As the 2020s rolled on, Country superstar Chris Stapleton kept making awesome and legendary music. His previous albums all had near-perfect quality and he made a large impression on those in both Rock and Country circles. He even starred on Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project album track BLOW back in 2019. That takes talent. This time around, for his solo album, Chris Stapleton retreated back to RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee and with his efforts and workmanship with producer Dave Cobb, this album was released. It also features Chris Stapleton’s backing band and wife Morgane, along with a whole host of talented folks playing on it. This is the most recent release (by the time of writing) in 2023 by Chris Stapleton. Let’s hear it.

What Am I Gonna Do begins with some gently strummed acoustic guitars, and has the two Stapletons (Chris and his wife Morgane) singing really nicely here. It quickly launches into a good and glorious Country Rock sort of tune that sounds fantastic. A song about drinking lots of alcohol and heartbreak set to music here. Nonetheless, a really cool song that is pretty nicely played and catchy throughout. A slide guitar solo is present near the midsection here, and this does sound really cool and great. A very good and enjoyable song that sounds catchy and beautiful. This is a song about losing the love of one’s life. Despite that, this is noticeably catchy and upbeat. The slide guitar soloing returns, along with some organ to conclude gently. Excellent.

South Dakota launches into an awesome, deep, moody and catchy tune with some sweet slide guitar and a great tune to boot. Chris Stapleton sings about being in South Dakota and dealing with drinking and other issues at hand. Nonetheless, this music is really fantastic and awesome and it is a quintessential listen in the 21st century. A really great, awesome and tuneful piece of songcraft. “I’m in South Dakota, I keep on staying behind. I’m in South Dakota…trouble ain’t hard to find…” sings Chris Stapleton here. A great guitar solo is present here, and it is played very well on the neck pickup throughout. This dude has soul, that’s for sure. A really suspenseful and interesting tune. This is straight up a solidly consistent and awesome song to listen to and again proves that Chris Stapleton Rocks well. A great song, if you have five minutes free, you definitely should hear this mastercraft. It ends with a great extended jam session. Brilliant.

Trust begins as a bright and cheerful acoustic-led ballad. Chris Stapleton sings well here, although his voice is becoming rather raspy as time goes on. Still, this is another joyful and loveable tune about trusting another in their own heart. A bit repetitive lyrically, however. A short, sweet and awesome listening experience that you seriously should play to your partner, this sounds pretty, euphoric and extraordinary in musical terms. There is a neat acoustic and electric guitar passage in the second half of this song, before the beautiful verses resume. A beautiful and wonderful song and many gorgeous melodies are here throughout this song. It ends suddenly.

It Takes A Woman begins with some rather interesting flanger-laden guitar parts. Chris Stapleton sings another song about the power of true love. Seems that Chris Stapleton himself, more than others who exist in the music world, understands what true love means, especially given his relationship with his wife. A really awesome and great listening experience that sounds very pretty, touching and beautiful musically. This is no doubt one of the best songs of this album, and daresay it, of 2023. There is a wah-wah laden slide guitar solo that sounds quite interesting to listen to. A fresh, enjoyable and meaningful musical listening experience, the vocals present in particular by Chris Stapleton are really amazing and well-sung. A great, great song that sounds like a letter penned to a lover, this is top-notch and fantastic throughout. A worthy listen.

The Fire begins with acoustic guitar riffing and bongo beats to match it. It is a sweet, groovy and somewhat funky listen. Chris Stapleton gets singing nicely here, and he puts in more heartfelt yet euphoric singing to boot. A really fine and well-crafted tune is here for music fans to enjoy. A cool and pleasant listen, again about relationships and love, with some decent singing and musicianship to match. Interesting music is here, along with some subdued keyboard solos as well to hear. The fire itself refers to a flame that is within one’s soul. All in all, another classic tune by Chris Stapleton. Great to hear, although a little repetitive as a song.

Think I’m In Love With You is more of the same as before but with some good and clean electric guitar riffs and top-notch singing by Chris Stapleton. In any case, this is a really great tune that is about being in love with a lady. The music and musicianship throughout are simple. There are string sections throughout to match the simple and lovely melodies throughout this song. In the middle is a unique musical climax with a great vocal, followed by a subdued second half of music that is very much not dissimilar to Disco Music, in its own way. Nonetheless, this does sound really great and amazing musically. A really spirited and interesting listening experience, this ends with a repeated vocal, organs galore, clean guitar parts and strings that finish up nicely. Good job.

Loving You On My Mind begins with some more flanger-affected electric guitar in the left channel and strummed acoustic guitar in the right channel. This sounds great, once again. Chris Stapleton sings well here and delivers a really great statement about love/sex matters. A really cool tune, although this is rather raunchy and is about doing it with a lover. Towards the middle, drums enter and this mellow tune gets more upbeat. A very professional and enjoyable song, this still sounds really great for what it is. A good song, particularly for males, if they went to get it on. Great to hear. It ends with a nice vocal, wonderful to hear.

