Overview
Strong Enough
On the strength of its double-caffeinated blend of hard country, southern rock, and a dollop of soul, Strong Enough seems destined for the platinum trail traveled by its predecessor, Down the Road I Go. On his latest, Travis Tritt isn't tiptoeing through a bunch of meaningless ditties about loving his truck but rather delivering some personal statements. The roiling "Country Ain't Country" would by its title seem to be another diatribe aimed at the soulless mainstream, but in fact it addresses the breakdown of values and the merciless pursuit of profits at the expense anything spiritual. "You Really Wouldn't Want Me That Way" uses a martial beat, atmospheric acoustic guitar filigrees, and a moaning pedal steel to advance the testimony of a man begging to be accepted for who he is rather than become anyone's "puppet on a string." At the other end of the spectrum, the beautiful, lilting strains of "I Don't Ever Want Her to Feel That Way Again" play like a country art song detailing a man's unremitting remorse over his treatment of a former lover. Tritt digs in on this one, delivering a nuanced, measured vocal that underscores once again his masterful interpretive skills. But the old boy's still got some rambunctious stuff up his sleeve, especially on the tough-as-blue-steel title cut and a ferocious album-closing rocker co-written with his buddy Marty Stuart, "I Can't Seem to Get Over You," fueled by some jangly guitars and jittery rhythms that add scintillating tension to a soaring melody line. Clearly revitalized of late, Tritt picks 'em up and lays 'em down at every turn. This is good stuff, really good stuff.
