This has somehow been both highly anticipated by me for ages, yet also came out of nowhere. Announced officially less than a month ago and only having two singles put out pre-release, it kinda feels like it’s been a fast project. However, I’ve heard at least two others when seeing him over the last 18 months, and in that time my hype has grown more and more. He is easily one of my favourite country stars currently around, no secrets there, and I truly believe this could be the album to take him to megastardom, if it’s as good as I hope. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
‘Cryin’ Shoulder’ is the perfect way to open this album. It’s also a song I completely forgot I’d heard before until now. It’s a simple, neo-traditional country track very much in a style of Brooks and Dunn. Heck, it’s barely two minutes long, but so damn catchy; a real earworm of a chorus! And not only that, but they still manage to squeeze in a cheeky little solo in the middle! It’s everything that Drake is about wrapped up into a neat little package, and kicks things off in style!
‘Hearts Together’ keeps the classic vibes rolling, this time in much more of an Elvis style. It’s a fantastic love song, packed full of perfect harmonies, some great lead guitaring and some excellent fiddle from Miss Kelly Hagen. I love that this sort of sound has really made its way back to the mainstream, with both Zach Top and Neon Union also doing it fantastically just this year alone. It’s of course another infectiously catchy track, and one that I can already invision being a firm favourite live. It also has one of my favourite solos from Ryan DeMers, it fitting the track excellently. The wife is going to love the song too, that’s for sure!
The title track has been stuck in my head periodically since I first heard it at TLR back in August. Hell, I even reacted to it when the studio version dropped and got even more obsessed. It’s arguably the perfect slow country ballad, and a cracking choice for a single. The lyrics are heartfelt and Drake delivers them with so much emotion, making you feel every line. And, of course, his band go hard throughout, the track building perfectly throughout and sounding truly epic by the end. And yes, both the pre and the chorus are catchy as hell. It’s as great on track as it is live, and a huge early highlight of the album. It’s been on our playlist since the day it was released!
‘Turn it Off’ keeps the pace slower and chilled, but Drake’s charisma eeks through still, keeping it constantly interesting. It’s another beautiful love ballad too, a style that he does to perfection. It reminds me of Everette’s ‘She Got That From Me’ (which is a MASSIVE compliment, trust me) but a positive version, like the negative of that track. It’s another simple song, a steady pace and simple arrangement, but there’s just something about when Drake does this sort of thing, man. His vocals are smooth as velvet throughout, them definitely being the focal point and highlight of the track. To the shock of I’m sure no one, it’s another excellent song!
Tracks like ‘Like the Moon’ and ‘Good as Gone’ are more slower, Midland-esque songs. That certainly isn’t a bad thing as both songs are still excellent. However, we have had a few similarly paced tracks in a row now, and it’s gotten a little hard to talk about them without repeating myself.
‘Slow Dancing to a Fast Song’ has been a firm favourite live over the last 18 months now, and it’s easy to hear why. I’ve heard it both times I’ve seen him live, and it’s somehow just as good on track as it is in that setting. It’s such a fun concept for a song and is pulled off to perfection by Drake et al. From the excellent, catchy chorus to the fun, bouncy verses to some awesome lead lines again from the guitar and fiddle, it’s all so well done! Another firm highlight for the album, not that I ever doubted that it would be, and another that easily makes our playlist.
Another single and another we’ve already checked out, ‘Old Flames, Old whiskey’, is of course another banger. It’s a chorus ripped straight out of 90s country music, and it’s nice to have two upbeat tracks in a row. It’s another track that I’ve gushed over plenty since the moment it was released. It’s a simple, straight-to-the-point track that any country fan is bound to love! And yes, of course it’s another highlight!
‘Girl Like You’ is another catchy, up-tempo track, and one that will surely be a massive single in the months to come. Opening on another insanely catchy chorus, topped off with Drake’s cheeky charm, and keeping the bounce tempo up through the verses, it’s another welcome rockier track. It’s another simple, radio-friendly formula and structure, but is written and performed fantastically. The whole band is truly incredible, and I especially like the subtle keys throughout the track. It’s another that I want to hear live, as all the parts would be excellent!
Tracks like ‘Hard Headed Cowboy’ and ‘Lonely:30’ are more slower, traditional country stuff. It’s very Willie Nelson or Hank II, but in the best possible way. Both tracks are awesome, and fit well after a few faster numbers. Meanwhile both ‘Goodbye Ain’t All that Bad’ and ‘Talk Texas’ are still stripped back, but more up-tempo. The former honestly reminds me of his Christmas song, which isn’t at all a bad thing! It’s my favourite of the two, mainly due to the great fiddle melody and some great lead guitar throughout. The vocals and harmonies are great throughout, but it feels like the instrumentation is more of a focal point. Meanwhile ‘Talk Texas’ is just a damn fun, simple, bouncy track! It’s minimalistic drums and bass, focusing on the vocals and lead guitar and fiddle was awesome, and makes for a great late-album song.
‘How Much Beer’ is yet another track I’ve heard before, but we didn’t get a feature from the amazing Randall King live! It’s another song that’s destined to be a huge radio single, giving big early 2000s country vibes. It was also fantastic live, and went down a storm with an unfamiliar audience. It’s a catchy, blues-rock-based track, and both King and Milligan work perfectly together. Honestly, my only gripe is that it’s the album closer, I feel it would have worked better being earlier on, maybe swap with Tumbleweed. However, there’s a reason he’s a massive music star and I’m not, I guess! If you’re a fan of the light-hearted, boot-stompin’ side of country, I’d definitely recommend you check this out over an other on the release! It’s a lot of fun, and still a good way to close out the release; I just think it’s good enough to be close to the front. And the half time rockin’ at the end… DAMN… fucking awesome!
Overall: Of course, I loved this! I’d heard a third of it before its release so was almost guaranteed to, but it’s so good to finally have it out and get to check it out in full! Drake’s vocals and songwriting in his genre are second to none at this point, and he showcases both perfectly here. And, as I’ve said before, he has one of the best backing bands on the scene too, all getting their time to shine plenty throughout. I think the track order will take a touch of getting used to, as like I said, it’s not how I’d have arranged the album. But I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks, I’m sure it’ll grow on me even more! I think it was always going to be a tall task comparing this to his debut, but both are packed full of incredible country tracks, I think they’re just different as opposed to one over the other. This is an excellent release, and one I’d recommend to anyone!
The Score: 9/10