Right, let’s get this bit out the way first: ‘Kill The Lights’ is a better album than ‘Crash My Party’.
That’s not of course to say that there aren’t some polarizing, bro-country tracks in here, because there are; but there are enough more substantial offerings to balance what is an album of predominantly love songs, whether that manifests itself in adoration, lust, or heartbreak.
From the beginning we are reminded of the distinct style that saw Luke’s career skyrocket; lead single ‘Kick The Dust Up’ (full review here), ‘Kill The Lights’, ‘Move’ and ‘Way Way Back’ are probably the most identifiably bro offerings. The title track, which will undoubtedly be a single, incongruously attempts to replicate the throwback soul-ish direction of the likes of Thomas Rhett, incorporating more than a few touches of disco over a lyric that frankly has no redeeming qualities. ‘Move’, meanwhile, opts for alt-rock production and a semi-rapped delivery to celebrate the dancing abilities of a girl, with the added bonus of some vague background narrative (she’s a Yankee who’s moved to the country and taken on some of their identifiable tropes). All things told, not that much more inspiring than your average “you’re hot, let’s have sex” tale. And ‘Way Way Back’ opts for an 80s vibe, complete with steady beat and synths and more than a passing similarity to ‘That’s My Kind of Night’ on the chorus, the lyrics evoking nostalgia for bro-ier times.
But luckily, this is not where ‘Kill The Lights’ starts and ends. There are a few tracks which strike themselves down the middle in terms of quality; either that or I’m honestly not sure what to make of them. The latter reaction is pertinent to ‘Home Alone Tonight’, the duet with Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town, a factor that usually can guarantee a good song. However, here any true emotion or meaning is overwhelmed by heavy reverb, excessive drums (or drum machine, it’s hard to tell), synths and rock guitars, while the fast pace and focus on rhythm seems to render the lyrics unimportant. This is attained by Luke and Karen swapping individual lines rather than stanzas or full verses, meaning the song drives forward alarmingly quickly, while the introduction of the chorus at 33 seconds means we aren’t allowed to settle in before the hook hits us with full force. Eventually it becomes apparent that the perhaps bizarre sonic tools are just a way to jazz up a fairly middle-of-the-road pop/rock track about two people hooking up at a bar to get over their exes.
Then there’s ‘Just Over’, which is another beat-driven pop/rock offering that doesn’t try to experiment too much; just describes a narrator’s dismay as his girlfriend leaves for good instead of falling back into his arms after a fight. ‘Love It Gone’ functions in a similar musical vein with more of a country slant, featuring a nice lyric about wanting to take his significant other in his arms and make all her hurt go away. Even the rhythmic refrain is more catchy than irritating.
With those tracks out the way, we find ourselves with the cream of the crop on this record. New single ‘Strip It Down’, although with a perhaps unnecessary R&B/soul vibe, is actually a really nice piano-led song about reaching out to an old lover and inviting her to come back to what they used to be. Honestly I could do without the line “feel my belt turn loose from these old blue jeans” with such attached imagery and implications, but it’s a minor gripe for a song that I’m actually rather glad they’ve chosen to spotlight. ‘To The Moon And Back’ is another love song, and by far the most ‘country’ track on the record. With minimal percussion (for once), a grounding in acoustic guitar picking and some atmospheric reverb on the vocals, this is Luke’s ‘I Don’t Dance’, just with more poetic expression and heart. He has that it’s a wedding-style song, and I would be inclined to agree. This song is heartfelt without being too cheesy.
Another of my favorites is ‘Fast’, which although once again marred with a drum loop, is a great country song about ageing and wanting to slow everything down, when once you were obsessed with everything going faster. This is perhaps what Luke meant when he that this album would show a more mature side to him. He also displays this on ‘Razor Blade’, a bassy, R&B-infused song about the darkness and pain of falling in love, peppered with some really great metaphors and a surprisingly deep perspective.
It’s clear that Luke is very much aware of his critics insinuating that he’s strayed too far from his raisin’, and he addresses this indirectly on the final two tracks on ‘Kill The Lights’. ‘Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day’ is a country rock song about his wish of just being able to make a living by hunting, fishing and being outside all the time, never having to worry about the price of gas or other metropolitan stresses. Straying from the easily-included clichés, it appears as a rather genuine admission, just as the album’s closer ‘Scarecrows’ reflects on his hometown in a kind of 2015 version of ‘We Rode In Trucks’. With a thread of homesickness running through, he muses on memories with old pals before asserting that “So much has changed but then again it ain’t,” explaining their hometown goes with them wherever they go. This track comes across as the most overt addressing of criticism, but he still doesn’t stoop to the bitchy defense of Brantley Gilbert’s ‘Same Old Song’, which is admirable.
With ‘Kill The Lights’, Luke Bryan has attempted to please a lot of people, which often can result in a horribly fragmented album. I’m not sure I would say it’s the most cohesive record I’ve ever listened to, but it isn’t all that bad, especially if you skip past the handful of bro-iest tracks and become accustomed to the regularity of the R&B inflections. In fact, some of the latter style of songs have the best lyrics he’s delivered for a while, something he didn’t have to do given how popular he’s become recording crap. Perhaps superstar bro Luke Bryan still cares about making real country music, even just a little.
Originally posted here.
