Smoke Rings in the Dark

1	Smoke Rings in the Dark 4:18
2	Right Where I Need to Be 3:02
3	Don't Tell Mama 3:56
4	Lovin' You Against My Will 3:59
5	Sorry 3:06
6	Cryin' for Nothin' 4:17
7	Bourbon Borderline 2:47
8	Runaway 2:45
9	Learning to Live with Me 2:35
10	Cowboy Blues 2:57
11	I'm the One 3:17
12	Greenfields 3:11

Barnes & Noble

Imagine Chris Isaak gone country, with the twanging guitars and moody ambiance intact, and you get close to where Gary Allan's coming from on his third album, SMOKE RINGS IN THE DARK. That's not a criticism -- Allan's songs aren't by the usual Nashville tunesmiths, and his sound isn't the typical commercial mainstream; rather, he stakes out a turf that embraces hard country, with traces of contemporary country production flourishes cropping up here and there. Allan's subject matter is the man alone -- loving, losing, and persevering against the elements as he tries to make an honest stand. "Smoke Rings In the Dark" is an acutely well-observed account of a man going gently into that good night at the end of an ill-fated affair. "Don't Tell Mama" might be a broadside aimed at drunk drivers, but it's also a classic country song of whiskey, mama, and steel guitar. Kevin Welch's bittersweet recollection of doomed affair, "Cryin' For Nothin'," gets a steely edge thanks to the fire in Allan's expressive baritone. In a real acid test, Allan transforms Del Shannon's "Runaway" into a barn burner with a honky-tonk edge. Allan sounds a little bit like Tim McGraw, a little bit like Clint Black, and a whole lot like an artist who's in it for the long haul. David McGee

All Music Guide

Gary Allan grows better and more assured with each album, and his third record, Smoke Rings in the Dark, is his best effort yet. Similar to the Mavericks, Allan stylishly blends a number of roots styles, from his signature Bakersfield country to dusty folk and pop crooning, into a neo-traditionalist sound that is curiously out of time. Allan is considerably more mainstream than the Mavericks, which means that the production is more polished and he doesn't really take musical risks. Even if he doesn't quite hold his own against some Americana artists, he certainly is stronger than many contemporary country artists, especially since he tries many different styles and sounds throughout Smoke Rings in the Dark. Not every song works, but even those that don't have still something recommendable in their performance or production. It's a fine album from an artist that keeps getting better. Stephen Thomas Erlewine