Dwight Yoakam's latest album, 3 Pears, is a deftly forward-looking amalgam of all he has accomplished to date as a recording artist. Produced by Yoakam, the Warner Bros. project includes unexpected collaborations with Beck, who co-produced two tracks, and Kid Rock, who co-wrote the hooky opener, 'Take Hold Of My Hand.' Balanced by buzzing guitars and vulnerable ballads, the album finds Yoakam exploring the emotional extremes of his musical persona, all delivered with a revealing honesty.