No More Looking Over My Shoulder
In a tale of two Travises,No More Looking Over My Shoulderfinds our Skynyrd-tonk hero torn between Nashville cliché and touching artistry--divided, almost perfectly, between the first and second halves of the 10-song collection. Unfortunately, it's the fluff that fronts the album, dominated by trite party music ("Rough Around the Edges," "Girls Like That") and schmaltzy ballads ("For You," "If I Lost You"). Then, though, things come to life. Tritt shines with Bruce Springsteen's macho-but-tender "Tougher Than the Rest" (an appropriate selection), demonstrates his Southern-boy restless streak with the roadhouse-soulful "Start the Car," and delivers some legit, downbeat depth with "Mission of Love," a weepy waltz about the struggles of the broken family. The best advice is to listen to this album back-to-front, or not at all.--Neal Weiss