While country music has seen the mainstream ‘big tent’ get larger over the last few decades, the genre has always found a way to keep a couple of traditional-minded artists at the forefront and that’s exactly where we find Josh Turner.  Even though Josh hasn’t scored consistent placement inside the Top 10 at country radio, he’s scored a few massive hits that have helped guide his first three albums to Gold or Platinum status so the one thing he wanted to do above all else for his fourth album was deliver a record that took the best parts of the other records to make one cohesive recording which would retain the attention of radio and videos to help bring Josh Turner’s record to the next level.

The record kicks off with “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” the first song Josh and producer Frank Rogers recorded for the project.  While they recorded the rest of the record before releasing the song, it looks as if the choice of releasing this song first was a smart one as it is not only inside the Top 5 the week the album releases but it seems to only be a matter of weeks before the song will find a home atop the charts.  Romantic and sultry, “Just Dance” feels right at home next to Turner’s previous sultry and romantic “Your Man” and feels like a cousin to James Otto’s “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” from 2008.  The second track on the record is a remake of a Don Williams hit from 1987 and if anyone can make the song work outside of the Gentile Giant, it’s the similarly-soothing vocalist Josh Turner.  It feels like a thematic partner to “Dance” and quite honestly, the song is exactly the kind of song that melts the hearts of women everywhere and the song really feels like it will become another big radio hit. 

“Haywire” and “Your Smile” find Josh Turner goosing up the tempo a bit as the album title track finds Turner describing the way a woman gets him all twisted up and just plain inspired to be in love with her.  It’s a playful song with a stellar steel guitar and fiddle break-down that feels not only tailor-made for the radio but also for two-steppin’.  “Your Smile” feels like a cousin to “Would You Go With Me” as it features a solid bluegrass-y instrumental section and a general melody that actually lends like it could find its way into a TV commercial in the future.  “All Over Me” and “Eye Candy” are two other ‘tempo’ ditties that could also find their way into radiowaves in the future. 

Just like he did with his previous three albums, Josh Turner has placed a gospel tune on the record to close it out.  “The Answer” features a choir and it showcases what Turner feels about God and it might be one of his better Gospel tunes coming a close second to “Long Black Train,” a song which may always be his ‘signature’ tune.  While the last album Everything Is Fine featured a couple of mid-level hits and did go Gold, it didn’t keep Josh’s career moving forward like they hoped it would.  Everything about Haywire seems to have confirmed what we already knew about Josh Turner and emphasized what we liked about him.  Haywire is one of Josh Turner’s most consistent albums and it really feels like a record that will help keep him a radio star. 

[Note: There is a “Deluxe” edition of Haywire available digitally and physically.  The album includes two unreleased tracks and live versions of “Your Man” and “Long Black Train.”]

You can read our conversaiton with Josh where he discusses Haywire by clicking here.