Golden Road

Urban is sweet and gentle, but these pieces exhibit an underlying tension that keeps them from becoming maudlin. The outstanding examples are “Somebody Like You” and “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me,” the exceptional one-two combination that opens the album. Urban clearly loves the crack of a snare and the pulse of a kick drum, and “What About Me,” “Jeans On” and “You Won” are all about the balance between a pretty melody and a sharp rhythm.