"Greatly expanding upon the seemingly unlimited promise of his self-titled debut, Lyle Lovett returns with the exemplary Pontiac, which finds him sharpening his renowned songwriting skills while moving further away from traditional country without a single misstep. Opening with the arch "If I Had a Boat," Lovett proceeds to subvert the Nashville formula at every turn, next delivering "Give Back My Heart," a not-so-subtle dig at country's key demographic, and "L.A. County," which twists the classic revenge song to its ultimate extreme; in between he delivers a pair of stunning love songs, "I Loved You Yesterday" and the elegiac "Walk Through the Bottomland," the latter adorned by haunting vocal support from Emmylou Harris. Still, it's the second half of Pontiac where Lovett really spreads his wings, rejecting Nashville conventions to move headlong into jazz and blues territory; tipping his hand with the wonderfully snarky "She's No Lady," he quickly asserts himself as a jack of all musical trades, capable of mastering big band workouts like the slinky "Black and Blue" as well as beautifully mournful ballads like "Simple Song," Pontiac's centerpiece and arguably Lovett's finest moment to date." (Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide)