Fresh off of his first-ever ACM Award nomination for Best New Male Artist, Kameron Marlowe is back with his highly-anticipated sophomore album, Keepin’ The Lights On.
Marlowe announced the album on Instagram back on March 14. In a lengthy caption announcing the album’s release, Marlow praised his upbringing and noted how the album reflects the hardships he’s faced over the years, saying, “For me these past two years were full of struggle, lots of highs but a lot of lows too, through all of that, I also found love, happiness and a better understanding on who I am .“
Produced by Dann Huff, the album contains 16 tracks, seven of which were written by Marlowe himself. Popular Nashville songwriters, Dallas Wilson (“Nothin’ Slowin’ Us Down” & “Will It Be There in the Morning”), Mitchell Tenpenny (“Nothin’ Slowin’ Us Down” & “Will It Be There in the Morning”), Tucker Beathard (“I Can Run”) and even HARDY (“On My Way Out”) appear as writers on Keepin’ The Lights On.
Marlowe once again echoed how the album, at its core, is a love letter to his father and the way he was raised, “I am so proud of this album and how natural it felt piecing it all together. Getting more honest and sharing things I battle with was something I had to really find courage to feel comfortable doing, but seeing the way my fans relate to my music made it all worthwhile. “Keepin’ The Lights On” is an ode to my dad’s commitment to providing for my family and the life lessons he taught along the way.”
This results in a modern country album that feels incredibly balanced. Marlowe fills Keepin’ The Lights On with a plethora of tracks that range from odes to his family, to classic breakup songs to a few love ballads. Sonically, the “Girl on Fire” singer sticks to a primarily stadium country sound while simultaneously incorporating some blues elements on “High Hopes,” a classic barn-burning sound on “911” and a pure piano ballad on “Broke Down In a Truck.”
Keepin’ The Lights On includes the hit duet with Ella Langley, “Strangers,” which has already amassed nearly 10 million streams on Spotify alone and was just sent to radio on May 28.
If there’s one thing that’s certain after the release of Keepin’ The Lights On, it’s that Kameron Marlowe is primed for a breakout in 2024. It’s no stretch to say that he has one of the best voices on country radio, having all of the intangibles needed for long-term success. His honesty and vulnerability on the record are sure to connect with listeners, inviting them to keep coming back for more.
8/10.
Check out the brand new music video for I Can Run, as well Strangers, High Hopes and Never Really Know here: