McGraw enlists McCollum to make "Paper Umbrellas"

Never Enough

Parker McCollum hasn't made a truly great album (yet), but "Never Enough" comes close. There are many standout tracks on this 15-cut release, and most of them are well worth revisiting again and again. We had a hint that good things were on their way when McCollum released the single "Handle On You," which sounded like mainstream country music, yet still found plenty of room for overt steel guitar in its mix. Plus, it was an old school heartbroken drinking song, and not ...

Hollywood Gold

The best song on Parker McCollum's EP, "Like a Cowboy," wasn't one the singer/songwriter composed. No, this piano ballad was written by Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson, two of country music's best songwriters. Lyrically, it questions the assumptions we oftentimes make about cowboy character. We probably shouldn't just assume all cowboys are good at heart. Although not his own, McCollum sings it like it is, making it the strongest of six strong songs. ...

Here on Earth

Tim McGraw's collection, "Here on Earth," finds the country star sounding peaceful and down to Earth. He's more meditative than overly active, throughout. It's very much an adult album in that McGraw is speaking from the perspective of maturity, rather than pretending he's still a young man. If he's got any barbecue statins on his white t-shirt, he's not letting on here. McGraw burns through five mellow tracks before he gets to anything with a discernable beat. ...