Considering the honors the Oklahoma native has already earned - including a clutch of top 10 hits, 20 Grammys, 18 Country Music Association awards, and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame - that’s saying something. Gill’s last effort, 2006’s “These Days,’’ was a sprawling four-disc, 43-song set of all new recordings that spanned bluegrass, country, jazz, gospel, pop, Americana, and rock with nary a bum track. It nabbed the Grammy for best country album.
Gill, who plays the Wilbur Theatre on Sunday, recorded “Guitar Slinger’’ (due out Oct. 25) in his home studio - allowing his wife and daughters Sarah, Jenny, and Corrina to chip in on vocals - and tried to challenge himself.
The result is a stunning record that illuminates his still soaring tenor, nimble guitar work, and emotionally resonant songwriting that is by turns funny and poignant.
“I feel like that’s the whole point of doing it,’’ he said. “You’ve got to get a little bit better, either with your songs or your playing or your singing.’’
Vocally, especially, Gill lets some grit seep into the high lonesome croon that has made him a much-sought after harmony vocalist. In the case of the zesty, rocking title track, he evokes the enjoyably raggedy side of Paul McCartney, which he chalks up to finally allowing that particular influence, among others, to emerge.
He also indulges in a fiery extended guitar outro on “When the Lady Sings the Blues.’’ And he works his way across the spectrum of country music. There is both stone cold traditional country material like the haunting murder-suicide track “Billy Paul,’’ sadly based on a true story of someone Gill knew, and frothier pop gems, including the winsome “When Lonely Comes Around,’’ which features more Beatles-esque flourishes in the harmonies.
