Texas – Careful What You Wish For (2003) MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Texas – Careful What You Wish For (2003)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 42:47 minutes | Scans included | 2,81 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 845 MB

Texas took a bit of time to deliver the follow-up to Hush — an indication that the group was either aware that some fans didn’t feel the record was up to snuff, or an indication that the group wasn’t quite sure where to go next, a theory bolstered by the appearance of a greatest-hits album — a traditional measure for a band biding their time. When they finally did release their sixth album, Careful What You Wish For, in the fall of 2003, times had changed: they were no longer a shoo-in for the top of the U.K. charts, nor did they have a U.S. contract. Faced with this situation, the group crafted a very safe, very mature, very British set of soulful adult pop. There are the usual concessions to hipness — a few of the beats gleam with modernity, there is the de rigueur cameo from rappers — but this is solidly a smooth, soulful collection of well-crafted pop that intentionally plays it safe. It’s not quite as lush as Hush, which highlighted Sharleen Spiteri’s sexiness, nor is it the crackerjack, stylish, modern, blue-eyed soul of White on Blonde, which remains their highwater mark. Instead, it’s a straight-ahead album that plays to their strengths without exploiting them. In other words, while this is certainly enjoyable as it spins, it doesn’t provide many memorable moments. Since the band consciously tried to construct an album that evokes their best work, that’s not an entirely surprising result — they’re so intent on delivering a specific sound, they’ve neglected to spend as much time on the songs — and it’s not a bad result, either, at least on the surface. But once you dig beneath the surface, there’s not as much to offer as on White on Blonde, and, for that matter, the surface doesn’t glisten as seductively as on Hush, either.

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Texas – The Conversation (Deluxe Edition) (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Texas – The Conversation (Deluxe Edition) (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:22:19 minutes | 930 MB | Genre: Pop, Pop Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © [PIAS]

A return to their roots, with additional retro flourishes. On their first release for eight years, following singer Sharleen Spiteri’s detour into solo work, Texas have gone back to basics, reconnecting with the solidly crafted simplicity of their earliest albums, Southside and Mother’s Heaven. And beyond the sturdy pop-rock of Spiteri and bassist Johnny McElhone’s melodies, an outside player makes a sizable impression on proceedings. Seven of the 12 tracks were recorded at Richard Hawley’s studio in Sheffield, his evocatively retro fingerprints especially evident on the lovelorn ballad I Will Always and the girl-group swagger of If This Isn’t Real. Bernard Butler also lends a hand, but the signature sound still revolves around Spiteri’s luscious voice, at its most alluring on the Blondie-like Hearts Are Made To Stray.

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Texas – Jump On Board (2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Texas – Jump On Board (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 37:23 minutes | 821 MB | Genre: Indie Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © [PIAS] Le Label

Jump on Board is Texas’ first full-length collection of new material since 2013’s The Conversation — 2015’s Texas 25 was an anniversary celebration largely dedicated to re-recordings of old songs — and if Texas don’t push boundaries here, there is some appeal in how they settle into their groove. The biggest shift is how the group accentuates its smooth soul with a heavy dose of subdued disco. It’s not enough to refurbish Texas’ by now reliable blend of upscale pop and classic soul, but it does provide a glossy new coat of paint to a cozy, familiar environ, which is enough to make Jump on Board a bit of a reassuring listen: it doesn’t surprise but it doesn’t seem stuck, which gives the album a mellow appeal.

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Texas – Hi (Deluxe) (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Texas – Hi (Deluxe) (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 45:11 minutes | 569 MB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

Texas make a very welcome return with their exhilarating new album ‘Hi’, flexing their rock soul muscle with 12-14 tracks that easily rank amongst the best of their stellar career. Scotland’s finest, Texas are a band in their prime, fuelled by the swagger of their recent acclaimed collaboration with the Wu-Tang Clan.

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Texas – Texas (1973/2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Texas – Texas (1973/2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 37:02 minutes | 1,22 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sony Music Entertainment

Featuring guitarist and vocalist Michael “Mace” Maben. The music ranges from Country to Blues to Boogie, but all very much Southern Rock.

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