I'll take the long way to find the short way 'round, sings David Lee on the title cut of his fourth album. He certainly got turned around somewhere - it's been nearly seven years since we heard from the Illinois native who gave us rowdy '90s anthems like "Dust on the Bottle" and "Party Crowd."

David Lee hasn't lost his knack for good-timing speaker-busters - just crank up "I Like It Already" or the hit "Loco." But the 12 tracks on Tryin' to Get There also carry a sense of hard-won wisdom that rings refreshingly true.

-- Chris Neal