Ever since 1978's
Stardust
, standards albums have been part of
Willie Nelson
's arsenal, but 2018's
My Way
presents a twist on this shopworn tradition: it's designed as a tribute to
Frank Sinatra
. Album-long tributes to
Sinatra
aren't uncommon --
Bob Dylan
devoted much of the 2010s to recording a series of tributes to him -- but
stands apart from the pack by capturing both the rakish charm of the Chairman of the Board and
Nelson
's sly elegance.
balances standards from the Great American Songbook ("A Foggy Day," "Blue Moon," "Night and Day," "Young at Heart") with songs written with
in mind ("Fly Me to the Moon," "Summer Wind," "It Was a Very Good Year," "My Way"), which brings
closer to the essence of
than
Dylan
's stylized saloon records. This is light and breezy, music that suggests the swinging heyday of
without ever quite sounding like a dusty old
Capitol
LP, not even the horns are sighing and blaring. Chalk that up to
, who sounds limber if a bit scraggly, both in his voice and on his guitar. There's a wry, insouciant charm to his performances: he knows how to ratchet up the drama in "It Was Very Good Year," realizes "My Way" is irresistible hokum, and slides into the calming melody of "Summer Wind." Unlike
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin
,
's limitations aren't a hindrance, and the arrangements aren't excessively polite, which means
is an appealingly light record: it's performed with more affection than reverence. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine