Although the resulting album is by far the one-time traditionalist's most pop-oriented and least traditionally country sounding release yet, THE STORM does not come across as a market-driven sellout. The Georgia-born Tritt has always had a soulful edge to his vocal style, at times akin to 1970s southern rockers like Gregg Allman, and that aspect of his personal style is showcased well here. Other highlights include a cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s "The Pressure Is On" and the wry "Doesn't the Good Outweigh the Bad," a sardonic tale of a relationship tested by the rigors of a home remodeling.
   A pop-rock crossover record with a strong R&B element, Travis Tritt's THE STORM is an album-length collaboration with AMERICAN IDOL judge Randy Jackson, who had produced a track on Tritt's previous album, OVERNIGHT SENSATIONAL. Rather than being a rock oriented lbum in the manner of contemporaries like Big and Rich, THE STORM blends adult contemporary ballads like "What If Love Hangs On," co-written with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, with soulful southern-fried boogie workouts like the first single "You Never Take Me Dancing." cduniverse