Although Country Music is fairly easy to mock in a sense, it has had somewhat of a revival in recent times in the USA in particular. With cutting-edge artists such as Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan, alongside many others in the contemporary world, the way is being paved for more new and fresh Country musicians to come out of the woodwork. Morgan Wallen is yet another Country Music legend, who has had a surge of popularity in recent times, particularly since the release of this 2023 album, his third studio album. It was an instant success, despite having mixed reviews, and went straight to the top of the Billboard album charts upon release. The album was released on March 3, 2023, and was issued from Big Loud Records. It was produced by Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery, Charlie Handsome and Jacob Durrett. Let’s take a listen to this fairly popular album, and we shall hear what the fuss is about.

Born With A Beer In My Hand is a classy song title, if there ever were one. It begins with some sweet guitars, both acoustic and electric, and sounds very excellent. Morgan Wallen sounds absolutely brilliant throughout. His voice is calm, clear and crisp, and he sounds very awesome as he describes the lifestyle of being an alcoholic. Bear in mind that this dude is writing some deep, redneck-styled Country Music. Nonetheless, this is a really fantastic listen about the interesting times and lives of people living in rural USA. No doubt that many folks in the south of the United States of America in particular will love this tune. A really fantastic song, this is proof that perhaps the critics are completely wrong about this dude. Very catchy, and worth many repeat listens. Excellent and catchy music.

Last Night is a major hit single from this album. It begins with some sweet acoustic guitar plucking and launches into a top tune that sounds extremely lovely and fresh. It is about relationships and doing one’s best to get along with a lover who one fights and disagrees with. Again, this is typical Country Music territory. This music is absolutely perfect for that road trip when you need to relax and do some hard thinking about life. The song here is really fantastic and Morgan Wallen comes across as a mastercrafter of heartbreak and tragedy in this song. Very, very nice to hear. A truly wonderful listen for this song.

Everything I Love has some unusually lush wah-wah guitar and interesting sonic textures. Morgan Wallen sounds fantastic on this song, once again. He sings about rural life in postmodern USA, and he proves himself to be far better than expected. At the time of writing, the music industry praises the efforts of sell-out artists such as Taylor Swift and dishes the dirt on better and fresher artists such as Morgan Wallen. This is definite proof of all this, and the music is super sweet throughout. This song is another clever, catchy and amazing-sounding piece of music that people with good ears will enjoy. A smooth, sweet and lovely listening experience that does not disappoint, this will lift up your soul and take you to different places in a musical way. A cool and relaxing tune, this is another solid gold Country Pop classic. Morgan Wallen deserves infinite respect for this song. A sweet and enjoyable tune, through and through.

Man Made A Bar (feat. Eric Church) is another rather humourous song title (perhaps Morgan Wallen is a closet alcoholic?). It begins with lush acoustic guitars and sweet slide guitars to match. Morgan Wallen sings about drinking one’s sorrows away, and this sounds really mournful lyrically, but it is a fairly upbeat piece of music. A really excellent listen, one can easily hear that this is a solid gold classic album already, at least by this point. Heartbreak and booze are a match made in heaven in Country Music, and Morgan Wallen articulates these feelings very nicely. A sweet and pleasant tune to listen to and the slide guitars are an excellent touch throughout. A very, very cool tune with many references to the Christian concept of God throughout. A wonderful listen, and this music should cement Morgan Wallen’s legendary status. Brilliant.

Devil Don’t Know begins with some moody guitars and slide guitars, with more references to alcohol and cigarettes throughout. Morgan Wallen sings deeply about some of life’s more torturous experiences. Again, for all the Country Music heartbreak, this sounds absolutely wonderful and musically great. An excellent and pretty song with many references to God and Biblical concepts throughout, Morgan Wallen is a postmodern Southern USA Country Music poet. Put simply, this is a great, great song. A very pretty and sweet music tune, driven by acoustic guitars and great poetic storytelling, this is a real winner. With lyrical references to hold onto one’s love for dear life all night, this is pure brilliance. Another must listen.

One Thing At A Time is the title track from this album. It begins with some sweet guitar harmonic-based riffing, and launches into a really good tune throughout. With references to smoking cigarettes and drinking shots to deal with life’s blues, this is a strong, moving and superb listen throughout. Very, very catchy as well, Morgan Wallen destroys the music critics with his clever and poetic musical stories about dealing with addictions (the legal ones primarily, of course) and he does such a wonderful job of painting a musical story for listeners both new and old. Giving up one’s addictions is never easy for a lover, and this tune articulates exactly how difficult this is in a realistic sense. Nonetheless, this song works nicely. A great tune, period. Worth one’s ears for sure. The outro is great.

