For better or for worse, Luke Bryan has infiltrated the country music scene and pushed its boundaries to places some hardcore country music fans refuse to accept.
Even so, Bryan’s latest album, “Kill the Lights,” has had great success and already reached No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 Albums Chart.
The title track, “Kill the Lights,” is probably not the type of tune a Hank Williams or Loretta Lynn fan would choose as a new favorite.
There is something about it that causes you to question whether or not it would be more appropriate to get your disco-groove on or to shuffle your boots and tip your hat — assuming that’s what a true country tune would inspire you to do.
And maybe that is the appeal. Not that disco country should be something any artist aspires towards, but tracks like these have differentiated Bryan throughout his career and offered something, whether you like it or not, that is unique while still being somewhat reminiscent of true country music.
These days though, if you associate with Nashville and have even a bit of a twang in your voice you can pass for a country music artist — just ask Taylor Swift.
Luke Bryan is well aware of his critics and has been pretty open about his sometimes questionable country sound.
Bryan recently told a journalist, “When I sing something, it’s going to be pretty dadgum country just by the way I sing.”
That sentiment is apparent in tracks like “Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” where dropping the ‘G’ off words is enough to signify a country sound.
Another song “Scarecrows” boasts a double negative and begins, “We didn’t have no downtown strip/We’d all pile in and take a two-mile trip/To where the road runs out.” (Side note: Is Luke from my hometown?)
While some say this album is a bit of a departure from Bryan’s typical style, can I be honest and say I can’t speak to that notion because I’m not at all sure what that typical style really is?
Maybe there are a couple of less cross-genre sounding songs on this album than his previous ones, but there are still plenty of “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” tracks such as “Kick the Dust Up” and “Move” that aren’t much of a departure from the aforementioned “typical style” of Bryan.
Still, there are more mellow songs such as “Fast,” which is a bit of a cautionary tale about how, you guessed it, life goes too fast.
Overall, this is an album that should continue to do well from an artist with staying power.
If you’re into collaborations, check out “Home Alone Tonight,” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild.
Other notable tracks: “Kick the Dust Up” and “Razor Blade.”
