Who is Keith Urban

It's tempting to read these songs--many about hope in the face of potential heartbreak--as an adjunct to Keith Urban's own tabloid-fodder life, which lately reads "ex-junkie country star marries Nicole Kidman, enters rehab." But his three previous albums have similar dark undertones. That would also be an underestimation of Urban's creative powers, which are broad enough to balance assembly-line Nashville pop with emotionally fine-tuned artistry. Breezy rockers like "Faster Car," sweet hooky ballads like "Shine," and readymade big-chorus hits like "Once in a Lifetime" rub elbows with more complex numbers like "I Can't Stop Loving You"--an essay about sad courage that starts with an acoustic guitar and adds instrumental textures as it unfolds--and "Stupid Boy," a tale of loss and self-discovery. It's no coincidence that both those songs climax with Urban's own crying guitar solos. As a player, his bold, midrange-heavy tone complements his most nuanced vocal performances. Another highlight is "Raise the Barn," which Urban co-wrote and sings with Ronnie Dunn. The cheerful tune, inspired by the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, is a tribute to the durability of the human spirit--a subject Urban seems to know more than a little about. --Ted Drozdowski

Australian-born Keith Urban, hot off the double-platinum success of his 2002 sophomore album, Golden Road, is kind of like contemporary country's Tom Cruise. The kid is just so unjustly talented, likeable, and good-looking that it's hard not to hate him. But such jealousy is apt to melt into begrudging admiration and affection after a quick listen to this third album. True, some of Urban's self-penned adolescent love laments and bright-eyed paeans to life in the slow lane do sound a bit callow and derivative. But, with his resolute tenor and his dazzling lead guitar work, he breathes real pain and passion into moving confessionals like Matraca Berg's "Nobody Drinks Alone," "Tonight I Wanna Cry" (a heart-rending ballad co-written by Urban), and a gentle Rodney Crowell gem called "Memories of Us." --Bob Allen

Album 2 for the Aussie transplant and former member of the Ranch kicks harder than his debut and fulfills Keith Urban's goal of capturing the elusive "band feel." The solid arrangements are particularly well tailored to Darryl Brown's ruptured romance ballad "You Think of Me" and the swampy "You Look Good in My Shirt." Urban catches fire lyrically on the moving "Song for Dad" and "What About Me," a cautionary view of selflessness he cowrote with Rodney Crowell. That, unfortunately, is as good as it gets. While the Ranch enjoyed a cult following, Urban, who should bring an idiosyncratic side to his music, is clearly out to play Nashville's game. Proof? A preponderance of bland material aimed at pleasing radio consultants and programmers. Consider his original "You're Not Alone Tonight," replete with harmonies used on countless country hits of recent past. True, a banjo occasionally surfaces throughout the album. Nonetheless, reviving David Dunda's 1976 Top 20 pop hit "Jeans On" reveals much about Urban's true musical roots. --Rich Kienzle