White Horse begins with some neat cymbal crashes and launches into a melancholy-sounding ballad. The playing and musicianship of this song are excellent. Soon enough, drumrolls enter and this song gets underway. A really awesome, tuneful and interesting song. The term White Horse itself can refer to cocaine use, but it is fairly clear that Chris Stapleton is referring to an actual horse here, riding off into the sunset, at least lyrically. A really cool and interesting tune that sounds magical, interesting and nicely melodic, this is one of the best songs from this album. It has a quirky yet heroic-sounding guitar solo, with some singing following that sounds really dramatic, energetic and on point. A great, great listening experience. This sounds powerful and energetic throughout and ends with a great guitar solo section and playing that is top. Great to hear. A classic song.

Higher begins with some dark and deeply moody guitar work. It sounds completely different to anything else done by Chris Stapleton beforehand. He eventually gets singing and he sings about Biblical concepts and imaginative ideals present. In the chorus, Chris Stapleton breaks into a brilliant falsetto that sounds great. Unfortunately, this is a strange-sounding tune that sounds a bit musically awkward. Sure, it sounds quite good but is a weird mish-mash of melodies and music. Still, it works quite well and the singing by Chris Stapleton is amazing as he borderline screams before a guitar solo commences. After that is done, there is a subtle section with great singing and slide guitars galore. This song is quite amazing, for all its flaws. Another great tune.

The Bottom begins with some 12-string acoustic guitar and regular six-string acoustic guitar, some groovy and deep bass guitar playing and snappy drum beats. It quickly launches into a reassuring-sounding song that is really quite good. A nice and awesome listening experience, Chris Stapleton launches into yet another song about whiskey drinking and women that sway one’s emotions. This is another quite good song that sounds interesting and energetic throughout. Chris Stapleton is undoubtedly a great Country musician, and this is supported by backing vocals by Morgane Stapleton, guitars galore, organs and punchy drumming. The guitar solo on this tune is quite nice to hear. A good song that is fairly consistent with the rest of the album, Chris Stapleton makes some killer songs. Worth your time and ears for a listen.

The Day I Die begins with some nice acoustic guitar strumming and slide guitar. Chris Stapleton enters with a loud and fantastic vocal that hits the notes perfectly well. Soon enough, shuffle-styled drums enter and we are underway in this song. A good tune that is a nice change from the Country Rock lyrics about womanising and booze, this is a really grand and extraordinary tune to hear. Slide guitar solos are present here, and Chris Stapleton puts his heart on his sleeve about certain matters close to him. A great listen, and another solid tune by Chris Stapleton. Worth listening to.

Crosswind begins with some near silence, before multitracked acoustic guitars and slide guitar soloing enter, followed by a drum roll and Chris Stapleton singing nicely here. An interesting and decent tune that is about trying to survive in a world full of sin, this is fairly close to the nature of most Country Music that has been done in the past. Still, this is remarkably good and fans of Rock, Country and Chris Stapleton will appreciate this music. A wicked slide guitar solo is present, which is nicely melodic and well-played. A really top-notch tune to listen to, these guys make iconic Country Music for the mainstream of music lovers to enjoy. A great listen, it ends with some intricate playing.

Weight Of Your World is another straightforward Country Music tune. Chris Stapleton sings sweetly here, and he sings about more romance and love-based ideals. Even so, he sounds really passionate and happy about all that. A very touching and lovely song, this song has some more 12-string acoustic guitar in the solo section. A really pretty, interesting and gorgeous tune, this music is a real joy to listen to. An enjoyable and pleasant listen, this sounds very pretty and beautiful musically. Chris Stapleton is a postmodern Country Music legend and musician, and he does very well on this album. A good song about fixing a lover’s brokenhearted issues by being there for them, this is an outstanding listen. Great to hear. It ends with a sustained slide guitar section.

Mountains Of My Mind is a short tune with a pleasant acoustic guitar to begin with. The playing here is quite good. Chris Stapleton sings with a slightly treated vocal, and he sings about Biblical concepts in this song. Again, this is typical Country Music stuff. A really unusual way to finish this album, but it sounds good regardless. The music on this particular track is quite simple and showcases perhaps the next step ahead for Chris Stapleton musically. Great to hear nonetheless, this is a simple and beautiful acoustic guitar ballad, the sort of thing that is increasingly rare to hear nowadays. An enjoyable and good song nonetheless, the music here is very, very good. A good listen, and a sweet way to finish off a very enjoyable Country Rock album. Worth hearing. It ends with some nice acoustic guitar picking.

This album is very, very good but comes short of being a great album. This is due to the repetitive nature of the music, a lack of standout songs and a lyrical formula that is easy to get sick of. Despite that, Chris Stapleton does very well here, just not as well as he has done so beforehand. This isn’t outright bad, just very slightly flawed as a musical concept overall. Should you listen to this album? Yes if you like Country Rock or if you are a Chris Stapleton music fan. It’s a very good album that should be heard from time to time if you love Country Music of any sort.

A very good album, warts and all.

8/10