George Strait had 25 albums, 57 number one hits, and nearly 30 years under his belt when he released his latest album, Twang. For his 26^th release, he did something he’d done only once before, and not since 1982: co-write a song on the album. George’s voice, and success, obviously speaks for itself, but I was eager to hear what the most influential man in country music would sound like when singing his own words.

The first single, “Living For The Night,” was one of three songs George co-wrote with his son, George “Bubba” Strait Jr. This was the first song that immediately stuck out to me on my first listen through the album. The song goes through the emotions felt by a man who drinks heavily throughout the evening to mask the pain he feels during the day due to the loss of a loved one. A ballad in typical George Strait style, the song has one line that most any heartbroken man can relate to, “Whisky kills the man you’ve turned me into.”

The remainder of the album isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but is solid like most every other George Strait album. George has defined country music since 1981, and Twang has every element of his definition of country music. The biggest surprise on the album was hearing Strait perform a cover of the Jose Alfredo Jimenez mariachi song, “El Rey,” and in Spanish, nonetheless. Having grown up in South Texas, it’s no surprise that George can perform Spanish music as effortlessly as he does. But it does make you wonder why he hasn’t done it sooner.

With the familiar sounds of the fiddle and steel guitar, no one will mistake Twang for anything other than George Strait. Despite taking more of a role in the production of the album, George stays loyal to his tried and true hit making formula. With so much country music sounding like it belongs on a pop chart more than a country chart, it’s always refreshing to hear the traditional sounds of George Strait. If he’s proven anything, a man in Wranglers who actually knows how to ride a horse can still sell a million albums without selling out his Texan soul.