Chrome

Chrome is a transition album for Trace Adkins. It catches him midway between the plainspoken cowboy songs of his early career and the larger-than-life hits that would make him one of the biggest Nashville stars of the new millennium. This split is perfectly reflected in the choice of producers. The songs produced by Dann Huff (Mariah Carey, Amy Grant) are flashier, but catchier. “Chrome,” “I’m Tryin’” and “Scream” pull Adkins further away from traditional country music than ever before, but there’s no denying the pop appeal of these songs — they are the tunes that will be stuck in your head long after Big Time stops playing. To balance things out, Adkins invited longtime producer Trey Bruce to oversee the other half of the album. “I’m Payin’ for It Now,” “And There Was You,” and “Come Home” feature the old Trace, the one who bares his heart with a tip of the hat and a tap of the boot heel. Ultimately each side of the album benefits from the other. Adkins’ old-school country values bring integrity to the pop material, while songs like “Chrome” help the singer breathe new life into his pure country work.