It's About Time [Audio CD] Tracy Byrd

Tracy Byrd's seventh album, IT'S ABOUT TIME, marks the first time he's done things his way. It's the first album he's co-produced, and the first, he says, to include songs he really wanted to record, rather than songs he was told to. If that's true, IT'S ABOUT TIME reveals Byrd to be an artist who's moved far beyond ditties like "Watermelon Crawl."

Nearly every song he's chosen carries a strong emotional message. The lovely "Put Your Hand in Mine" is about a man who realizes there's still a chance to save his failing marriage, while in "It's About Time," the narrator realizes his family is more important than his career. The touching "A Little Love" tells the story of a lonely waitress hoping to be rescued by love. Byrd's voice has matured along with his material--his rich baritone deepens into a sexy growl that recalls Waylon Jennings on songs like "Can't Have One Without the Other" and "Love, You Ain't Seen the Last of Me." Byrd shows his lighter side on "Something to Brag About," a Cajun-flavored honky-tonkin' rave-up. IT'S ABOUT TIME is Byrd's first release for RCA, and it sounds like the change has done him good.