Album four from the rising country powerhouse is set to drop tomorrow, and has a lot of hype surrounding it! We’re big fans of her here at Overtone, so we have been impatiently waiting for the perfect time to do a full review since it came across our emails. The singles so far have been fantastic, and I have high hopes that the album continues that trend. Hell, her last album was great enough, but can this one be even better?
After an extended, spoken word intro track that sets up the story and tone of the album expertly, single ‘I Wanna Be Bad’ kicks things off fantastically. However, I don’t want to breeze fully over the introduction though, as it really was incredible and a vibe that only really Mrs Butts can pull off. The simple Western guitaring behind her southern twang and excellent delivery felt as much like it was from a musical as an album, and is really fun, interesting and great. Then, of course, the release’s lead single is classic Kaitlin in the best way possible. Her vocals are incredible throughout, her range and power on full display. The verse builds in intensity perfectly into a catchy-as-anything chorus, and one that has been stuck in my head since the very first time I heard it. The dynamics of the track are great too, with the bouncy stabs and fliddling in the second verse adding even more fun elements to the track. Between that and the drop-down for the last verse, very much feeling like an old-school country rock stomper, it’s just so good. And how a track can be so excellent at its short length is a true testament to her incredible abilities. There’s no wonder this track has gotten so much love already, and it’s a very easy early highlight!
‘The Bartender’ slows up the pace a little, feeling a bit more chilled-out but no less Western-rock. It feels a little more modern than the previous song, almost giving an air of Jon Pardi or Randall King in the best possible way. And it’s still injected with Kaitlin’s theatrical flavour perfectly through her vocals and writing. All the harmonies on the chorus are amazing, somehow making it even more catchy, but the focus is very much still on Butts’ fantastic delivery, and rightfully so! The longer track length serves the song amazingly too, though it would be a crime if it doesn’t get some radio love despite being four plus minutes. The soloing from the fiddle in the middle was fantastic, fitting the tone of the song excellently and being pretty damn technical in its own right! It’s another really amazing song, every bit as good as the previous, and I’m a little obsessed with this album already!
Another single, ‘Never Really Mine’, is the first ballad-track of the album. Kaitlin’s phenomenal vocals ring hypnotically over some simple acoustic guitaring, and her signature tongue-in-cheek delivery of a break-up song is amazing. The simple arrangement of the track really serves the emotion of the lyrics and delivery perfectly, but it also still builds into a rather massive soundscape by the end. It again feels like a style that only Kaitlin is doing these days, and she’s gotten me hooked on every note of this, despite me usually favouring a faster pace. Three for three so far on incredible songs, and it seems like there is no chance of slowing up any time soon!
‘I Make Cowboys Cry’ picks up the pace and energy again. The verse is a little stripped back, but leads to a massive, boot stompin’ chorus, and another hugely catchy one! It’s another song with a bit of a modern edge to it, but still has plenty of Western influence, as well as some rocky vibes and pacing. And once again, Kaitlin’s vocal delivery is incredible, from the big notes in the verse to the quick lyrics of the chorus, it’s all so good. I really want to see it live, I imagine her pulling it off in that sort of setting would be even better! Instrumentally it’s great too, with some fun strings and drumming throughout. It’s another song that easily could have been a single, and is the perfect follow-up to the slower previous track!
Slowing down again for ‘The Joker’, having a similar vibe to ‘Never Really Mine’. It’s another sad break-up song, but delivered in a more bittersweet way, making it still a fun track. It’s the simplest arragement so far, but I really love the multi-tracked vocals for the final chorus, rounding it out perfectly, especially giving the theme of the song!
Tracks like ‘Still Got It’, ‘That Makes One of Us’ and ‘Hell I Don’t Know’ are more beautiful, slower, ballad-like songs. Once again, all are done with Kaitlin’s signiture sound and twang, and are so well written and put together. They have a real traditional country edge to them, with ‘That Makes One of Us’ being my favourite of the bunch and another firm album highlight in general! Then again, the latter has some of my favourite lyrics on the whole album, and it just being her and a guitar is fantastc! They fit the album perfectly and are rather excellently placed, breaking up the more fast-paced numbers. They don’t even feel like “album tracks”, as all are just as good as all the rest on this collection!
The final single from the album, ‘What More Could You Want’, is another slower song. Howeger, this time it’s piano-led, which was another subtle but amazingly produced change of aound and lace. By the time we hit the chorus with the fiddle and Kaitlin’s massive vocals I was nearly in tears; it’s such a powerful song. The lyrics hit home in a big way, and the presentation of the song is phenomenal. It’s the most vulnerable Kaitlin gets on the album, and it really blew me away. And that key change… *chefs kiss*. What an amazing song and choice for a single. Goosebumps, and easily one that makes our playlist! If you listen to any song on this release, make sure it’s this one.
Then you have tracks like ‘Everybody Wanna Sing a Country Song’, ‘Crazy I Can Be’ and ‘Bacon Naked’ (best song title and lyrics ever) that are all on the more up-tempo, rockier side. All are once again fantastic in their own way, and both fit in perfectly with the album yet also stand out within it! The former is the closest thing to an “album track” on here, but is still great. Meanwhile, the other two are fantastic songs; lighthearted and have some great dynamics to them. And as I said before, they are spread perfectly across the album with some slower stuff between, making the whole record constantly interesting. I cannot gush over this release enough, as even the latter few tracks still go just as hard as the rest!
The closer, ‘Midnight I’ll Always Be Yours’, honestly feels like it draws together everything that came before it in a perfect little bow. It’s a little slower, but closes out the story of the album, and is packed full of Kaitlins signiture vocals, lyrics and delivery. And it has a rather epic, finality vibe to it that I really loved! It’s very Western, but still has a modern twist to it; very much the feel of the whole album! I don’t even mind so much that it’s a slower song at the end, as it fits perfectly with everything else. A fantastic close to a fantastic release!
Overall: I absolutely adored this album! There is just something about Kaitlin’s style, vocals and aura that is so captivating, and it has translated to an album even better than ever before with this release. Every song on it is amazing, while there are a good few up there alongside the very best she has ever put to track. From the vocals to the writing, instrumentation to the production, it is all phenomenal. I cannot recommend this album enough to absolutely anyone into country music, and it will be on heavy rotation for me for at least the rest of the year!
The Score: 9.5/10