the february playlist

as I'm gearing up for Morgan Wallen's massive album release tonight, I thought I would share some of the highlights of my playlist of the last month before I spend the next couple weeks trying to fully digest 28 new tracks.

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Corinthians (Proctor's) / American Heartbreak, Zach Bryan, 2022

if I'm going down, then I'm going down true/if I've got anyone to thank, then it'll always be you

I've been a casual listener of a Zach Bryan song or two for over a year now, and listened to American Heartbreak a few times when it was released, but for some reason I never payed close attention to it and never found myself returning to the album. at the beginning of this year, I listened to it again and it's been my favourite album for the last two months. I love the melodies and instrumentation in Corinthians and it was definitely my most listened song on the album in February. I discovered that its original title was Corinthians 5:17 and I'm still struggling to connect how exactly the lyrics relate to that verse in the Bible, but I love it regardless. plus, Zach mentions "Winthrop County" which is likely a reference to the small town of Winthrop in Washington State, and I love Washington State so it's pretty cool that this song is set there.

Open The Gate / American Heartbreak, Zach Bryan, 2022

the son of a cowboy came to claim his daddy's right

this song was not one that I found myself revisiting often during the first few times I listened to this album. one day, I paid closer attention to the lyrics and realized that it was telling an interesting story all the way from start to finish -- a trait of some country songs that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place. the narrator starts off by explaining that he's determined to ride this bull because that's what his father died doing and he wanted to carry that on for him. the song ends with the narrator himself dying doing the exact same thing -- but he hopes that his soon-to-be-born son will carry on the legacy as well. the switch up in the last chorus where Zach mentions that his son will ride the "calf" of the bull that he rode is such a great touch which made me really appreciate the attention to detail in the lyricism of this song.

Oklahoma Smokeshow / Summertime Blues, Zach Bryan, 2022

I've been here, I've been up all night/thinking 'bout a life with you and I/one you'll never know, 'cause you're a small-town smokeshow

my interpretation of this song is that there's a gorgeous girl in the small Oklahoma town where Zach lives that all the boys love, but she's stuck in an abusive relationship. Zach, like all the other guys, loves her, and he's trying to get her out of this situation because she always winds up "in a puddle of tears" at the end of the night. there are other details in the writing that round out the whole story, like how this girl used to be so care-free but ended up being changed by the pressures of the world. the song ultimately ends with Zach explaining that he dreams of a life where he's the one with her but he knows that it'll likely never happen because of the relationship she's stuck in and all the other guys he would be competing with for her love. additionally, I also love the sound on this song. it has a lot of different vibes going on and ultimately leads to a more country-rock sounding breakdown which I find so cool and different from other sounds that were heard on Zach's previous albums.

Jamie (feat. Charles Wesley Godwin) / Summertime Blues, Zach Bryan, 2022

'cause this life ain't worth living/if the love that you've been given is taken before you are/now Jamie's dancing and spinnin' around his baby in the stars

Zach and Charles' voices go so well together on this song. it's a sad story about how a man is mourning his late wife. there's some good imagery in lines like "the flashing red and blue in the cracked rearview", and I love the use of the word "revelry". it's a pretty sounding word for a rowdy concept and I appreciate how it fits into the song.

Everything I Love / One Thing At A Time, Morgan Wallen, 2023

soon as that bobber hits the water, girl, your memory starts to float/baby, why'd I ever take the bait and take you places that I love to go?

this is my favourite Morgan Wallen song that he's released in a long time. the first time I heard it, I audibly gasped at the intro from just how traditionally country it sounded and how unlike it was from the sounds of a lot of Morgan's recent music. I hope to hear other songs of similar production and instrumentation on the album this week.

Fall in Love / Leave the Light On, Bailey Zimmerman, 2022

a broken heart, I'm a walking testimony/my confession is a lesson that I'm pouring out in this song/you don't wanna fall in love

I love a good sad song. you can hear the heartache in Bailey's voice as he sings this and I love, once again, how there are story moments in this song like how he's heard what the girl is up to now and how he ran into her mom at the grocery store. for being a sad song, I also love the energy it brings and I'm super excited to hear Bailey sing it live (as the arena sings along) when he opens for Morgan Wallen on his tour later this year.

