Faithful return

Non-gospel album glows with Randy Travis’ faith | Arsenio Orteza

Checking his ego, or maybe his Protestant work ethic, at the door, Randy Travis has taken a break from writing (or at least recording) his own songs and handpicked 11 songs by an eclectic and talented array of other composers for what's being called his return to non-gospel country, Around the Bend (Warner Bros.).

At 49, Travis is in fine voice throughout, the well-worn leather of his Southern baritone complementing the rustic, mostly acoustic instrumentation as if the 22 years since his debut were no more than an eye blink. Yet while it's true that none of the songs mentions Jesus, that "Faith in You" is addressed not to God but to a woman, and that the Bob Dylan cover is "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and not "Saved" or "Gotta Serve Somebody," Around the Bend glows with a flame fueled by Travis' faith.