4Troops is comprised of four Army vets united by the desire to make uplifting music -- not necessarily inspirational, although there are certainly elements of inspirational music here in both sound and subject, but more like the polished positivity of American Idol Gives Back. Certainly,
4Troops 2010 debut is made for a mainstream audience and mildly censored because of it --
Toby Keith’s kiss-off “Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass/That’s the American Way” on “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” becomes “Cause we will never back down/That’s the American way,” a neutering that sounds even wimpier when delivered in sweet, four-part harmonies -- but it’s hard to complain much when the whole point of
4Troops is to sweetly rouse, not offend. When the songs aren’t patriotic, they’re sentimental and not just about country, either: there are songs about home (“I’m Already There”), love (“Angel”), and family (“Dance with My Father”), all delivered with choir gusto from the four vets. They all possess the kind of nice voice that win talent contests, but don’t quite captivate on record, not without some kind of X-factor which
4Troops has by the very fact of their origin. If this quartet weren’t Army vets, chances are nobody would be paying attention to
4Troops, but since they, are people will listen -- and those inclined to purchase based on the group’s pedigree are unlikely to be disappointed with what they find.