Sam Hunt, Liberty | Song Review 🎵

Country singer/songwriter Sam Hunt returns with an intriguing, vibe-filled, modern country song with “Liberty.”

“The souls of men / Who fought and died if they rise again / And they come for us, wrong or right / In God we trust / At dawn, we’ll ride.” ‘Merica! Believe it or not, contemporary country singer/songwriter Sam Hunt has only released two albums.  In 2014, the Grammy-nominated musician had a breakthrough, multiplatinum LP with Montevallo.  The album fit firmly into the changing face of country music to incorporate hip-hop, pop, and R&B.  Six years later, he unveiled Southside which wasn’t as big but still earned Hunt a platinum plaque from the RIAA. Now, late into 2024, we’re still waiting for a third studio album. Despite a lack of prolificness in album releases, Hunt has released singles. This includes “Liberty” which was released before Election Day. 

“Liberty” is a trip. In some ways, it hearkens back to what Hunt sounded like in 2014. The cadence and flow have hip-hop sensibilities while still embracing country music. Early on, the lyrics ‘catch the ears.’ Why? Sam Hunt says and reflects on a lot of things. “Life is but a dream, Psilocybin in the spring / Made the foggy water roll / The Book of Revelation sing.” Word…  He tells us about a dream of burying a dog with his son and spotting an Osprey (as opposed to a bald eagle)… make of it what you will.  In the second verse, there are country and spiritual references (“Old church, holy ground / Tore us up when they tore it down”), gratitude for his wife, and appreciation for this “Sleepy little town.” The chorus is the section to beat, in its Americana and countrified glory!

“Give me liberty or give me death

Forty hours and a day of rest

Autumn leaves on these country roads

Grab a hand, y’all, bow your heads…”

“Liberty” is intriguing.  Does it all come together perfectly? No, but the vibe is vibing, and that accounts for something! As always, Hunt sings well, and the production, a fusion of country and contemporary music, works well.

Sam Hunt // “Liberty” // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 11.1.24

Sam Hunt, Liberty [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; UMG Recordings, Inc.; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]