Steers and Stripes

Ronnie Dunn told Country Weekly magazine that "Country music is more diversified than ever, so you can really do more styles and different things." Lucky for Brooks & Dunn, who've obviously used the state of country music to their advantage, making album number nine something undoubtedly worth hearing. Or maybe it's the year they spent working on it. Whatever it is, Steers & Stripes is one of the finer albums from the eight-time winners of CMA's Vocal Duo of the Year. It seems to recapture everything likable about Brooks & Dunn that's been missing from the last few albums. The 14-track collection offers up a bevy of beauties from hardcore country to some penetrating rock. The slow, agonizing conviction in "The Long Goodbye," the Latin-flavored "My Heart Is Lost to You," the reassuring sentiment in "Unloved," and the rockabilly revelry of "See Jane Dance" are just a few tunes on this eminent song-packed album that really make a lasting impression.