John Michael spent the 1990s racking up hit after hit, but the new millennium thus far has seen a series of personal setbacks sideline his career. With those problems now behind him, he appears poised for a good ol’-fashioned country comeback—and Time Flies sounds like just the album to get him there. It’s a rock-solid effort that offers a smartly balanced set of wry kickers and thoughtful ballads from some of Nashville’s finest tunesmiths (most notably Jamey Johnson, who co-wrote three tracks), delivered by the star with confidence and verve. Welcome him back.