I’ve become a rather massive Wyatt Flores fan over the last year. From reviewing his last release (apparently an EP, but I will go down swinging otherwise) to seeing him live at the amazing Long Road this year, he’s done so much awesomeness. So, to be able to sit here and review his debut album (again, ugh) a couple of days early is amazing. This guy is one of country’s fastest rising names, so let’s see how he fares with a full-length release!
The opener and title track sets the tone for the album perfectly. The great acoustic guitar chord progression explodes into a fantastic traditional country/Americana sound, it immediately having me hooked. Wyatt’s iconic, powerful vocals come in over the top, his lyrics immediately being fantastic. And damn, all the strings add so much to the sound and are a huge highlight throughout, especially the amazing fiddle solo. Everything picks up for a damn catchy, foot-stomping chorus that is just begging to be danced to! And yet still, the lyrics for it are profound and pretty emotional. Wyatt has the profound ability to make a bouncy and fun sounding track still weighty and meaningful, and it’s a real testament to his songwriting ability. It’s such an incredible way to open the album, and is definitely a track that makes it onto our playlist!
‘When I Die’ has a bit more of a subdued feeling and a slightly slower pace. However, that only amplifies the powerful, emotion-filled lyrics. Two songs in and I already have goosebumps, this isn’t going to be good for my emotional state! It’s a truly beautiful song that builds perfectly throughout, featuring some incredible lyrics and vocals from Wyatt (coupled with some great harmonies) and once again some of the best instrumentation in the genre today. The talent on show is phenomenal, and it is yet another utterly incredible track!
The chilled-out vibes continue on through the folky ‘Oh Susannah’ and the beautiful love song ‘Only Missing is You’. Both are fantastic tracks that, while being more stripped-back and slower than other tracks by him, still feel completely different and unique to each other. The latter is honestly incredible and is easily another highlight and playlist-maker. And it can easily be a massive radio hit if it gets the single treatment.
Single ‘Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight’ is another amazing, western-style up-tempo country track. It’s the perfect choice for a single too, as it reflects everything that Wyatt does so well. The lyrics are amazing, the instrumentation is incredible throughout and won’t get the credit it deserves, and the chorus is massive and catchy, a real stadium-filled. And, remembering seeing him playing it at The Long Road earlier this year, I can confirm it’s INCREDIBLE live. We also get an absolutely phenomenal outro, a minute of build-up and amazing playing, creating something truly epic and special. If you listen to any track coming away from this review, let it be this one. WOW!
‘Habits’ is the closest thing to a ballad track on the album. While there are multiple slower tracks throughout the release, the main focus of this is very much Wyatt’s guitar and vocals; a simple, beautiful arrangement. We get some strings in the back and light drums halfway through, but it’s still an incredibly stripped-back track. And of course, Wyatt gives it his all with some more powerful lyrics. Another amazing song!
Tracks like ‘Right Here with You’ and ‘Angels Over You’ start off slower and acoustically but build up into huge, epic soundscapes by the end. Both are fantastic tracks, the former being my favourite of the two but it was definitely close. Meanwhile ‘Forget Your Voice’ has a similar vibe to ‘Habits’, but slightly more up-beat and with a touch more going on. The drums are more present and driving, but it still has a major focus on the acoustic guitar above most other instrumentation. It’s another beautiful song, and the solo in particular is amazing. And it feels redundant at this point to say just how amazing the lyrics are.
‘The Truth’ and ‘r’ have a bit more of a southern rock tinge to them than other tracks on the album. Don’t get me wrong, they still very much feel very Wyatt, but it’s amazing to hear how varied his styles and sound can get while still being unmistakably himself. Heck, that guitaring in the former even gives the track a 90s grunge/pop rock edge to it, too. And that solo at the end… *chef’s kiss*, it’s so very Lynyrd Synyrd in all the best ways!
Another single, ‘Little Town’, is yet another excellent song, and one I’ve been obsessed with since its release. It somehow combines the western, 90s pop-rock and country styles perfectly, his vocals and lyrics maybe being my favourite on the album. That chorus is incredible, sounding huge and fitting the tone of the song and album perfectly. It’s another very good choice for a single! It’s another infectiously fun track, and another massive highlight of the album!
The final tracks on the album have a surprising amount of swagger and bounce and attitude to them all. Both ‘Stillwater’ and the closer have this dark western edge to them that I really love, while ‘Falling Sideways’ has a rock edge on top of all of it too, almost giving TC3 vibes at times. All three tracks are amazing, and somehow flow perfectly to create an incredible finale. ‘Falling Sideways’ in particular is another masterpiece that I’ll certainly be listening to a hell of a lot moving forward.
Overall: I was certainly not disappointed, that’s for sure! This release is packed full of awesome song after awesome song, a large number of them being hits in the making. I LOVE the fact that he’s had more room to wiggle here as he’s expanded his sound out so much compared to his EPs, giving various different styles and tempos throughout. And this is coming from someone who loves the EPs too; both have done their jobs perfectly. Wyatt’s stock has been steadily rising over the last couple of years, but it’s bound to explode with this releases. In a year packed full of incredible country releases, this stands out among them for sure!
The Score: 9.5/10