Artist: Colt Ford
Album: Thanks For Listening
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Label: Average Joe’s Entertainment
While country-rap is far from our favorite thing in music, we actually don’t mind Colt Ford. Some of his singles, such as “Twisted” (with Tim McGraw), “Back” (with Jake Owen) and “Drivin’ Around Song” (with Jason Aldean) are pretty enjoyable, and his style is closer to spoken word than full on rap. But despite the fact that he has delivered many delightful tunes, we went into this album with modest expectations. Did he live up to them? Ehhhh, kinda.
Let’s set this straight: There are a lot of crappy songs on this album. Some of them are un-listenable. “Cut ‘Em All” featuring Willie Robertson (from Duck Dynasty) is the distinct low point of the album. It’s hard to make it through the entire track. The production is obnoxious and the lyrics are cliched to death – there is not one positive aspect of the song. “Crank It Up” is a hillbilly rock/hick hop anthem about partying. You’re probably surprised to hear that – especially since the title showed so much promise (yes, that was sarcasm). “Outshine Me” is another party anthem built around a play on words (outshine referencing moonshine).
Three others tracks are simply mediocre rather than flat out terrible. “Farm Life” with Justin Moore and “Washed in the Mud” with Randy Houser are run-of-the-mill country pride offerings that bring nothing new to the table. They’re the type of songs that were all the rage 3 years ago and are just as irritating now as they were then. “Dirty Side” with Walker Hayes is grating and repetitive to the point that you’ll skip it halfway through, not because it’s terrible but because if you hear “every guy wants a girl that shows her dirty side” one more time you’ll punch a hole through the nearest wall.
The rest of the album is actually rather good. “She’s Like” with Keith Urban is a cliched but enjoyable pop-country effort, one that has serious potential as a radio single one day. “Crickets” with Jerrod Niemann is a well executed backwoods love song with a nice vibe to it, and “Workin’ On” (the new single) is a strong song about trying to improve as a person. The chorus is killer and shows that Ford can actually sing when he wants to. “The High Life” with Chase Rice is more cookie-cutter bro imagery but the production and melody makes it pleasant filler.
The two best songs on the album are “Thanks for Listening” with Daniel Lee and “Sip It Slow” with Lee Brice. The former is a thank you to his fans and all the people who made it possible for him to make music. It’s a genuine, heartfelt song with a catchy chorus that opens the album on a high note. “Sip It Slow” is a song about enjoying life. Maybe not quite as good as “Live Like You Were Dying” or “One Hell of an Amen” but very good nonetheless.
Is Thanks for Listening perfect? No, far from it. Is it awful? Again, far from it. It has it’s high points, and it has it’s low points. Let’s just cut back on the duds next time shall we Colt.
Rating: 3/5