Album- Two Lanes of
Freedom
Artist- Tim McGraw
After 20 years with the record Curb Records, Tim McGraw
suffered a legal battle with the label, and as such releases his twelfth studio
album under a new label, Big Machine Records. As such this record has an apt
title in Two Lanes of Freedom, as the singer almost has a new lease of life
under a new label and the way that his music could evolve. But is Two Lanes of
Freedom a good record, or have Big Machine Records made a mistake in signing
McGraw?
Track 1- Two Lanes of
Freedom
The opening number and title track, Two Lanes of Freedom is
a light, bouncy mid tempo offering from the singer that nicely emphasises the
sense of release that this album is built upon, in terms of the singer having a
new record label to create the record under. The song lyrically focuses on
McGraw telling this girl that she great, and that they have the freedom to take
the relationship wherever they want to. McGraw’s distinctive vocals are
beautifully brought out within the track, as his gritty tone compliments the
light twangs of the guitar and the whole feel of the production, whilst the
fact that he really reaches for the high notes emphasises that he means what he
says when there is two lanes of freedom. The choir like vocal moments and epic
edged guitar solo at the end makes for a vibrancy that kicks of the record very
nicely and makes you feel like McGraw is in a slight state of euphoria.
3.5/5
Track 2- One of Those
Nights
Continuing from the mid tempo, upbeat energy of the previous
track, One of Those Nights finds McGraw singing of this girl getting ready for
a night out and how this is going to be an epic night that will make some good
memories. The storytelling emphasis is ok but sadly the lyrics feel a bit too
clichéd, and there is a lack of a really good hook that captures the listener.
McGraw’s vocals are strong and show off some of his range nicely, but at times
his voice doesn’t capture the essence of things really being memorable.
Furthermore, the production is simple and effective with the drums and guitar,
but at the same time the sound feels a bit forced and trying too hard to be
powerful, ultimately failing to do so.
2.5/5
Track 3- Friend of a
Friend
Taking things down a notch, Friend of a Friend is the first
reflective, emotional ballad from McGraw that we get, showing of a nice,
vulnerable side of the singer and giving a good slice of diversity to the
record. The song is lyrically very much about storytelling, as McGraw sings of
this girl he used to be with and how he has heard from friends of friends of
how she is doing great, but she shouldn’t believe if she hears that he is still
thinking of her. The story is quite powerful and is made intriguing as you can
question whether the message of the track is that we should believe things we hear
by the by, or whether this is McGraw hiding his true emotions. The singers
gravelly tone brings a beautiful and also delicate texture to the track that
makes the story more potent, and with the lush backing of the forceful electric
guitar and stirring strings, this song cements that McGraw is definitely able
to make more free sounding, powerful tracks than perhaps he has ever done
before.
3.5/5
Track 4- Southern
Girl
We are now transported to a lighter state within the record
courtesy of Southern Girl, a bouncy, upbeat tune that is undoubtedly a summer
song. The song treads a familiar line lyrically as McGraw sings of finding this
girl from the Southern United States attractive, and how southern girls are all
kinds of great. The message has a catchy chorus but is clichéd and something
that has been done before. McGraw gives a vocal that is a little suave and
playful, but which is also really weird in the vocal distortion of the post
chorus, which gives a robotic styled voice that is just annoying and which
feels like McGraw is trying too hard to be current. The finger snapping groove with
the simple guitar strumming gives a light sound that you can bounce along to,
but there is also a lack of originality that can’t be avoided, and so this is
more of a so so summer track than a throw the top off the car roof down and
live life kind of number.
2.5/5
Track 5- Truck Yeah
Lead single Truck Yeah is an up-tempo country rock track in
which McGraw focuses on telling us of driving in his truck and just feeling
great, with the song also positioned to be an anthem for truckers. The song is
lyrically quite stupid and draws on some clichés, whilst McGraw’s vocal
performance is too soft and bland, with the artist sounding like he is not
totally invested in what he is singing. The country rock production is cool
with the blazing electric guitar riff and thumping drums, and this sound works
really well in the middle section, but the sound also has a bland quality in
that it feels like a typical style for this kind of party track, so why this
was chosen as the lead single doesn’t make sense to me
2.5/5
Track 6- Nashville
Without You
Nashville Without You is a nice track in terms of bringing
us down from the bold, in your face qualities of the last track too more of a
softer, traditional country state. Here we find McGraw being his charismatic
self and singing of an array of images that to him sum up Nashville, with the
singer telling various people that Nashville wouldn’t be the same without them.
