2013 CCMA Rising Star award winner Bobby Wills recently released his debut EP ‘Crazy Enough’ to the US market. The Alberta native has spent the last few years building his reputation in his home country of Canada, winning multiple awards in addition to the aforementioned CCMA award, and this summer sent his first single to country radio in the US. ‘Crazy Enough’ later became the title track of his five-track EP, pitching him as a rebel and a daredevil that just stopped from going over the edge, complete with growling guitars, pounding drums and his thick drawl. It’s commercial country rock as we know it, fairly catchy and typifying the country bad boy image, thus setting some of the template for the rest of the EP.
‘Still Something There’ continues the alt rock influence in the instrumentation, but softens it from the title track and makes it much more radio-friendly. The mid-tempo offering has a big singalong chorus and explores the idea of being mostly over someone, but not quite enough to not wonder if it could still work out. “Wouldn’t say I hurt just because I still care,” he sings, and it finds him torn between his lingering love for a woman and his progress in moving on. Love songs are the prevailing style implemented on this EP, with four of the five tracks falling under that category (the exception being the title track). Set opener ‘Never Didn’t Love You’ is a rocked up country pop song, complete with guitar solo and big chorus, and reflects on various memories of a love and how while he didn’t openly profess his love, he had thought his girlfriend would have noticed it on his face and in his actions. It’s never quite clear whether she has left him or whether she just needs reassuring, but there’s a hint of sadness to Bobby’s upbeat delivery.
‘So Much For Taking It Slow’ continues the mix of rock and pop with modern country, resulting in a catchy and summery offering that follows the narrator beginning to date a girl but with both swearing they’ll take it slow. Yet each verse finds them being drawn to each other so much that they end up rushing into everything – but it just feels right. It’s a different twist on your typical love song that I’m sure a lot of fans will relate to.
The EP closes with the much gentler ‘With You’. The guitars are nowhere near as heavy and full-on in this track, and it’s a lovely moment of respite, capped off with a heartfelt performance. Featuring acoustic guitar, mandolin, smooth harmonies and a little pedal steel, the lyrics find Bobby promising a love that he’ll be there with her no matter what, and will always love her. Although here it’s applied to a relationship, it could also easily work for family and friends, and even to express a person’s lingering spirit after they’ve died. It’s a great song and the best on the record, and I although I enjoyed the others as fun and catchy tracks, ‘With You’ just takes it to another level. He sounds wonderful vocally despite the high notes, and I hope he decides to include more songs like this on a future full-length album.
If you like country pop/modern country that doesn’t associate itself whatsoever with bro-country or party anthems, this is the EP for you. Bobby shows promise here and although it’s not the best example of this style that I’ve ever heard, it’s a solid place to begin. I’m looking forward to hearing what comes next.
Originally posted here.
