Southern Drawl is the twenty-third studio album by American country music group Alabama, and their first new studio album of original materials since When It All Goes South in 2001. The album was released on September 18, 2015, with lead single "Wasn't Through Lovin' You Yet" released the same month. The track "One on One" previously appeared on lead singer Randy Owen's 2008 album of the same name.
Critical reception Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic criticized some tracks, including the title track, "Hillbilly Wins the Lotto Money", "I Wanna Be There", and "American Farmer" as "trying too hard", but added that "Such down-the-middle numbers overshadow much subtler and nicer moments scattered throughout the record, moments that usually arrive in the soft, sweet ballads that give the group plenty of opportunity to showcase its gentle, interwoven harmonies. These slow tunes more than the over-pumped rockers feel the truest to old Alabama."
Commercial performance The album debuted at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, and No. 14 on the Billboard 200, selling 20,900 copies in its debut week in the US. The album had sold 68,900 copies in the US as of January 2016.
Track listing
Personnel
Alabama Jeff Cook – lead guitar, lead vocals (track 8), backing vocals Teddy Gentry – bass, lead vocals (tracks 11, and 15), backing vocals Randy Owen – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
Additional musicians
Tom Bukovac – guitars Chris Carmichael – string arrangements, strings Damon Carroll – backing vocals Lisa Cook – backing vocals J.T. Corenflos – guitars Billy Davis – backing vocals Chip Davis – backing vocals Charles English – guitars, acoustic guitar, backing vocals Larry Franklin – fiddle, mandolin Kenny Greenberg – guitars
Charlie Judge – horns Joel Key – banjo, acoustic guitar Randall Key – trumpet Alison Krauss – fiddle and vocals on "Come Find Me" Greg Morrow – drums Gordon Mote – Hammond B-3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer, backing vocals Jim Nelson – saxophone Angela Primm – background vocals
Danny Rader – acoustic guitar Adam Shoenfeld – guitars Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass, backing vocals Jason Spencer – backing vocals Jimmy Stewart – dobro, fiddle Doug Stokes – percussion Bryan Sutton – dobro, acoustic guitar Wanda Vick – banjo Glenn Worf – bass
Production Alan Messer – photography
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2015) Peak position
Year-end charts Chart (2015) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 56
References