A Lighthearted but Personal Country Album from Samantha Rae

If you are in the mood for some great country music that isn't afraid to be honest, tell stories, but still be slightly wild, fun, colorful, and full-bodied, then I have the perfect album for you.

Samantha Rae released a record called The High Road, and it embodies both classic and fresh approaches to Country, Americana, and more, all with this amazing vibrancy and artist presence that you can't turn away from.

The album delves into different styles and approaches, blending plenty of rock and soul with that classic country come again, breeding fresher and more current feels in the mix, and keeping it all cohesive and consistent while delivering massive personality, which I think is one of the things you get attached to the most.

There's a lot of Country music out there, and Country fans are absolutely die-hard. Some country artists are a little more whimsical, while others are a little bit more serious. Samantha manages to take those two elements and sort of mesh them together so that you have something that doesn't take itself too seriously, but also does give a little bit of vulnerability at times, tells some great stories, and has a great time doing it.

I also hear a lot of classic rock influence in this album as well. The very first track on the record is a perfect example of that classic rock and Americana/country blend.

"Taking Me Down" has a lot of soulful and deep-pocketed grooves to it, amazing guitar work, and her vocal performance is just robust and sort of in your face.

What's more is that this is also a great example of a track that showcases some of her vulnerability and honesty.

The song comes from a real place, and you can tell when you listen to it. The lyrics are very straightforward and performed with gusto.

This is one of the things that showcases all of that character in The Music. She is kind of light-hearted, even with certain things that are very personal.

Songs like "Gaslighter" also give you this same kind of vibe and aesthetic.

Throughout this record you have layers of amazing guitar work and thick-bodied instrumentation that shine through and add these different textures and tones to the songs.

The whole thing has a sort of brightness to it, and I'm not afraid to say that a lot of these tracks have a certain kind of pop undertone that is always there.

This comes into play with plenty of songs, but for certain ones it shows a little bit more.

Tracks like "143 (I Love You)" give you that great pop overtone, brightness, colorful and vibrant sort of feel, and it's a song that still sticks to that southern, roots underbelly, but it's danceable, engaging, and again, just riddled with character the whole way through.

So, throughout this record, you get all of these different elements of Country, pop, rock, Americana, folk, and more, all rolled into one big record.

Certain songs boast a more Soulful and straightforward country approach, like "I Only Cry In Trucks", which also shows that sort of personal and almost vulnerable attribute to her personality, just coming right out there in a whimsical way.

Again, it's light-hearted. She's able to pull this off because of how she performs and how she's able to turn out these catchy hooks for choruses, while still having them feel very lush with loads of great instruments happening and she's got a certain charm.

"Back To You" is a song that hits me a certain way because it has a little bit more of a serious tone. It's less lighthearted although still bounces and feels good to listen to you, has a bright overtone, and sheds light to other aspects of her personality, this one has a bit more of a cinematic feel to it.

It's a song about love, and she took this one to heart and made it more of a serious single.

I just really enjoy how she can take these different directions while still keeping everything in one place. Whether it's serious, more humorous, or lighthearted, she still manages to give pieces of herself in her music, and I think that's what counts.

The closing track on the record, "Time", works amazingly to end the release, as it is still kind of cinematic and does have great instruments like lap steel, it is softer. It has an acoustic guitar and comes through more as a ballad than anything else.

This is a record that I suggest listening to all the way through from start to finish.

Listening to a few songs may give you an idea of what you can expect, but will not give you anywhere near the full spectrum of what the full album has to offer.

There are plenty of surprises around its corners, plenty of character to showcase, and the whole thing is completely enjoyable.

I would definitely check this out as soon as you can, because it's amazing for any country music fans out there.

Dive into this album so you can hear exactly what I'm talking about.

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