George Strait - It Just Comes Natural

George Strait never needed to raise his voice to command a room, and It Just Comes Natural, his 2006 album, finds the King of Country at his most easygoing and assured.

Arriving a quarter of a century after his debut, the record sees Strait working once again with longtime co-producer Tony Brown and sticking to what he does best: clean, traditional country built on fiddle, steel guitar and songs that tell the truth plainly. There are no gimmicks and no trend-chasing, only a singer who knows exactly where every phrase should land.

"Give It Away" is the standout, a wry, heartbroken story of a man left with a house full of memories his ex wants nothing to do with, delivered half-spoken with perfect dry timing. The title track is a laid-back love song that lives up to its name, "Wrapped" lets his warm baritone curl around a gentle melody, and "Texas Cookin'" kicks up some honky-tonk dust.

It plays as a reminder of why his catalogue runs so deep: twenty-five years into a remarkable run of hits, the consistency is the point.

This vinyl edition, on its way to the racks, gives a modern country favourite the format it deserves, with room for every steel guitar line to ring out.