Chris Stapleton, Starting Over | Album Review 💿

Grammy-winner Chris Stapleton delivers the best country album of 2020 with his fourth studio album, Starting Over. 

There’s nothing like a vintage sound.  Why? A vintage sound has ample character, and in many cases, was considered to be truly innovative at the time.  A number of musicians have certainly sought to recreate or capture a vintage sound for a reason. 🎙 Chris Stapleton is one of the very best at recreating and recapturing that classic sound, one that country music needs more of in 2020.  Stapleton certainly makes us reminisce on the country and rock of old on his superb fourth studio album, 💿 Starting Over. There is certainly no evidence that Stapleton had to start over from a musical standpoint as he remains true to self, clearly delivering the best country of 2020.

“Starting Over” 

✅ 🎵 “Starting Over” commences Starting Over on a high note. This gem is written by Chris Stapleton and 🎙 Mike Henderson. Early on, “Staring Over” keeps things pretty simple, featuring rhythmic guitar accompaniment and a light, though rhythmic snare drum groove. Set in a major key, the optimism is at an all-time high.  As always, Stapleton delivers commanding, expressive vocals, bringing ample assertiveness to the table.  Even with the grit behind his pipes, the melodic lines throughout are quite tuneful.  The songwriting is well-rounded, focusing on taking risks and taking the plunge even amidst uncertainty. The memorable chorus serves as the centerpiece:

“And it don’t matter to me
Where we are is where I wanna be
And honey, for once in our life
Let’s take our chances and roll the dice
I can be your lucky penny, you can be my four-leaf cover
Starting over.”

Highlighting the production once more, eventually, the backdrop fills out. Stapleton adds a robust bass line, organ, and fuller drums.  An instrumental interlude with a different harmonic progression is worth highlighting. “Starting Over” is a massive success.

After “Starting Over,” Stapleton covers himself essentially on ✅ 🎵 “Devil Always Made Me Think Twice.” How so? Well, “Devil Always Made Me Think Twice” was originally recorded by Hailey Whitters.  Even so, Stapleton wrote the song with 🎙 Al Anderson.  The result is another high energy, traditional country record where he’s assertive, infusing ample spirit into the performance.  That spirit continues on the gorgeous, minor-key ‘slow burner’ ✅ 🎵 “Cold,” which runs past five minutes in duration. Here, a passionate Stapleton is brokenhearted, asserting this girl “cut him me knife / And put my love on ice.” “Cold” is a masterful blend of country and rock, with a dash of soul.  Even with its classic touches – classy strings and Hammond B3 – there’s a crossover appeal.  What do I mean? You don’t have to love country music to love this one.     

“When I’m With You” 

Following up the opening trio of songs is a tall task. No worries as 🎵 “When I’m With You” maintains the utmost consistency. On this old-school country ballad, Stapleton seems to be ‘back on the good foot’ when it comes to love.  Yes, his life is progressing forward rapidly (“I’m forty years old”), and he questions his eventual legacy and laments the adverse effects of age, but love makes everything else less important. 

After two slower cuts, it only feels right that the tempo picks up. Not only does the pace increase on ✅ 🎵 “Arkansas,” so does the dynamic level. Throw the finesse out the window – Chris Stapleton digs in from the jump of this hard-rocking, rollicking, bluesy country joint.  The crowning achievement is the chorus, which is infectious as albeit – you’ll be dying to “Get down to Arkansas!”  From there, we get an about face with the more refined, incredibly thoughtful ✅ 🎵 “Joy of My Life,” a 🎙 John Fogerty cover. He delivers quite an expressive vocal performance, but there’s balance.  He still manages to cut through the production, but he’s also passionate and quite tender, as he asserts, “I am the luckiest man alive / Did I tell you baby / You’re the joy of my life.”

“Hillbilly Blood” 

Following a sensational cover, Stapleton returns to originals beginning with 🎵 “Hillbilly Blood.” Consistency continues to be the modus operandi, as is the case with every Chris Stapleton album I’ve heard. Sure, “Hillbilly Blood” is moderate in pace, but there’s plenty of intensity that makes it compelling and quite intriguing. Part of the intensity, and the allure is an unapologetic approach by Stapleton.  This includes some perfectly situated profanity. No f-bombs mind you, but still, fit’s the attitude conveyed by the record.

From “Hillbilly Blood” we move to ✅ 🎵 “Maggie’s Song,” which sounds characteristic of Chris Stapleton through and through.  The harmonic progression and overall sound reminds me of “Friendship,” one of my favorites from From a Room: Volume 2.  They aren’t one and the same of course; Maggie happens to be the singer’s late dog.  It’s a very touching record that should connect to animal lovers everywhere.  Once more, the chorus is on-point, as Stapleton sings, “Run, Maggie run / With the heart of a rebel child / Oh, run, Maggie run / Be just as free as you are wild.” From there, we move from a major key to a minor key on 🎵 “Whiskey Sunrise,” which he wrote with 🎙 Tim Krekel. It’s not only the darkness of the minor key that provides a chance of pace. Stapleton once more exhibits that assertive side as the record percolates.  The depiction of alcoholic consumption is incredibly gritty to say the least!

“Worry B Gone” 

If the “Whiskey Sunrise” felt a wee bit too dark and heavy, Chris Stapleton is carefree on the fun ✅ 🎵 “Worry B Gone.”  While Stapleton would love to claim a songwriting credit for this gem, “Worry B Gone” was penned by 🎙 Gary Nicholson, 🎙 Guy Clark, and 🎙 Lee Roy Parnell (Clark recorded it years ago).  Nonetheless, like “Joy of My Life,” Stapleton has knack for covering the music of other artists. “Worry B Gone” fits him perfectly, in addition to providing a stark contrast to “Whiskey Sunrise” that precedes it.  Interestingly, another Guy Clark cover follows in 🎵 “Old Friends.” Once more, Stapleton provides stark contrast, slackening the pace, and incorporating spoken word verses.

“Watch You Burn” 

After two consecutive covers, the pen returns into Stapleton’s hands (with some co-writers too).  🎵 “Watch You Burn,” the 12^th track from Starting Over certainly packs a mean punch.  Sure, it begins minimally, but the build-up is pretty sweet. Gritty Chris Stapleton is the absolute best!  From there, there’s the penultimate record, ✅ 🎵 “You Should Probably Leave,” co-written with Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois. The writing is definitely on-point with that team. Also, worth noting, the production sounds particularly slick here – quite a refined effort by Stapleton and Dave Cobb.  Still, we get those cutting vocals from Stapleton, lovely harmonized vocals, and bluesy guitar and Hammond B3.

Honestly, had “You Should Probably Leave” have concluded Staring Over, it would’ve been quite alright with me.  Even so, 🎵 “Nashville, TN,” co-written with 🎙 Morgane Stapleton is more fitting – a proper coda.  Quite beautiful, I really love the reflective nature of this record, particularly the chorus:

“So long, Nashville, Tennessee
You can’t have what’s left of me
And as far as I can tell
It’s high time, I wish you well
You build me up, you set me free
You tore down my memories
So you be you and I'll be me
So long, Nashville, Tennessee.”

Also, the use of pedal steel is pretty sweet too!

Final Thoughts 💭

Once again, Chris Stapleton comes through big on Starting Over.  Over the course of 14 tracks, he makes no missteps – no glaring miscues! One of the reasons Starting Over is so successful is the album sequencing, which is incredibly well thought out.  Has Stapleton made the country album to beat in 2020? The answer is a resounding YES. 

✅ Gems 💎: “Starting Over,” “Devil Always Made Me Think Twice,” “Cold,” “Arkansas,” “Joy of My Life,” “Maggie’s Song,” “Worry B Gone” & “You Should Probably Leave”

🎙 Chris Stapleton • 💿 Staring Over • 🏷 Mercury Nashville • 🗓 11.13.20

[📷 : Mercury Nashville]