If You See Her

The Greatest Hits Collection capped the first six years of Brooks & Dunn’s career, and with If You See Her the duo entered a new phase. While their patented charm and uptempo hooks remain, their fifth album shows some musical maturation. You can hear it in the underpinnings of organ on “Brand New Whiskey” and the gently strummed mandolin on the beautiful “Husbands and Wives.” “If You See Him / If You See Her” finds the duo collaborating for the first time with an outside vocalist — in this case, Reba McEntire, whose brassy alto plays foil to Dunn’s rugged persona. “How Long Gone” and “Born and Raised in Black and White” prove that the duo has perfected the art of the midtempo pop country song, but those who think they’ve mellowed need to listen to “Way Gone,” an authentically electrifying jolt of rockabilly. While much of the album is a tribute to the lovelorn, there is nonetheless an aching sweetness to “Husbands and Wives,” “I Can’t Get Over You,” and “You’re My Angel” that makes If You See Her one of the most romantic albums of 90s country.