‘Amos,’ the sophomore album by Florida country artist Michael Ray is an enjoyable country album without being transcendent.   

Michael Ray once told us that “Real Men Love Jesus,” and that he’d “Kiss You in the Morning.” Sigh. Both songs appeared on the Florida country singer’s self-titled, major-label debut, released in 2015. He’s back with his sophomore album, Amos.  All in all, it’s an enjoyable project without being transcendent or ‘moving the needle.’  

“Fan Girl” 

Michael Ray keeps things incredibly simple and care free on “Fan Girl”, where he’s ‘fan-girl-ing’ his bae. The record lacks depth, but it’s good ole, fun, respectable-enough contemporary country.  The premise of the song is illustrated in catchy, if corny fashion on the chorus.

On “One That Got Away”, backed by fun, energetic production, Ray sings confidently and enthusiastically about a ‘one of a kind girl.’ According to him, she’s a mix of good and bad. Even though he likes her, he knows she’s way too wild, yet he’s excited for a thrilling ‘one night only show,’ evidenced by the chorus.  In addition to being “one hell of a one that got away,” “One That Got Away” is “one hell of song,” for the most part.

“Summer Water”

“Summer Water” remains true to country music; Ray doesn’t opt for any ill-conceived pop experiments.  With a great voice at his disposal, he delivers a well-rounded performance.  There aren’t many frills or surprises, but he’s polished and incredibly sound.  There’s nothing groundbreaking, regardless of the magic he swears by “in the summer water.”  This is an old-fashioned, down south narrative that reminisces simpler times.

“Get to You” centers around opening yourself up to love. In this particular case, Ray is trying to get a woman who has been hurt to stop running away from love and embrace it.  Throughout the course of this beautiful, thoughtful ballad, he emphasizes that he isn’t like her past disappointments.  The centerpiece is the chorus.

“Run away, run away from love

What the hell are you so scared of?

You walk away when you’ve had enough

Of trying, of trying

Girl there’s always gonna be some pain

A little sunshine, a little rain

It doesn’t mean it ain’t worth it babe

I’m trying, I’m trying to get to you.”

A smidge of pop comes into the picture on the minor-key “Forget About It.” Ray delivers agile melodic lines on the verses, though labelling it ‘pop-rap’ would be an overstatement. Thematically, it isn’t far removed from “Get to You,” as Ray tells the female character, to ‘forget about’ a lame guy.  Good, if cliché.

“Her World or Mine”

Balladry is definitely one of Ray’s strong suits as an artist, evidenced on “Her World or Mine”. Beyond the sheer beauty of his pipes, he’s incredibly authentic; his performance is believable, relatable, and well-rounded.  The production is incredibly sophisticated and true to the country script, while the songwriting is well-crafted.

“You’re On” plays extremely well to the country base, eschewing pop cues. The subject matter – an awesome girl who’s “on your way to killing me tonight” – has been done a couple of times … The rhythmic, mid-tempo “I’m Gonna Miss You” brings back the potential for a crossover audience, without going too far left of center.  Slickly produced, fundamentally, it’s country through and through. Still, there’s that quasi-pop-rap section…hmm.  A decent chorus heals all ails, right?  

“Dancing Forever”

“Dancing Forever” slackens the pace, highlighting Ray’s balladeer strength. Again, he sings well without compelling with ‘brand-new,’ innovative ideas.  The same can be said of “Girl from Spring Break.”  Many male country artists struggle with outgrowing past their youthful days, often reminiscing to back-when.  Ray does this on “Girl from Spring Break,” but he mostly speculates where “that girl from spring break” is presently.  Snapshots highlight the reminiscent, sentimental closer, “Drink One for Me.”  Of course, no shocker that beer is involved.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Amos is an enjoyable country album, however, it isn’t transcendent and doesn’t ‘move the needle’ or ‘swing the pendulum.’ Regardless, Michael Ray is talented, with some of his best moments coming by way of ballads, even if the themes and ideas aren’t innovative. 

Gems: “Fan Girl,” “One That Got Away,” “Get to You,” “Her World or Mine” & “Girl from Spring Break”

Michael Ray • Amos • Warner Music Nashville • Release: 6.1.18

Photo Credit: Warner Music Nashville