All My Love / Stick Season, Noah Kahan, 2022

I smiled stupid the whole way home/and those five words in my head/you said, "I'll never let you go"

I had heard this album talked about in a handful of conversations about country music when it was first released, so I gave it a listen this month. there were a few stand-out songs, with All My Love probably being the most prominent. I love the idea of this song -- where Noah is basically catching up with an ex and telling her that even though they've drifted apart, he still loves her and there's no bad blood between them. he recalls parts of their relationship as well as filling her in on things that have happened in his life since they've been together and I think it makes for a cool story overall.

Girl on Fire / We Were Cowboys, Kameron Marlowe, 2022

like the sky turns at night/when the sun dips down just right/that was us/we were young, we were love on fire

I'm a sucker for any sort of summer-nostalgia country song (I believe this stemmed from my love for Wasted Time by Keith Urban and 21 Summer by Brothers Osborne, which were both big songs during the summer that I was introduced to country music). I first heard this song on the radio last year and it became one of my favourite songs of the year. I had never heard of Kameron Marlowe at the time, but I listened to the rest of his album and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got to watch him sing this song live when he opened for Thomas Rhett this month which was a super cool moment.

If I Lived Here / The Last Resort: Greetings From, Midland, 2022

a quarter don't buy much these days, but 'round here it still gets two plays on that old bubbler jukebox in the corner

Midland is one of my favourite groups ever and I finally got to see them live after five years of waiting last November. they opened their show with this song and it has had a special place in my heart ever since. it fits well into the whole resort and vacation theme of the album and it was a great way to kick off a live show.

I Hate Cowboys / I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell, Chase Rice, 2023

they ask her to dance while you're at the bar/starts talking 'bout them Texas stars/next thing you know, you got a broken heart/she's gone, and that's why I hate cowboys

I haven't really paid much attention to Chase Rice's releases in the past, but this album was getting a lot of buzz for sounding much different from his old work. I listened to his interview on The Bobby Bones Show a couple weeks ago and decided to check out this song. I love how this song sounds and I find that it's a cool take on a sad heartbreak song.

Wild Wild West / FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses, ERNEST, 2023

she's a neon angel when the red sun sets/and I got no way to know where we'll go/or what comes next/'cause she's my wild, wild west

I love ERNEST's music a lot. FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM) was my favourite album last year and I was ecstatic at the news of a whole new ERNEST album so soon after. Wild Wild West was the standout for me on first listen of the album. this song has such a fun sound on it that feels like going on a roadtrip in the summer with all the windows down. it works great on this project and fits right in as an extension of everything I loved on the first iteration of this album.

Tucson Too Late / Bluebird Days, Jordan Davis, 2023

Heaven knows I let her slip away/I showed up and she's gone/guess I waited too long/like a sad country song/I got to Tucson too late

I was a fan of Jordan Davis' debut album, 2018's Home State, but I haven't really listened to any of his non-singles since then. he opened for Thomas Rhett just a week before his most recent album, Bluebird Days was released, and this was a song that he played at the show before it was released. the sound and the lyric intrigued me and I've gone back to it multiple times since it was officially released.

Crash And Burn / Tangled Up, Thomas Rhett, 2016

do you hear that?/it's where I'm at/it's the sound of teardrops falling down/a slamming door and a lesson learned/I let another lover crash and burn

I was never the biggest fan of this song -- and it's still far from being my favourite TR song, but it was one of my favourite moments at his concert this past month. it was the penultimate song of his set and everyone in the arena was singing along and jumping up and down -- and it was in that very moment that I realized just how sad the lyrics were. the lyrics were always hiding behind the poppy and upbeat production of the song that I never stopped to listen to what was happening. I was shocked to find out that it was a Chris Stapleton co-write based on the sound of it, but lyrically it makes sense.

Old Pickup / Gravel and Gold, Dierks Bentley, 2023

last but not least, I had to quickly mention my favourite song off of the Dierks Bentley release. I was super excited for this album as Dierks hasn't released an album for five years. I wrote my track-by-track thoughts on it in a separate post here.