Just in time for the fall, Flatland Cavalry is back with their fourth studio album, Wandering Star.
The independent band has made waves in the genre over the past few years. From having Mountain Song appear on Yellowstone to touring with superstar, Luke Combs, it seems like Flatland is on the brink of breaking into the mainstream any minute now. The question that remains is “Will Wandering Star provide the aforementioned push into the mainstream?”
The album comes out of the gate firing with the opening track, The Provider. Heavy on electric guitar and percussion, it’s an excellent opening track that provides a quick spark of energy to the record before diving into a much more mellow, mid-tempo style in the middle of the album. It’s a great, rockin’ track that would sound right at home on an A-side Brooks & Dunn record. It has a certain sense of testosterone that feels equally as masculine as it does reserved. Cordero isn’t trying to be some tough guy like Jason Aldean tries to be in many of his songs. His machismo simply feels natural with no need to overcompensate here on The Provider.
Speaking of Cordero, his vocal performance throughout the record is the best it’s ever been. There’s a certain comfort in his voice that is displayed extremely well on tracks like Mornings With You, Don’t Have To Do This Like That and Forgotten. His falsetto is also extremely polished here as well, hitting some truly impressive notes throughout Wandering Star.
Only Thing At All also brings a heavy 80s crooning country vibe. While the subject matter and verses do not share a strong connection to Randy Travis’ Reasons I Cheat, Cordero’s vocal run in the latter half of the chorus is strikingly similar. The entire song feels very Travis-esque; I could easily see this song being on Storms of Life or Always & Forever. The light touches of fiddle throughout the chorus are also a fantastic addition that gives this mid-tempo track a great flare.
The 80s vibes don’t stop at Only Thing At All. Pre-released Last American Summer also has an almost Springsteenian feel. Sonically, it’s much different than the bulk of their discography. Like most of the record, it’s a very comfortable, mellow track with some interesting, melodic vocal runs from Cordero.
Lyrically, it’s a pretty straightforward, nostalgic song reminiscing about a lost summer love. That being said, the track is elevated tenfold with some incredibly specific imagery throughout. From cheap cologne to Marlboro Reds to melting popsicles, Cordero and co-writer, Will Hoge pack this song with great imagery that truly makes this song come to life.
The jury is still out on New American Dream. I still can’t quite decide whether it’s hilarious, cringey or both at the same time. It’s equally full of fun, relevant lines and references (“We just swiped right ’cause there was no one left” and “Put your conscious and your common sense to sleep”) as it is with already outdated references to the Metaverse and cryptocurrency. That being said, the outdated nature of those lines simultaneously hammers home his point of how quickly everything is changing. I’m beginning to think that Cordero is a bit of a genius for riding the line between cringe and straightforward humor on this track; it feels incredibly Brad Paisley-esque.
The production throughout the record and Wandering Star, as a whole, is extremely pleasant on the ear. It simply feels comfortable. This might sound like a very odd comparison, but I’m beginning to liken Flatland Cavalry to Frank Sinatra. It sounds absurd, but hear me out. Both Flatland and Sinatra are incredibly talented, easy to listen to and consistent. You’re going to hear a similar sound throughout each record, but that said sound is going to be executed so incredibly well that you’re not going to mind if the album as a whole sounds similar to the previous one.
If I had to point out any negative, the only thing I would have liked to see more of was a bit more fiddle throughout the record. Don’t get me wrong, there are great inclusions of it throughout on tracks like Let It Roll and The Best Days, but I wish that one track could have showcased Wesley Hall’s fantastic violin skills and allowed him to take over on a track much like he did on One I Want.
It might have benefitted the album to include at least one more high-energy track as well. The Provider provides (no pun intended) a great spark to start the album, but that feeling isn’t quite captured throughout the record, say for the spectacular Oughta See You (The Way I Do). This feels like a bit of a nitpick, however.
Overall, Wandering Star is another extremely successful outing from Flatland Cavalry. They continue to prove they can make extremely timeless music. There’s clear inspiration from 80s and 90s country; however, it also seems extremely modern. This unique blend of modern and classic sounds and styles feels extremely similar to fellow red dirt legends, Turnpike Troubadours.
Here, it feels like Cordero is finding his footing incredibly well as both a writer and vocalist. For fans of the band and independent country in general, the album will be another hit. That being said, I don’t quite see this album being a gigantic commercial success. It’s a very understated, reflective album that may not catch the ear of many mainstream country fans. However, it’s pretty clear that Flatland has developed a large dedicated, independent fanbase over the past eight years so those who get them will get this album.
8/10
Listen to Oughta See You (The Way I Do), Only Thing At All and New American Dream here: