David Nail • I’m A Fire • MCA Nashville • Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf • Score: 8 out of 10
Blessed with a voice of durable assurance, David Nail packs his third studio release with serviceable songs from reliable Music Row hitmakers. Nail is a co-writer on four of the tracks, including the lyrical standout, “The Secret,” an absorbing drama of denial and death. Already a country hit, “Whatever She’s Got” interjects a plucky banjo to celebrate a small-town goddess with “blue jeans painted on tight.” A faithful version of Jimmy Webb’s “Galveston” features Lee Ann Womack’s understated, authentic voice in compelling counterpart to Nail’s robust tenor. – Dan Kimpel
