Kip Moore delivers a strong, energetic performance on “The Bull,” a promo 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.”

The sound of “The Bull” is definitely a selling point.  The production makes nice use of a pad (keyboards), mixed with guitar.  In addition to the instrumental production, the vocal production work is strong. The vocal production makes Moore’s distinct, nuanced pipes stand out even more.  As far as the vocal performance, the rhythmic vocals by Moore on the verse are a definite pro.

The chorus is assertive and aggressive.  In regards to country music, the sound is very traditional and hard-hitting. The chorus is catchy to say the least.  It latches the first time you hear it:

“Thank you, uncle Dean, for teaching me La Bamba on guitar / Thank you girl from Broken Bow who shot an arrow through my heart / Thank you mama for the roll and / Thank you daddy for the rock / Most of all, most of all / Thanks to the bulls that bucked me off, woo.”

A souped-up guitar solo follows the second chorus. It’s great hearing the instrumentalists getting a chance to shine sans vocals.  The bridge section is thoughtful, lowering the dynamic level a bit, before bringing it back full-fledged on the following chorus.  “The Bull” ends raucously, which is fitting by all means.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Kip Moore delivers on “The Bull.” This is a pretty traditional sounding record, chocked full of energy, and a dash of rock.  It’s well-produced, well-performed, and definitely provides a lift to Slowheart “pre-game.”

Kip Moore • Slowheart • MCA Nashville • Release: 9.8.17 

Photo Credit: MCA Nashville