’98 Braves begins with some more clear and crisp acoustic guitars, alongside some sweet slide guitars. Singing about the simple life in rural USA, Morgan Wallen sings and puts his heart on his sleeve throughout here. A fantastic and thoroughly listenable tune about comparing one’s love life to sports competitions, Morgan Wallen is a thoroughly brilliant and articulate songwriter, singer and accomplished musician on this album. A joyous listen, enough to put a big smile on your face when listening. A sweet tune about the experiences in one’s love life, this is really very cool music. A real joy to hear and listen to. Sweet and lovely.

Ain’t That Some sounds much more contemporary musically, but still retains the Country/Pop Music feel throughout. Morgan Wallen articulates a 21st-century approach towards a more traditional musical genre, with some of the best and most direct usage of the “s” word. A very lovely, wonderful and adventurous tune about the music and lifestyles of rural USA folks. Understandably, this music is clever, intelligent and hedonistic lyrically, matched with a powerful yet awesome Country Music feel to it all. Very awesome, once again. Morgan Wallen deserves praise where it is due, and it is certainly due here. Brilliant.

I Wrote The Book begins with some drop-tuned and moody-sounding electric guitars and launches into a very good tune that is an interesting lesson about life. Again, this music is deep and introspective with lyrics about being on the road, booze and ladies. This may seem a little outdated and sexist by today’s standards, but Morgan Wallen reminds us that he is just telling the story of a book. Again, a very wonderful and sweet listening experience from start to finish. A strong tune with references to reading the Bible, this is a powerfully awesome and light listen, despite its deep lyricism. Another killer song, through and through.

Tennessee Numbers is a direct reference to the USA state where Country Music is popular. It begins with some reversed sounds, quickly launching into a smooth and melodic piece of Country Rock that sounds fluid, excellent and well-performed throughout. A really excellent listen about heartbreak blues and making up with a lady that one misses. A really top-notch and excellent listen, through and through. Morgan Wallen does this music a real justice. It is clear that both Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan, alongside many other talented musicians today need to keep an eye on Morgan Wallen. This is very awesome, melodic and sensationally sweet music to hear. The guitar-based music on this song sounds absolutely amazing throughout. Towards the end is a bit of a breakdown whilst the singing and guitars take centre stage. If you have your Marlboro cigarettes and Jack Daniels whiskey ready, put on this album and hear these songs. Fresh and brilliant.

Hope That’s True begins with some decent drum rolls, and launches into an almost Reggae-sounding piece of music. Morgan Wallen sings sweetly on this tune and he sounds full of happiness and promise about the future. A really awesome and spirited tune about love and relationships, Morgan Wallen sounds very spirited here. A really interesting and cool-sounding tune, Country Music is officially back in the 21st century, and it looks like it is here to stay. A very lovely and interesting musical listening experience, this sounds fresh, fun and interesting throughout. Morgan Wallen is part of a new generation of up-and-coming musicians who, quite simply, deserve praise. Another fantastic song to listen to. Wonderful.

Whiskey Friends begins with a moody guitar figure, switched from electric to acoustic guitar. Morgan Wallen sings sadly about the experiences and pain that life can bring. Soon enough, this launches into a rocking song about heavy drinking to deal with one’s miseries in life. This is another great song about drinking alone, which is not as good as drinking with friends, but is a joy in life anyway. Nonetheless, this is very fantastic to hear. “It’s just me, Jack and Jim…” sings Morgan Wallen, and this is proof that one can be a regular person and drown one’s sorrows in the process of life. A very good listen, and one for when you feel frustrated with life and need to drive to a good bar. Nonetheless, a really top listen, once again.

Sunrise begins with some slide guitar, and quickly enters into a rather interesting and tripped-out tune. Morgan Wallen sings about many Southern comforts, including drinking and partying. This tune is perfect for those of you who like booze, cigs and weed, along with Country Music to indulge in. This has some drum machine beats and has quite a contemporary feel to the music. Even so, this is very magical and enjoyable throughout. There are some genuinely great musical talents who aren’t Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo or Sabrina Carpenter, although these ladies are all talented in their own way. Morgan Wallen and others are also great, too. A very good song.

