Miller also covered this tune on Written in Chalk, but McGraw's version is grittier and more R&B, and evokes a younger, wilder Delbert McCLinton. "Only Human," a duet with Ne-Yo, is a solid ballad underscored by ringing acoustic and electric guitars, and a hook in the refrain to die for (it'd be great in the redemption scene of a film). "The One" is as funky as CC gets, with its wah-wah guitars, howling B-3, and striding electric piano in the verses. Once more, the chorus brings it back inside the format but the groove remains. "Better Than I Used to Be" is another ballad, told in the time-worn country storytelling tradition. Its melody is standard radio fare, but the grain in McGraw's voice offers a conviction that carries the tune above the tropes. The lengthy, ambient guitar intro to "Felt Good on My Lips" is sly, since it's a dancehall bump number; it borrows from Jimmy Buffett's trademark, Caribbean-flavored singalong style in the middle eights. The metaphoric "Die by My Own Hand," which closes the set, is a devastating midtempo ballad with big, warm guitars and drums in the verses (so much so they could have been produced by Daniel Lanois). Pedal steel underscores the melody to evoke country before a shattering rock & roll power ballad crescendo carries it out. Emotional Traffic displays McGraw's growth as a singer and producer, and reveals his longevity at the top of a fickle field. He only records when he has something to say, and he understands the rules well enough to bend and finally break them. In doing so, he expands the narrow framework of his genre and nearly forces it to embrace the whole of popular music. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	01/24/2012
Label:	Curb
UPC:	0715187932029

Tracks

1. Halo
2. Right Back at Ya
3. One Part Two Part
4. I Will Not Fall Down
5. The One
6. Better Than I Used to Be
7. Touchdown Jesus
8. The One That Got Away
9. Felt Good on My Lips
10. Hey Now
11. Only Human
12. Die by My Own Hand

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tim McGraw   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
David Dunkley   Congas,Percussion
Perry Coleman   Vocals (Background)
Shannon Forrest   Drums,Percussion
Jim Beavers   Vocals (Background)
Brett Warren   Vocals (Background)
Abe Laboriel, Jr.   Drums,Percussion
Brad Warren   Vocals (Background)
Darran Smith   Guitar (Electric)
Dan Dugmore   Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Acoustic)
Tony Harrell   Piano,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer
Greg Barnhill   Vocals (Background)
Jamie Muhoberac   Piano,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer
Jay Joyce   Guitar (Electric)
Bob Minner   Guitar (Acoustic)
Jeff McMahon   Synthesizer
Ne-Yo   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jerry McPherson   Guitar (Electric)
Bryan Sutton   Guitar (Acoustic)
Steve Nathan   Synthesizer,Piano,Wurlitzer
Wes Hightower   Vocals (Background)
Byron Gallimore   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Paul Bushnell   Bass
Troy Lancaster   Guitar (Electric)
Angie Aparo   Vocals (Background)
David Levita   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Faith Hill   Vocals (Background)
Rusty Anderson   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Dean Brown   Mando
Denny Hemingson   Guitar (Electric)
Billy Mason   Drums
John Marcus   Bass

Technical Credits

Luke Laird   Composer
Nick Davidge   Creative Director
Dee Ervine   Composer
Rivers Rutherford   Composer
Julian King   Tracking
Jim Beavers   Composer
Martina McBride   Composer
Danny Clinch   Photography
Ashley Gorley   Composer
Rhett Akins   Composer
Bryan Simpson   Composer
Brett Warren   Composer
Lowell Reynolds   Assistant Engineer
Dave Pahanish   Composer
Tim McGraw   Composer,Producer
Brad Warren   Composer
Brett Beavers   Composer
Sara Lesher   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Mixing Assistant
Darran Smith   Producer
Erik Lutkins   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Mixing Assistant
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Jedd Hughes   Composer
Byron Gallimore   Mixing,Producer
Colin Heldt   Assistant Engineer
Dallas Davidson   Composer
Shaffer Smith   Composer
Ben Hayslip   Composer
Christian Baker   Vocal Engineer
Glenn Sweitzer   Design,Art Direction
David Tolliver   Composer
David Bryant   Assistant Engineer
Ty Lacy   Composer
Joe West   Composer
Jason Hall   Overdub Engineer
Chad Warrix   Composer
Angie Aparo   Composer