Sam Hunt, country music's most non-controversial artists finally released his sophomore LP. It's been six years since Hunt released his colossal, debut album, Montevallo. Since Montevallo racked up four #1 singles (he became the first solo male artist to do so), many waited patiently to see where Hunt would take this album. Sam Hunt has gone on record saying he was suffering from writer's block for some time, thus causing some delay in the album. While I wouldn't say that this album was worth the six-year wait, it's a solid album that doesn't quite reach the heights of Montevallo.
In this review, I will go song-by-song then branch out to my general positives and negatives.
1. 2016
"2016" was a great way to begin the album. It contains the best lyrics in the entire album. He laments about a past love, offering the year to back to her. It's a reflective ballad that reveals his regret regarding the wasted relationship. The track sounds great. Production is at a minimum, lead primarily by an acoustic guitar. A steel guitar, a long-forgotten instrument in country today, can even be heard in the background. "2016" is by far my favorite song on the album.
2. Hard To Forget
When I first heard this song, I was simply confused. The first :32 of the song is a sample of Webb Pierce's "There Stands the Glass" that transforms into a trap beat. It is horrendous. However, the rest of the song is surprisingly solid. It contains Hunt's typical swaggered delivery. The chorus, in particular, is a very catchy and clever hook. My favorite line is "I got a bottle of whiskey but I've got no proof." I love the use of good wordplay. "Hard To Forget" is currently my guilty pleasure.
3. Kinfolks
I honestly don't have too much to say with this one. I don't find anything too positive or negative about it; it's simply there. I think "Kinfolks" is extremely safe and generic. It sounds like it would have come out during the Montevallo era in 2014, not 2020. The production is fine; it sounds good. The lyrics are seriously lacking depth or creativity.
4. Young Once
"Young Once" is another track that feels pretty meh to me. The song starts pretty well with some riffs on an acoustic guitar. However, a heavy trap beat and drop take over in the chorus. That being said, it sounds good. It's just not country. The lyrics aren't bad, but the territory they're covering has been done better numerous times. Looking back on your youth is a pretty popular subject in music.
5. Body Like a Back Road
Arguably Sam Hunt's biggest hit is also one of the most needlessly disliked song in many country groups. While I don't feel that this song was deserving of its mammoth thirty-four weeks at #1, it isn't the worst thing to grace country radio in the last five years. Though the snaptracks are extremely noticeable and the production itself is messy, it's a damn catchy song. Nothing deep is attempting to be said lyrically, but that's not the point of the song. It's definitely your typical bro-country song, however, it's bro-country done well. I really don't understand the inclusion of this song on the album though. It's already three years old.
6. That Ain't Beautiful
This is definitely my least favorite track on the album. His talk-singing/rapping doesn't sound good on the verses. Instrumentally, the song doesn't sound bad during the verses. It actually has some great acoustic guitar riffs. It quickly gets overrun with overproduced beats on the chorus. The chorus is probably my least favorite part of the already lackluster song. "That ain't beautiful. No, that ain't you. You can do better. Ah, you can do better, better." I just don't know how Sam Hunt, being the good song-writer he is, had this weak of a lyric on a song. There's no rhyme scheme at all.
7. Let It Down
"Let It Down" is my second favorite song on the album. Though the lyrics aren't anything special, I love the sound. Though it's a bit overproduced, there's some great inclusion of banjo and steel guitar. I really like the vocal run on the chorus. The chorus definitely makes the song for me. It's more on the guilty pleasure side of enjoyment for me. I can't believe that there are five writers on this seemingly simple song, however.
8. Downtown's Dead
"Downtown's Dead" is another two-plus-year-old song on the album. I always kind of liked the song. It's a simple pop-country song about how the city doesn't feel the same without his ex. Like most of Hunt's songs, it has a really catchy chorus. The song feels quite immature compared to other songs on the album. The bridge reveals he's going back with said ex. There's not much else to say about it; it's a fairly straightforward G-C-Em-D country song.
9. Nothing Lasts Forever
"Nothing Lasts Forever" is my least favorite song besides "That Ain't Beautiful". This just sounds like a mediocre R&B song that wouldn't even grace the Top 40. The lyrics aren't anything special. The bridge, in particular, is extremely annoying and borderline manipulative. I find it extremely odd that a violin is included in this song's production. There's nearly no stringed instrument present besides the slight violin touch. This song is nowhere near country.
10. Sinning With You
This is definitely one of the most interesting Sam Hunt songs. I really liked the sound of the first verse. It's simply a great fingerpicked acoustic guitar. However, the pre-chorus and beyond gets the beloved snaptrack treatment. The lyrics are really good, one of the best on the album. They are slightly convoluted, however. The main premise of the song is feeling guilty about having premarital sex with his girlfriend. This is presented in a melodramatic way that makes the tone of the song itself slightly confusing. Overall, it's an enjoyable listen.
11. Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90's
This is definitely one of the most enjoyable songs on SOUTHSIDE. The chorus is great, containing a great melody and lyrics. His talk-singing/rapping sounds much better than "That Ain't Beautiful". He has a much better flow on this. It taps into the modern problem of seeing everything that everyone's doing now. Whether it's your best friend, fiance, or ex, you are tapped into their life on social media as long as your following them. Hunt just wants to go back to the nineties, a place with no social media and instant messaging.
12. Drinkin' Too Much
And then there's this version of Drinkin' Too Much. This was a really disappointing way to end the album. I really don't like his flow on this song either. There are simply no country elements in this song either. The 2017 8pm version of the song is much better, only including an acoustic guitar. Though I'm not a fan of his flow on either, the 8pm version sounds better as well. I like the lyrics for the most part; I'm just not a big fan of the presentation of said lyrics.
In conclusion, Sam Hunt delivers a solid sophomore album. Though I like a majority of the album, I can't help but feel like it's a lazy project. I can't confirm this, obviously. I don't know Sam Hunt personally. However, when there are only nine truly new songs on an album that took six years to produce, it feels lazy. It doesn't help that songs such as "Body Like A Back Road" and "Downtown's Dead" are two and three years old respectively.
The Good: 2016, Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90's, Let It Down
The Bad: That Ain't Beautiful, Nothing Lasts Forever
Overall: 6.8/10
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