Coming Home (BNA, 2005)

Just when it seemed like Lonestar had completely departed country music for an adult contemporary sound, the quartet has come home. No, they don't don cowboy hats or have former co-lead vocalist John Rich back, but much of the music sounds just as country as the group's 1995 self-titled debut.

The Chattahoochee-like "When I Go Home Again", the final track, is the most traditional song with its killer fiddle. "Little Town" might be the best ode to the sentiments of small town living since Shenandoah's "Sunday In the South", and the rousing "Wild" recalls the group's "No News" days. But fans who gravitated to Lonestar with the release of "Amazed" won't be disappointed either. Of the 12 tracks, about half are ballads, including "I Just Want To Love You" and "I'll Die Tryin'", both of which are ripe for the picking of AC radio. Lonestar tackles new territory with the Springsteen-esque "I Am A Man" and the southwestern-feeling ballad "Two Bottles of Beer."