George Strait Lead On Lyrics

Strait has long been an expert at Texas swing and Texas honky-tonk, but on this album he stretches out to prove he's just as good with dance music from Louisiana and California. "Adalida" is a surprisingly authentic Cajun two-step with lively fiddle fills by Stuart Duncan, while "I'll Always Be Loving You" sounds like classic Bakersfield with Brent Mason adding the bright electric guitar fills. Two Jim Lauderdale songs combine funny lyrics and twitchy dancehall rhythms, and an old Max Barnes number, "No One but You," is given a seductive swing arrangement. Coproduced by Strait and Tony Brown, "Lead On" proves that country music doesn't have to sacrifice great singing to keep the dancers happy. --Geoffrey Himes