Urban sticks to script on 'Closer'

Keith Urban, “Get Closer” (Capitol)

Keith Urban boils his sixth studio album down to the essentials of what fans expect from him. Of the eight songs, six explore relationships in relentlessly upbeat, guitar-driven arrangements; the two ballads address commitment and the joys of a strong, ongoing bond, as his love songs often do.

The new songs don't delineate from the star-making course Urban has followed for the last decade. But the new material does, concisely and consistently, prove why that formula works so well for him. (Besides the discounted eight-song album, a deluxe version sold at Target stores adds three new studio cuts and four live concert favorites).

The album's first hit, “Put You In A Song,” sets the positive tone for his country rockers, all built on catchy riffs and propulsive rhythms that lean on Urban's identifiable sound of modern looped beats, earthy banjo notes and plenty of slashing electric guitar. Other rockers, especially “You Gonna Fly” and “Long Hot Summer,” find fresh ways to capture cheerful snapshots of relationships in their formative phase.

That may sound rote, but Urban manages to keep his work engaging without straying beyond his comfort zone.

Check this out: In “Georgia Woods,” Urban displays how he can build his established blend of modern and traditional sounds into a funky, fresh groove.