Cowboys and Dreamers (MCA Nashville, 2024)

There's nothing more dependable than a new George Strait album. He's been cranking them out for decades, and even after officially retiring from major touring a decade ago, Strait has continued to record and release a new album occasionally. This is his first since 2019, but it sounds exactly like almost every other one, which, in his case, isn't really a bad thing.

Strait's friendship and collaborative relationship with Chris Stapleton continues here, with Stapleton guesting on "Honkytonk Hall of Fame," a tribute to the slice of country music that he's most associated with. Strait also nods to the late Waylon Jennings with a cover of "Waymore's Blues," that's capable without surpassing the original.

The fun tropical side of his music is represented by the sunny vibes of "MIA in MIA," while his sentimental crooner quality comes to the forefront on Jimmy Ritchey's "People Get Hurt," a slow waltz ballad with weepy pedal steel that's up there with some of his best performances.

Another solid set of songs from King George shouldn't be surprising at this point in his career, or maybe it's surprising because it is so far along in that trajectory, when others have peaked and ebbed long ago. Whichever perspective is correct, the best part is that we keep getting new music from Strait.