Around the Bend

The return of Randy Travis to secular country music has to be considered a bona fide event. Yet part of the charm of Around the Bend, the singer’s first non-gospel album in nine years, is its deliberately low-key quality. Producer Kyle Lehning harkens back to his work with Travis two decades ago for inspiration, then strips away extraneous pop elements (except for strings) to reveal the traditional structures beneath. Travis retains the endearing vocal mannerisms of his early records — the pinched highs and grumbling lows are all here. What’s added is a sense of wisdom and forgiveness in his delivery, as well as greater comic timing. (Check out his rendering of the droll “Everything That I Own (Has Got a Dent)” for proof.) Travis’ deeply-held Christian beliefs lend a patina of spiritual love to good-humored tunes like “Every Head Bowed” and “From Your Knees” as well as reverent ballads like “Faith in You.” The album’s sound is crisp and uncluttered, with song like “Turn it Around” and the title tune ambling along to sparkling acoustic guitars. Around the Bend is a quietly masterful work by an artist who has made the transition from young hunk into gentlemanly sage.