When Randy Travis suffered a stroke at the age of 54 in 2013, one of country music’s finest-ever voices changed forever. Unable to sing as he once could, Travis has since tried a number of inventive ways to continue recording and performing, including hiring another vocalist to perform his songs at concerts and using AI to replicate his voice on the 2024 track “Where That Came From.” This collection from Travis eschews that unorthodox forward thinking in favor of looking back. Culled from unreleased material recorded between 1986 and 2013, Same Old Way is a labor of love from Travis and longtime friend and producer Kyle Lehning. That collaborative friendship makes what could be a disjointed collection sound like a cohesive project, as well as a reminder of Travis’ considerable talents. Opening track “I Know Where I’d Be Without You” feels prescient in its emphasis on gratitude and companionship, as Travis sings poignantly of a loved one who sees him through dark times. “Fish On” is a playful but heartfelt love letter to time spent fishing, with Travis fluidly dipping in and out of his rich lower register as he celebrates time spent in the great outdoors. Another highlight is “Set the Blues Back,” a reverent two-stepper that pays tribute to musical greats like George Jones and B.B. King. In a sweet bit of full-circle gratitude, Travis named the LP for the track “Same Old Way,” which happens to be the only song he and Lehning ever wrote together.