One of the things that is most sought after in country music is honesty, and Sam Hunt has that in spades on his sophomore release ‘Southside’. Not every song is sonically what one might consider country, but the feelings that he pours into these lyrics fits right at home in the genre. The presence of an ex that he may have wronged looms large on the majority of this album. Whether he’s speaking directly to her or taking an introspective look post-breakup, the relationship clearly left a lasting impression on him.
The bookends of this album, ‘2016’ and ‘Drinkin’ Too Much’ exude the most emotion. In ‘2016’ he wishes he could go back to the way it was before he screwed up the relationship. While in ‘Drinkin’ Too Much’ he becomes the most raw, unhinged version of himself, owning up to all the regrets he had over a former relationship and subsequent breakup.
All of the singles and promotional songs that Hunt has released in the last 3 years, which is half of this album, are most of the strongest material. There’s a reason that ‘Downtown’s Dead’ never reached the top 10 though. Then there’s one bruise on an otherwise solid effort. Let’s all pretend that we didn’t waste our time listening to the mansplaining ‘That Ain’t Beautiful’ and move on. Sound good?
Before you all reacquaint yourselves with the earworm that is ‘Body Like a Back Road’, give the rest of the album a listen here. To check out our interview with him about the album click here.
