Tim McGraw

Top Lyrics By
Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw "Emotional Traffic" album

- Release date : January 2012 -

Emotional Traffic is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. Originally completed in late 2010, it is McGraw's last studio album released by Curb Records, a label he's been with since his debut album Tim McGraw (1993). It was released on January 24, 2012.

"Emotional Traffic" album tracks and lyrics

"Emotional Traffic" album reviews

After nearly two years in the vault, Tim McGraw’s Emotional Traffic was released by Curb. McGraw finished it in 2010 and turned it in. Curb refused to release it, claiming it was too soon after 2009’s Southern Voice (though they released another hits compilation the same year). The two parties went to court to resolve the issue. Co-produced with longtime compadre Byron Gallimore, Emotional Traffic is McGraw’s most ambitious offering to date -- the credits list is enormous and the range of styles on display is wide. That said, its balance is impeccable. While its production style and arrangements stay somewhat inside contemporary country’s strictly defined boundaries -- guaranteeing it radio play -- the set also confidently pushes them to the breaking point, too. Take the album opener -- the midtempo ballad “Halo.” While it opens with a pedal steel whine, the electric guitars and bowed electric cellos sound like they could have come from a Snow Patrol or later Coldplay album, though they have more teeth. The chorus, however, is pure contemporary country, yet despite the production sheen, the track’s emotional depth resonates. McGraw also chose to cover Dee Ervin's “One Part, Two Part,” with wife Faith Hill on backing vocals. Buddy & Julie Miller also covered this tune on Written in Chalk, but McGraw’s version is grittier and more R&B, and evokes a younger, wilder Delbert McCLinton. “Only Human,” a duet with Ne-Yo, is a solid ballad underscored by ringing acoustic and electric guitars, and a hook in the refrain to die for (it’d be great in the redemption scene of a film). “The One” is as funky as CC gets, with its wah-wah guitars, howling B-3, and striding electric piano in the verses. Once more, the chorus brings it back inside the format but the groove remains. “Better Than I Used to Be” is another ballad, told in the time-worn country storytelling tradition. Its melody is standard radio fare, but the grain in McGraw’s voice offers a conviction that carries the tune above the tropes. The lengthy, ambient guitar intro to “Felt Good on My Lips” is sly, since it’s a dancehall bump number; it borrows from Jimmy Buffett’s trademark, Caribbean-flavored singalong style in the middle eights. The metaphoric “Die by My Own Hand,” which closes the set, is a devastating midtempo ballad with big, warm guitars and drums in the verses (so much so they could have been produced by Daniel Lanois). Pedal steel underscores the melody to evoke country before a shattering rock & roll power ballad crescendo carries it out. Emotional Traffic displays McGraw’s growth as a singer and producer, and reveals his longevity at the top of a fickle field. He only records when he has something to say, and he understands the rules well enough to bend and finally break them. In doing so, he expands the narrow framework of his genre and nearly forces it to embrace the whole of popular music.

*** by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide ***

Embroiled in controversy and legal red tape, Emotional Traffic is the album Tim McGraw literally sued to get released. The final album submitted to Curb Records under a contract signed years ago, Emotional Traffic was deemed by Curb to have been delivered too soon and deemed to have had too many ‘old songs’ on it. Yet when listening to the album, it’s hard to see the label’s argument except for the oft-held view that the label was trying to hold onto it’s key asset (McGraw’s recording career) as long as possible.

After just one listen to the tracks that make up Emotional Traffic, it’s not hard to see why the label would want to hold onto McGraw for as long as possible. Quite simply, Emotional Traffic is the work of an artist at the top of his game, 20 years into his career. While clearly not the same neo-traditional artist of his early years, Tim McGraw has remained one of country music’s most bankable stars and well-known faces and like Garth Brooks and George Strait, Tim McGraw knows how to choose songs that suit his voice and the particular style of contemporary country music he’s making on a particular album.

The record kicks off with “Halo” a Jedd Hughes and Luke Laird composition that oozes romantic charm and certainly feels like a song that could’ve crossed-over to Hot AC Radio in addition to being something likely to bring a little variety to the mainstream country dial. There is a pair of Dave Pahanish and Joe West songs on the album and like the writing team’s past radio hits for Toby Keith (“American Ride”), Jimmy Wayne (“Do You Believe Me Now”) and Keith Urban (“Without You”), both exude classic rock/pop melodies and contemporary country hooks and stories. “Right Back Atcha Babe” is the kind of melodic ear candy that country radio is always begging for while “The One That Got Away” tells the story of a girl who follows her destiny to success. Quite simply, this latter song rivals anything Tim McGraw has released in his career to this date and if not for the controversy surrounding this album, the song would definitely be destined to be a big radio hit – Curb must think so as it joined “Halo” and “Right Back Atcha Babe” as the ‘preview singles’ on iTunes before Emotional Traffic got released on January 24, 2012.

“One Part, Two Part” is a fun little breezy tune not unlike something from Kenny Chesney or Billy Currington while the Warren Brothers, Martina McBride and Tim co-write “I Will Not Fall Down” is a strong, progressive melodic story song about not giving up despite a ton of odds. The Warren Brothers co-wrote three more tunes (two with “Red Solo Cup” co-writers Jim and Brett Beavers) on the record including #1 earworm “Felt Good On My Lips,” “The One” and “Hey Now.” The latter two are jovial up-tempo numbers that recall some classic moments of Tim’s catalog. Current single “Better Than I Used To Be” is rocketing up the charts and it’s a song that really connects on many levels. Written by Ashley Gorley and Bryan Simpson, the song is a lyrical gem that also was once a single for 90s country star Sammy Kershaw. Tim’s version is very good and is the most traditional country-leaning tune on Emotional Traffic.

The Peach Pickers provide Tim with “Touchdown Jesus” a tune that retains the writing collective’s melodic catchiness that has helped them become the go-to source for country songs but this song has a stronger lyrical message than some of their other songs and rivals the Joe West/Dave Pahanish songs and “Better Than I Used To Be” as the best tunes on this record.

Singer/songwriter Angie Aparo (who wrote and originally recorded Faith Hill’s “Cry” and co-wrote “The One” with the Warren Brothers) co-wrote the song which gave Emotional Traffic its title, “Only Human.” The song features R&B artist Ne-Yo – also a co-writer along with Ty Lacy – and certainly works well as a duet between the two artists. The record closes out with “Die By My Own Hand,” a song written by and originally appearing on a Halfway To Hazard record a few years ago.

Emotional Traffic is the work of a confident artist completely willing to record songs that aren’t the same ‘ol song and dance that he’s done before and it’s a shame that it is an album that was ready 18 months ago (right around the time “Felt Good On My Lips” was released and put on Number One Hits by Curb Records). This is an album that should’ve been four singles deep by now and because of the ‘controversy’ surrounding it, it’s likely that it could end up being lost in the shuffle as Tim is set to release new music on a new label (or independently) sometime in the coming months of 2012. Still, it has a shot to be one of 2012’s best records.

Some fans have said they’re not going to buy Emotional Traffic because it will just add more money to Curb’s bank account. I have a feeling Tim would be the first person to disagree with that argument. Sure, it does contribute to the record label’s bottom line but it also would be a shame not to support the songwriters who wrote the tunes on this collection. Also, why would a fan want to deny themself the chance to have all of Tim’s albums in their physical or digital music collection? They shouldn’t.

*** by Matt Bjorke, Roughstock ***