Keith Whitley is about the famous Country singer, and this tune is undoubtedly about him. A really devotional, romantic and awesome-sounding piece of music about heartbreak and breakup with a lady. Nonetheless, this is an inspired and excellent song that deals with heartbreak and divorce, 21st-century style. This is a groundbreaking ode to Keith Whitley that sounds very, very good. A really top tune to hear, this music is definitely worth multiple playbacks. Like Kid Rock’s Johnny Cash tune, this is a really great ode to a musician who came before and who was massively influential. Great.

In The Bible (feat. HARDY) follows with some acoustic guitars and sweet playing, utilising some unusual tunings on the guitar throughout. Morgan Wallen puts in a fantastic performance, and the guest appearance is also very much welcome in this song. A really cool tune to listen to, this music is perfect for inspiring young men and women to pick up a Fender Telecaster and play Country Music licks 24/7 on it. This is a visionary and gorgeous musical tale of rural ideals and pleasantries, with some deep references to Christianity. Atheists will not enjoy this song, having said that. Still, this has a great guitar solo and references heavy drinking and praying to God. A really good song, although some out there will not enjoy the religious overtones of this song.

You Proof begins with some steel string acoustic guitar, slide guitar and some singing about alcohol drinking. This music is perfect for those of you out there who drink until you pass out every night, but not at nightclubs, just at home or in the company of close friends. In any case, this music is magical and this is definite proof that, digging through the music of today, there are still a ton of gems to listen to. The lyrics are about drinking so heavily to ease one’s mind on the matter of relationship issues. Wonderful and excellent, worth hearing.

Thought You Should Know begins with some slide guitar, and acoustic guitars and sounds really excellent from the beginning. Morgan Wallen sings about being estranged from one’s mother, after drinking and womanising out and about. This is genuine poetry for alcoholics, drunkards and those who are in emotional pain. Many young men will connect with both their mothers and this song as well. A really fantastic listen, this is one of the singles from the album. Great to listen to, and a real joy to enjoy. A whiskey-soaked adventure through the deep south of the USA, Morgan Wallen is clearly an old soul (if you understand what psychics, clairvoyants, tarot readers and palmistry readers are all about) and he delivers another fantastic story set to music.

F150-50 begins with some brief keyboards, before launching into a very U2-ish sounding take on Country Music. This is a song of love and devotion throughout, just sounding really deep, musical and excellent throughout. This is the music for especially those of you who live in Texas and who love real Country Music, women and wine. A really timeless and awesome tune, this album is consistently amazingly good. One can hear the emotion and performance by Morgan Wallen throughout, he delivers postmodern Country Pop that simply works. Very, very wonderful to listen to. A solid tune, once again.

Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby) begins with some gorgeous acoustic guitar and pedal steel playing, entering into a song about doing one’s best to fix up a broken relationship. Indeed, this is another magical and interesting listening experience that sounds really fresh and fun throughout. References to praying and drinking the good stuff, again, Morgan Wallen must be a total alcoholic. This is fine though, it suits the style of music throughout. Another cool, clever and exciting listen throughout. A fun joy to listen to and to experience. Very, very good. Sweet.

I Deserve A Drink continues the album’s themes of hard and heavy drinking. Morgan Wallen celebrates life by drinking loads of booze, at least in his lyricism. He sings nicely about needing a drink after a long and difficult day. Alcoholics will definitely love this one, and even if you don’t drink, you will seriously likely love this song. A true joy to listen to musically. If you have ever experienced being drunk or high, this album will likely genuinely appeal to you. Drinking solves all of one’s problems on this album, at least. Another solid tune of postmodern Country Music poetry, and something to make one smile throughout. Very good.

Wine Into Water is clearly a reference to Christianity. It begins with an interesting array of sounds, mainly acoustic guitars and has a deep and meaningful sound. Morgan Wallen sings about different ladies, and he is really putting his heart on his sleeve in this song. An awesome tune about drinking and destressing with a lady who needs some help. Nonetheless, this song of biblical proportions sounds really fantastic to listen to. By this point of the album, Morgan Wallen has blown away the critics with a fantastic and standout album. The guitars and slide guitar work here are impeccably good to listen to. A real joy to listen to, this music is a really sweet tune about drinking and sorting out issues with one’s #1 lady. Beautiful and great to hear.

