Tim McGraw left Curb for Big Machine in 2013, nearly two decades deep into his career. He stayed with the label into the 2020s, releasing Here on Earth the first year of that decade, but
McGraw Machine Hits covers his 2010s, rounding up ten hits in its basic version, adding "Truck Yeah" to the digital incarnation, and adding three covers to its deluxe edition: a version of
the Cars' "Drive," a duet with
Florida Georgia Line on "May We All," and a cover of
the Bellamy Brothers' "Redneck Girl" cut with
Midland. These are nice additions to a solid set that finds
McGraw digging deeper into his mellow tendencies, emphasizing his empathetic side on "Humble and Kind" and "Meanwhile Back at Mama's," nodding at R&B on "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools" and bringing in
Taylor Swift for bittersweet harmonies on "The Highway Don't Care." Collectively, these singles veer toward the smooth side, but they do showcase a mature
McGraw who seems very comfortable in his own skin. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine