Strait Country

Sound DNA

• Folk
• Traditional Folk

• twangy
• tender
• heartland

About

Released when George Strait was at the relatively advanced age of 29, <i>Strait Country</i> is a debut delivered with all the class and confidence of a seasoned veteran — which in many ways he was. Strait spent the ‘70s paying his dues on the Texas honky-tonk circuit, honing a style that holds Merle Haggard and George Jones in high regard but never sounds like an oldies show. Almost every song on <i>Strait Country</i> was written or co-written by Dean Dillon, who would go on to contribute to every Strait album over the next 25 years. Theirs is one of the great songwriter-performer partnerships in country music history, and Strait’s steadfast loyalty to Dillon speaks to both his good taste and his down-to-earth ethos — two qualities that were firmly established on his debut. Though few could have predicted his success in 1981, it is easily to look back on <i>Strait Country</i> and see all the elements — the charm, the vocal chops, the delicate balance between homegrown grit and pop sophistication — that would make Strait one of country’s most enduring icons in the years to come.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits