The newly-crowned CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton, is back with his brand new album, Higher.
It’s been just over three years since we’ve received a new album from the Tennessee Whiskey singer, with the Grammy-winning record, Starting Over, being released on Nov. 13, 2020.
With an album this highly anticipated from an artist as generational as Stapleton, it’s no stretch to say that there will be plenty of think-pieces, rankings and reviews written about the album and Stapleton’s career so far.
After a few listens, I put together a way-too-early Top 5 list of my favorite tracks so far on Higher.
5. White Horse
The song that kicked off the announcement of the album and Stapleton’s current single had to make the list somewhere. After listening to the album as a whole multiple times, White Horse feels like a nice break from the extremely loving, sentimental tracks present on Higher.
It feels kind of rough, dangerous and most importantly, provides the type of edge this album desperately needed. Sonically, it’s easily the standout on the record. The guitarwork feels so dynamic throughout the song. From the sultry build-up early in the intro to the lengthy solo that ends the song, the guitarwork here feels so heavy it’s nearly tangible.
4. The Day I Die
The Day I Die was a bit of a grower for me personally. I originally just viewed it as another good albeit not great love song. However, after a couple of listens, I really came around to it. This is mainly due to the extremely melodic, powerful chorus. It takes a while to finally get to the chorus after two fairly long verses, but the wait is absolutely worth it. Stapleton’s soaring vocals, the hints of steel and most importantly lyrics like “When my heart stops breaking/When my eyes won’t cry/When there’s a day I can’t live without you/Baby, it’ll be the day I die.” all form into a beautiful crescendo on the chorus.
3. Trust
In another rare stripped-back song on this record, Stapleton provides us with shades of Starting Over here on Trust. Primarily backed only by some percussion and an acoustic guitar, the track is simple in all of the right ways. The simplicity in both the production and Stapleton’s vocal performance not only provides a nice break from his soaring runs and heavy production, but it also lets his lyrical ability shine here. While it’s not a super complex, challenging song, it’s certainly a moving one. Lines like “And if you trust in true love/And you trust in time/If you trust in forever/Trust this heart of mine” strike a brilliant balance between being melodic while also being heartfelt.
2. Loving You On My Mind
After appearing on Josh Turner’s 2010 album, Haywire, as one of Stapleton’s many co-writes, Loving You On My Mind is finally out the way God intended it to be. While Turner’s was an extremely clean, polished version that feels extremely dream-like, Stapleton’s feels much more raw and emotional.
Both versions are fantastic in their own right and ultimately take on completely different personalities on their respective albums. As for Stapleton’s version, the track once again taps into his R&B sensibilities. His vocal runs paired with his rasp make this version feel incredibly soulful and raw. They feel so powerful yet effortless, something that not very many can capture.
1. Think I’m In Love With You
I already know I’m going to get some flack from country purists with the placement of this song, but it’s simply too good. Stapleton is leaning heavily into his R&B roots here, but it works incredibly well. From the electric guitar stings in the chorus to the chunky bass line, Think I’m In Love With You is simply an infectious song musically. Like many tracks on this album, Stapleton absolutely cuts loose on this song vocally. His soulful vocals really shine here, and it really makes one wonder if he will ever release a full-fledged R&B project.