Keith Urban Graffitti U

Keith Urban never claimed to be a country traditionalist, so when he decided to gild his country-pop in electronics and lite R&B rhythms on 2016's Ripcord, it didn't feel unnatural: it was an extension of his expansive worldview. Ripcord quietly outsold its predecessor, the assured 2013 set Fuse, so it's no surprise that Urban doubles down on modernity on 2018's Graffiti U. Gleaming bright and rolling easy, Graffiti U deliberately engages with the world as it exists in 2018, grounded in elastic EDM-inflected grooves, openhearted and socially aware, cognizant of tradition but focused on the future. Urban might salute the late, great Merle Haggard by sampling the riff to "Mama Tried" on "Coming Home," but it's cut and twisted so only Hag fans could recognize its tell-tale twang. Similarly, "Texas Time" tips its hat to the late, great Don Williams' signature "Tulsa Time," but its laid-back shuffle is buffed and shined with electronics, so the nod can only be spotted by those who are s