Kip Moore pulls back on “Blonde,” the third single from his anticipated third studio album, ‘Slowheart.’ 

Kip Moore releases his third studio album, Slowheart, on September 8. For Moore, the competition is stiff – Thomas Rhett, Dustin Lynch, and Toby Keith all drop new albums the same day! Furthermore, it’s a congested new music release day beyond the country releases.  Nonetheless, Moore has been a promo beast, releasing five singles in advance of Slowheart: “Plead the Fifth,” “Bittersweet Company,” “More Girls Like You,” “The Bull,” and “Blonde.”

“Blonde” possesses a nice, soulful sound from the jump.  This isn’t your ordinary country joint.  Rather, “Blonde” sounds like a fusion of R&B, pop, and of course country. The production is selling point. Furthermore, the vocals from Moore are excellent.  He still has energy, yet he shows incredible poise, singing in more of an undertone than usual. This allows the emphasis to be on the lyrics, which tell a story about a girl who’s forgotten where she came from. The ease with which he sings with here is impressive.

The biggest con about “Blonde” is that it could percolate more.  Most of the time, when a song has been performed in a low-key approach, the expectation is that the ‘big moment’ is going to arrive, propelling the song forward.  While a peak does come for “Blonde,” it doesn’t have as much oomph as one would expect.  Yes, the grittiness, and ‘rootsy’ sound of Moore’s voice always packs a punch, but a little bit more would’ve taken this record to the next level.

Final Thoughts

All in all, “Blonde” is another enjoyable, well-rounded song from Kip Moore. Once more, the anticipation for Slowheart is lofty.  Moore impresses with his low-key vocals, while the production has plenty of crossover sensibility.  The biggest rub is the lack of that ‘knock it out of the ballpark’ moment.  Still, that’s not enough to come close to derailing this charming record.

Kip Moore • Slowheart • MCA Nashville • Release: 9.8.17

Photo Credit: MCA Nashville