ONErpm

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With each successive EP and album, multi-skilled singer-songwriter Charlie Worsham introduces us to a new iteration of himself, with a fresh set of aesthetic parameters. ONCE UPON A SECOND TIME AROUND, his first independent release following ten years with Warner Bros., feels like a talented artist walking toward different sounds. He’s not leaving his past behind but using it as a point of departure into a zone that’s not risky so much as it’s exciting. Every release so far has been something of a triumph, but this one is also a bit more personal and passionate. It brims with solid songwriting, thrilling vocal performances and a solid presence. Tracks that twang, soothe and scorch in equal measure, with lyrics charting a communal path forward delivered in Charlie’s distinctively southern voice. A multi-faceted artist, his mastery of many idioms brings in different flavours, from country to bluegrass, to rock to emotional balladry and beyond, while still managing to have a whole lot of fun.

Powers That Be gets us out of the gate, a poly-rhythmic rocker with echoes of Led Zep, the Stones and the best of classic Southern Rock. A sly revisionist view of being content with the life that you have, rather than always searching and hoping for something different or better, this is a powerful anthem featuring monster guitars racked up on a bass vamp and busting at the seams with positive energy. Wrap My Porch Around unwraps in a sweet spot between his roots as a bluegrass fan, his past major label singles and the new sounds he gravitates toward as a country music listener. There’s a burbling, banjo edge to this certified banger with echoes of the classic 1980s country hit Fishin’ In The Dark. Released as his latest single, he also offers a bluegrass version featuring the Traveling McCourys to close the album. Structured more as a jamgrass style anthem, this swings us right back into showcasing the instrumental abilities of each player. Barrelling along on banjo, fiddle and mandolin, with Charlie’s vocal being much more freewheeling, as though he’s having a whole heap of fun playing along with his good ol’ musical buddies.

Blue Collar And A Purple Heart, again with its Nitty Gritty Dirt Band vibe, sparkles as well. It’s a good-time story song, that reflects the casual optimism that’s been a hallmark of his sound since early on. So too, the light-hearted Grass shares a jaunty, glad-handed approach that’s well in keeping with his eclectic MO.

With just his finely picked acoustic guitar for accompaniment, the reflective A Good Hurt, is not the expected break-up song, but a collection of fond memories that will resonate with many listeners. The sound here is more a small house concert or a back porch picking session—just magical. There’s a tender twinning of Charlie’s voice with that of Lainey Wilson for They Never Do, which is a break-up song. However, there’s no anger or despair here, more a settled okayness with it all—think of a comfortable silence between two lovers. Dense and dramatic music carries it through, before a sweet softening in the closing refrain as the song drifts away. A master at country storytelling, the title song will have you hooked in from the song’s opening acoustic guitar and mandolin notes to the melodic guitar on the instrumental bridge. This time around, however, there’s a bit less frustration at the uncertainty of life; instead, there’s a general acceptance of what will be, will be.

Charlie Worsham is nothing less than a tour-de-force, an artist with a skillset that allows him to transcend at every endeavour. He invites us to join his party, though he never forgets—and doesn’t want us to forget either—that life has its ups-and-downs. His music ranges wildly from up-tempo barnburners to intensely passionate, for a stunning venting of emotions, both happy and sad, and everything in-between.Life is strange, what feels like failure at losing a record deal, is often a wave of success that simply hasn't crested yet. On ONCE UPON A SECOND TIME AROUND, it feels like Charlie Worsham just might have reached his peak.

https://www.charlieworsham.com

July 2026