Night Train Records / BBR Music Group

***1/2

When the opening Way Out Would boomed out of the speakers, I thought: ‘Do we really need yet another one of these sound-alike country dudes that are dominating the country radio airwaves’ (not that I’m a radio listener, but I do get to hear enough of them to know that enough is enough). But like a good reviewer, I stuck to my listening post, and kinda liked much of what followed on John Morgan’s debut full-length album. With a string of hits penned for the like of Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Ella Henderson, Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch and Thomas Rhett, John has cemented his position as a brilliant songwriter and storyteller. His songwriting is absolutely relatable, and always quick with a clever turn of phrase or character sketch. With a sound that recalls bits and pieces of artists like Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker while still allowing plenty of his ample personality to shine through, it is noticeable how well this album maps over the current mainstream country music landscape. Some of the songs have a barroom feel, some as if sung on a front porch on the 4th of July, but what they have in common are thoughts, feelings, and experiences that bind many of today’s country audience.

Songs such as Without ‘Em and She’ll Always Be, may hint at some dark despair, but John’s down-home designs allow for assured authenticity in terms of the sincerity of the sentiment. The swaggering How To Get Her finds him showcasing his honky-tonk vocals with a tough edge, as he uses a series of relationship analogies of how to get a lover back on board. With Long Ride Home, the North Carolina singer hits all the country-tune sweet spots. With the well-worn theme of getting back to a loved one, his voice is strong and a little mournful on this road trip ballad—you can feel his ache seep through the speakers while you listen—as the rhythm section shuffles along gently, before flexing with a stellar chorus that should be a live favourite.

On his recent chart-topping single, Friends Like That, he delivers a jolt of pure country singalong that rides up your spine before settling down into the deepest parts of your brain. Though he is joined by Jason Aldean on harmony vocals, John carries this optimistic break-up tune with ample confidence. There’s more singalong delight with the reflective One More Sunset, which begins with a sparse deliberate snare and guitar line. A romantic ode that looks forward to new life opportunities strikes the perfect emotional balance without sliding into sappiness. The album’s centre-piece title song opens with a finely picked acoustic guitar before slipping effortlessly into a smoothly executed song of longing. This tune will surely make you smile, sing along, and tap your toes remembering easier times when life didn’t have to be so dang serious. He conveys commitment in ways that ring with a resilience, and on certain songs—Kid Myself and Crickets, he allows for some tender trappings as conveyed through his own personal perspective. As this album grows in stature with repeated listens, I’m confronted by the undeniable fact that John Morgan just might be one of the best new songwriters in Nashville right now.

www.johnmorganmusic.com

April 2025