Me + All Your Reasons leads straight into it with gorgeous acoustic guitar, dual tracked, and some nice lyrics about the hardships and difficulties in one’s life, in the postmodern world. A really sweet and interesting tune that sounds extremely good to hear, Morgan Wallen sounds like a traveller and troubadour explorer in musical terms. A really fantastic tune about booze, wine and roaming, Morgan Wallen definitely deserves praise on this superb album. Country Music is back, and it looks like it is here to stay more than what others may think about it. A great song about boozing and dealing with one’s problems with the love of their life, this is magical music. Worth listening to. A real joy to hear.

Tennessee Fan begins with some interesting keyboard-sounding slide guitar playing and launches into action with some great acoustic guitars. Morgan Wallen sings typically about loading out a truck with beer and meeting ladies on one’s travels. Again, this is a really fantastic tune about living and travelling throughout the USA. A really awesome and direct tune about the experiences with ladies and having some fun out on the road. A really awesome and tremendous tune to listen to, this has some great music and playing throughout. If you live in the United States Of America and you dig Country Music of any sort, you will definitely love this song, and indeed, the rest of the album. A gorgeous and unforgettable song. Three minutes long of bliss.

Money On Me begins with some hi-hats, acoustic guitars and pedal steel guitars. This quickly launches into a sweet and smooth tune designed to woo the ladies in Morgan Wallen’s audience. Nonetheless, again, this is a really fantastic and interesting listening experience that sounds really very cool throughout. The music within is super cool and enjoyable to listen to, and Morgan Wallen does a terrific job musically and as a postmodern Country poet. In the best sense of this description, if you are a proud Southern USA redneck, this is a great 21st-century music album to get you grooving along. Another solidly great song to listen to, Morgan Wallen does a really great job on this song. Very wonderful indeed.

Thinkin’ Bout Me is one of the major hits from this album. It begins with some moody electric and acoustic guitars and sounds absolutely awesome to listen to. A good song and story about a love affair with a lady who is important to Morgan Wallen, this sounds really quite good. Some drum machine Trap-style beats remind us that this is a 2023 release, but it is still purely a wonderful and inspired Country Music tune. This sounds like a depressing lyrical scenario, set to music, but it is purely designed to be. Nonetheless, this is as consistent as all the other songs on this rather lengthy album but never lets up in song quality. Really great to hear from start to finish. Very moody, however.

Single Than She Was launches into it with some interesting ethereal sounds of guitars and other textures. Morgan Wallen launches nicely into the music about winning a lady who is on her own in a bar, and she does her best to win over our main man. A really awesome and timeless listen, once again, proving that this album deserves much more praise from judgemental critics than what it currently gets. A really powerful and fantastic listen from start to finish. Absolutely 100% worth hearing, even if this is merely about a one-night stand-styled experience. Wonderful to hear, and the music perfectly matches the lyrical experience. Great.

Days That End In Why begins with some clear and crisp acoustic guitars, and quickly launches into a typical Morgan Wallen story of booze, prayer and ladies in his life. Another excellent cut, this is genuine proof that throughout this entire album, Morgan Wallen holds up the quality of music extremely well. Genuinely beautiful and great music is here, even though this is fairly stereotypical Country Music present on this album. Cool, clever and interesting stories from the rural perspective of a Southern USA resident, Morgan Wallen deserves praise and applause for this legendary music album. A very refreshing listen.

Last Drive Down Main begins with some Fender Telecasters, and acoustic guitars and launches into a good song about driving and travelling through a familiar country town, with an ex-lover in mind. A really cool tune to listen to, Morgan Wallen sounds like he is putting his heart on his sleeve on this song. This is powerful and moving music that has some excellent lyrics, beautiful melodies, great guitars and powerful singing. Sadly, many relationships in this world are made and then break within an instant. This song captures this musically lyrical spirit and sounds really cool throughout. An awesome and lively listen from start to finish, all the same. Worth your ears and time to listen to. A wonderful tune about broken hearts, over great Country Music.

Me To Me is a weaker track, sounding like a 1980s attempt at a Morgan Wallen tune. Even so, this is not outright bad, even though it sounds poorer than previous tunes. It’s still listenable, and one can easily sit through it. Again, Morgan Wallen sings about drinking and being with a lover throughout. This is short and sweet, at just over two minutes in length. Nonetheless, this does work extremely well throughout and Morgan Wallen delivers exactly what he needs to do. A good song, without being a really great one. Enjoyable enough anyway.

