Reba McEntire
sat out the first half of the 2010s, spending time concentrating on a new television show -- the sitcom Malibu Country, which lasted the 2012-2013 season -- before signing with
Nash Icon
, an offshoot of
Big Machine
, for 2015's
Love Somebody
. Stakes were relatively high for
Reba
. She still was one of the biggest stars in country music but a five-year hiatus is a long time for anybody, particularly in a format that no longer favors either longevity or females. Given this environment, it's not a surprise that
McEntire
chose to play it safe, doubling down on the carefully crafted Music City pop that was her stock in trade, but changing her style just enough to signal she was not out of touch. Tellingly, those slight changes are the tunes that resonate here: the
Brandy Clark
/
Shane McAnally
tune "She Got Drunk Last Night," "Love Somebody" co-written by
McAnally
,
Sam Hunt
, and
Josh Osborne
, even the
Jennifer Nettles
duet "Enough." Elsewhere,
serves up the expected in typically solid style: with flair but no flash, serving the song while steering all attention to her. If
isn't a knockout, it's nevertheless welcome:
does what she does so well, it's a pleasure to have her back. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine