The Musical Divide

It always feels like Chris Stapleton albums take deceptively longer to release than they really do. I think part of it is due to the artist in question and his unconventional route to stardom, where he isn’t really forced to play the same industry game as his peers, mostly because he’s slightly older anyway and the natural talent just speaks for itself – especially when one considers the monumental impact Traveller still carries eight years after its release.

Maybe it’s also because 2020’s Starting Over kind of felt true to its name as a transitional effort for Stapleton, especially with a cut about walking away from the pressures of fame via “Nashville, TN.” But with new album Higher, it’s hard to actuslly say much – if anything at all – has really changed for Stapleton’s formula. Dave Cobb is still here to provide that supple, warm, ‘70s-esque rollick and muscle that’s always tempered Stapleton’s melting pot of outlaw-era country blues and southern-rock, and Stapleton himself is still in top form.

But it’s also a bit disappointing to hear more of the same, knowing that lead single “White Horse” was such a welcome break from Stapleton’s ballad-heavy catalog and me hoping it might signal more to come. Instead, it’s the outlier here, and what we get here is mostly a slew of very tasteful but uninteresting love songs dedicated to wife Morgane, whose harmony is always welcome, even if her strongest presence comes ironically through the heartbreak of “The Bottom.”

Fine, fair enough and all, but when nearly all of these songs feature the same slow, plodding tempos and feel mostly nondescript in their executions, they’re really only elevated by great production and Stapleton’s mature, weathered vocals to sell the weight of a long, lasting love; more pedestrian than shlocky, to be fair. Otherwise, it’s a sleepy listen where it’s hard to differentiate much in terms of true standout moments, outside of some more adventuous routes taken with some of the percussive elements and acoustic grooves. I like the delicate percussive patter of the soulful “The Fire” well enough, and much has already been said about the dark, sensual title track that will definitely brighten up many nights in the bedroom for couples and is certainly a standout here. But you’ll also get more tastefully pleasant moments in “Loving You On My Mind” and “Think I’m In Love With You” that express the same sentiments but feel like lesser cuts without either the more subtle production differences or greater propulsive groove or muscle.

If anything, too, on an album of tasteful love songs, it makes even less sense for “White Horse” to be here, given how that’s a song all about being unable to commit to a long-lasting relationship. And that’s kind of the thing with Higher as a whole, in that there’s just very little variation on what is ostensibly the same anchoring subject. Not to say that framing an entire album about the loneliness that comes with being a drifter on the road via “White Horse” would have made for an especially revolutionary listen either – having the slow, hard-living sentiments of “South Dakota” prove that alone, given that I’d say it’s not even his most interesting song named after a state about getting up to no good - but it at least would have provided this album with some more interesting stakes. As it is, that song is still among his very best, and the slicker punch and groove of “The Bottom” is handled incredibly effectively. And the dark, almost western-like “Crosswind” with its dusty pedal steel also joins those same high ranks, as does the mentally exhaustive, reflective “Mountains of My Mind” that closes out this album and provides the most interesting lyrical sentiment here.

Otherwise, it’s far from a bad listen. Stapleton’s natural talent coupled with Cobb’s production almost always guarantees that this will still be a solid listen even at its worst. And like always, it’s clear that Stapleton records what he wants for himself, first and foremost. But the writing doesn’t carry enough variety or wrinkles to justify it otherwise, especially without more complex songs like “Scarecrow in the Garden” or “Death Row” to help anchor this particular offering. And that’s disappointing, because if “White Horse” proves anything, it’s that there’s still a fire in that belly, and it’s a shame we’re not hearing more of it.

(6/10)

• Favorite tracks: “White Horse,” “Higher,” “The Bottom,” “Crosswind,” “Mountains of My Mind”
• Least favorite track: “It Takes a Woman”

Buy or stream the album.