Country music outlaws: they're tough, but put a wedding ring on one hand and a baby in the other, and they turn into cuddly teddy bears. Well, teddy bears with claws and teeth, anyway. That just about describes Travis Tritt's NO MORE LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER. Recorded after his 1997 marriage and the 1998 birth of his daughter, the CD finds Tritt putting his wild ways behind him and reveling in the joys of devotion to his family.
The impressive title track paints a portrait of an angry, lonely man who finally learns how to knock the chip off his shoulder. The bookend is the outstanding closer "The Road To You," a testament to the healing power of a good woman's love. In between, Tritt shows he can still get rowdy, with barn-burning rockers like "Rough Around the Edges," and the desperate "Start the Car." He also delivers a great rendition of Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest." But his heart is really in the ballads, like "If I Lost You,"and "I'm All the Man." Overall, Tritt's eighth album is the sound of an artist who's settled down, but still gives in to the urge to howl now and then.