Don’t Think Jesus sounds great from the start, with dual-tracked and clean-sounding acoustic guitars. Morgan Wallen sings about the process of writing songs about women, drinking and getting high, likely referring to himself. In any case, this is a magical and absolutely gorgeous tune that has a great and genuine appeal, particularly for Christians out there. A good song comparing one to Jesus Christ himself, Morgan Wallen sounds very regretful and complaining about life, but he delivers a fantastic song throughout. A really nice and awesome song to listen to, this sounds absolutely amazing and thoroughly excellent as a good piece of music. The slide guitar solos present are really sweet, and this tune definitely comes alive here. Awesome music to listen to, and this tune is a solid gold and legendary piece of music about having faith in God. Top-notch, worth every moment.

180 (Lifestyle) begins with some moody guitars and slide guitars, sounding deep. It launches into a less impressive tune with Trap beats throughout. This is a slight step backwards in terms of musical quality. Having said that, this is not outright bad, it just sounds less than perfect. In any case, this is a good mixture of old and new into a 2023 music album release. Enjoyable enough anyway, there are some good references to rural life and being a Christian. This eventually grows on one but sounds a little cheesy as a piece of music with the Trap Music beat. Nonetheless, Morgan Wallen is a straightforward musical Country/Southern poet. A good listen, for all its flaws. Still worth it.

Had It begins with ghostly textures, and launches into a sweet and superb tune that is very moody. This is about a relationship that is falling apart. Morgan Wallen articulates a wonderful and powerful statement musically, and like the rest of the album, delivers a superb musical statement through and through. Sadly, true love rarely exists in today’s postmodern world, with divorce rates well over 50%. Morgan Wallen describes a broken situation and he does his poetry very, very well. A really awesome tune from start to finish. This music works wonders throughout. Very, very awesome to hear and enjoy. Sad music is at hand here, however.

Cowgirls (feat. ERNEST) begins with some very Christina Aguilera Genie In A Bottle-sounding music (not hugely original there mate) and enters into a decent tune at hand with some Trap electronic beats and enters into a song that is more texture than songcraft here. Even so, this song sounds very, very good for all its flaws. Regardless, this is a very strong and passionate piece of music about southern USA ideals and girls, girls, girls aplenty. In any case, this music is good for all its flaws. A true joy to hear, even if this doesn’t sound like an overly original tune. Worth it.

Good Girl Gone Missin’ begins with some sweet acoustic guitars and sounds sweet and excellent throughout. This music is a really sweet listen, just like the taste of the best wine out there. Nonetheless, this music is really sensationally good. Morgan Wallen sings from the heart and personal experiences, and he is a force of nature in the sense that he is a great musician. He understands exactly what Country Music today needs. The music and sounds are really quite tripped out on this song, and this music is really sensationally fantastic, especially in the chorus. A thoroughly enjoyable tune to listen to, even if this does sound a little like the Country Music version of Ed Sheeran. Decent.

Outlook begins with some upfront acoustic guitars, and slide guitars and enters into a great tale about changing one’s outlook on life as time goes on, in relation to Christianity. Nobody likely understands this better than Morgan Wallen, and he puts his life out there and his heart on his sleeve. Sadly, this sounds like The Beatles Help! song, again pointing out some lack of originality. Even so, this is a ridiculously good effort for what it is. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable song, although towards the end of this album, the music sounds a little lacking. Still, this is a great album to listen to. A good listen for fans of postmodern Country Music guitars. Very sweet.

Dying Man is the final song on this album that runs for nearly two hours. It begins with some sweet acoustic guitar riffing, and sustained slide guitar playing and has Morgan Wallen singing about approaching death itself. This is a reflective piece of music that sounds very excellent to listen to and is mournful and full of sorrow. Referencing the Christian faith, this is a really cool tune to hear. A great finish to a superb album that, although is fairly long, is ultimately rewarding. Morgan Wallen sings sweetly and reflects upon life. With references to celebrity drug overdoses, this is very wonderful music. A sad but awesome conclusion to this epic album with some slide guitar sustained notes. Worth it.

This is a monumental and wonderful musical statement by Morgan Wallen that sounds absolutely great. From start to finish, this album is musically, lyrically and sonically consistent overall with many surprises musically from a postmodern Country Music artist. Any flaws? Some of the songs sound very similar to each other or unoriginal, and the length of this album requires some patience to go through. Otherwise, should you hear this two-hour-long epic journey? Absolutely, it is a brilliant listen. Fans of more urban styles of music will dislike this, however.

Excellence through and through.

9/10