Lyrically this is much more of a sharper piece that feels a bit personal and
which doesn’t go into terrible cliché too much, whilst McGraw gives us a vocal
performance that has this tone of warmth and love, which is just great. Keeping
the tone of the track light with the guitar riffs of the production creates
this nice feel to the song that makes the lyrics feel more truthful, and why
this wasn’t chosen as the lead single is another thing that doesn’t make sense
to me.
3.5/5
Track 7- Book of John
Another emotional track that keeps the record in more of a
softer, reflective state, Book of John finds the singer telling us of how he is
looking upon this life of a man named John through this picture book, creating
this image of a youthful man who loved life. What is lovely about the song is
that after the halfway mark you realise the singer is memorialising his dead father
and showing his love for this man who he will one day see again, and as such
the lyrics just feel much more meaningful and impactful. The vocal performance
is nice and simple with a soft quality that imbues the song with this true
feeling of love, and with the light country guitar production, this is just a
beautifully sweet tune that will have many of the singers female fans probably
feeling like crying.
3.5/5
Track 8- Mexicoma
After the soft quality of the previous track the singer
takes us back to more of an upbeat state with Mexicoma, a preppy country tune
that focuses on McGraw telling this girl of how he wishes that he could see her
again, but he knows it is over, and he is just south of the border in this coma
state. This is one of the better up tempo songs lyrically because the song is
just quirky and fun with an instantly catchy chorus. McGraw also sounds like he
is actually having fun within his vocal performance, with the songs upbeat tone
probably working well because the track isn’t simply rooted in a clichéd party
idea, but instead has a romantic twist. The stomping guitar and drums of the production
are also given an extra injection of fun with the use of horns, and this is
definitely just a song where you can revel in McGraw’s joy.
3.5/5
Track 9- Number 37405
Lyrically Number 37405 is a cool song that has more of a
narrative led quality, as the singer tells this tale of man who was once the
life of the party and had a good life, but who is now just a number in a prison
cell after the consequences of one drunk driving mistake. The song is quite a
smart tune that makes you think about these types of situations, with McGraw’s
earthy vocal tone acting as the perfect voice to tell this type of story.
Keeping the production soft and subdued allows the vocals and the songs message
to shine through and really make the listener think, and with this track McGraw
shows that he is an artist who wants his music to have a wide impact.
3.5/5
Track 10- It’s Your
World
Slipping back into a up-tempo party state, It’s Your World
is this stomping country rock effort where McGraw sings of how this spectrum of
stuff is all owned by this person, and how they make their mark in life, and
McGraw is just living in their world. The song has this fun romantic spin as
McGraw plays the role of a man who realises his place in a relationship. The
problem with the track is that the songs message doesn’t keep your attention
enough throughout, partially due to McGraw’s vocals being a little monotone in
some ways. The guitar solo in the bridge and the final minute is great, but the
stomping feel of the production also doesn’t keep you invested in the song the
whole way through.
3/5
Track 11- Highway
Don’t Care (featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)
The records last track is a mid tempo country ballad that
finds McGraw teaming up with fellow country star and musical sensation Taylor
Swift, whilst country musician Keith Urban provides guitar. The song finds
Swift and McGraw playing the role of two people in a relationship, with McGraw
singing of how he knows how this girl is feeling and how the highway that she
is driving on doesn’t care if she is alone or coming home, but he does, whilst Swift
simply sings of how the song on the radio expresses how she can’t live without
her man. Both artists blend together really well in terms of their respective
vocal performance, with Swift’s softer, slightly more youthful tone offsetting
McGraw’s grittier tone very nicely. The production is dramatic and grand with
Urban providing a great guitar solo for the bridge and creating an extra kick
to the songs final minute. Overall this is a sophisticated country ballad that
was smartly chosen as a single and which finds two quite different singers
working really well together, with the song being slightly funny in that Swifts
debut single was titled Tim McGraw and in a way paid homage to the man.
4/5
Final Review
Two Lanes of Freedom is a good album, but it isn’t the best
album that you want from McGraw after signing with a new label. The album works
better when things are more subdued and the singers earthy tone has its full
effect, and whilst the odd up tempo numbers work well, other upbeat songs are
really bad. The singer also doesn’t feel invested in some of the tracks, and
the production value of some songs is too clichéd. Two Lanes of Freedom does
show some promise and is a kind of slick affair, but as a whole package it doesn’t
maintain a good consistency, and McGraw is going to have to perform better for
his next album.
6/10
Best Track- Highway Don’t Care (featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban)
Worst Track- Truck
Yeah
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