Turn Around

1	Intro 0:17
2	Bump in the Road 3:40
3	One Person at a Time 3:02
4	The Other Side of the Fence 3:04
5	Turn Around 4:41
6	My Love Remains 3:51
7	Thankful 4:04
8	Only a Man 4:15
9	Don't Stop (For Anything) 5:00
10	Anything's Possible 3:48
11	Last Goodbye 3:56
12	On My Feet Again 4:23
13	That Great Day 4:36
14	It's Not Over 5:32
15	Outro 0:50

Barnes & Noble

Ever since he burst onto the rock scene in his mid-teens, Jonny Lang has been able to let his guitar do the talking. That six-string makes plenty of noise on Turn Around, but for the first time, Lang makes just as much of a mark with his voice -- and, perhaps more important, the words he delivers. Turn Around is vividly colored by Lang's long-entrenched but seldom articulated spiritual side, an inclination that manifests itself in ways both obvious (the gospel choir that lifts "It's Not Over") and subtle (the quietly mystical bent that wafts from the jazzy "My Love Remains"). Fans of Lang's no-holds-barred riffing will still find plenty to appreciate here -- he wails with funked-up urgency on "Bump in the Road" and swings with soulful grace throughout the love-thy-neighbor screed "One Person at a Time." What's more enticing, however, is how Lang's decision to let down his spiritual guard is mirrored in the relaxing of his stylistic restraints. You can hear that in the rustic purity of the country licks that drive "On That Great Day," a storefront-church paean that features a guest spot from Buddy Miller, and the raw Delta-isms of the ragged-but-right title track, as well as in the unabashedly sentimental ballad "Anything's Possible." On occasion, Lang's insistence on delivering his message becomes overwhelming, but his forays onto the pulpit are tempered with enough sonic power to make even nonbelievers groove along empathetically. David Sprague

All Music Guide

On 2003's Long Time Coming, Jonny Lang made the first turn from his rap as an itinerant blues-rocker to being a spiritually inspired rock and pop songwriter. Producer Marti Frederiksen took Lang's tunes and glossed them to the breaking point, leaving the album an unfocused, gobbledygook set of songs that had no center. Three years later, Lang returns with Turn Around. And the title does not refer to him turning back to his blues guitar slinger roots. Instead, the title refers to the biblical term that is the definition of the word "repent." (No mistake.) Lang's overt spirituality comes ringing through the mix created by Drew Ramsey Lang and Shannon Sanders. Turn Around is funkier, dressed in contemporary gospel, gritty rock and yes, the blues. Lang's still got a way to go as a songwriter, but the material here is infinitely better than it was on his last outing. The gospel underpinnings help because his "the Jonny Lang Thankful Choir" is no less than 13 voices strong. Unfortunately, the "anthem" on this record, "One Person at a Time," is just plain corny, talking about wishing for triple-platinum success, but if it "only reaches one set of ears/I will have fulfilled my purpose here...." C'mon. Nice sentiment, but as a song it's just plain lousy. Tracks like "Thankful," which utilizes the choir very effectively and employs duet vocalist Michael McDonald, is startlingly good. Another track that works well is "My Love Remains," which takes its opening riff from a very big radio hit of the '90s, and then inverts it. The track's real surprise is in Lang's falsetto vocal performance, which reveals a new depth for him as a singer. "Don't Stop for Anything," proves that Lang should just give up trying to be a hard rocker; he simply can't pull it off. Much better are his attempts at gritty soul, such as on "Anything's Possible (Don't Let 'Em)," which once again has dumb lyrics but as a singer's tune is a delight. It's as if he needs to prove to someone -- perhaps only to himself -- that he's arrived as a musician. The funky gospel and soul of "On My Feet Again" blends all of his talents as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter -- with killer horns and choir in the pocket -- and offers a real view of what this man is capable of. His acoustic numbers, such as "That Great Day" with mandolins, steel guitars, and a country gospel flavor are also noteworthy. Lyrically, he's singing from the heart, not his resentments on these tunes; he has nothing to prove to anybody anymore. It should also be noted that A&M is to be applauded for sticking by him with such a bold move. Ultimately, Turn Around is a great leap from Long Time Coming, and is an exciting if somewhat flawed hint at what is on the horizon as Lang develops further, becoming more confident in his role as a veteran instead of a boy wonder. Thom Jurek