Today, over eight years after the release of his debut album, Chuck Wicks released his sophomore album Turning Point. The artist, who has kept busy co-hosting America’s Morning Show with Blair Garner, showcases his many talents with this 11-track album. Not only did Wicks co-write each song, he decided to delve into the production world with co-producer and friend Andy Dodd.
Turning Point kicks off with “She’s Gone,” a song that embodies the consequences of knowing that the pursuit of a particular love interest is a risk, but deciding to ignore warning signs anyway. “She’s a walk through the wet wood wreckage from the house she burned,” he sings, “she’s a smoke still risin’ from the ashes from a lesson learned.” Although similar themes have been previously explored in Hunter Hayes’ “Storm Warning” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble,” Wicks brings his own melodic flavor to the table — one that is every bit as sultry and fervent as it is sugar sweet.
Perhaps the most lyrically earnest song on the album is “Us Again,” which, as Wicks told us in a recent interview, is the first song he knew he wanted to include on the record. The verses serve as a plea for what once was, followed by choruses that hit the gritty, desperate edge of yearning. If your musical taste leans on the side of vulnerability, Turning Point has its fair share of balladic melodies such as “Whole Damn Thing,” “Always,” and “Over You Gettin’ Over Me” that are easy to listen to and endearing, albeit occasionally somber. The songs break up the album nicely, giving Wicks an opportunity let his lyrics and incredible vocals shine. Wicks has a voice one never gets tired of listening to; it is one that resembles David Nail at times and Blake Shelton at others, always adding intrigue and passion to what he’s singing.
Just as Wicks knows how to ease listeners into his heartfelt, dancing-under-the-stars type songs, he knows a captivating album is one that takes his fans on a sonic roller coaster. “It’s very up and down, up and down,” Wicks explains. “[There’s] a lot of movement to this record. It’s very progressive, it’s very different from my very first record. And that’s what I wanted to accomplish is to put out a record that people immediately said, ‘Wow, this is not what I expected.’ I think I accomplished that.” The artist succeeds in this by bringing the tempo back up in sensual “Tell Me,” beach-y “Saturday Afternoon” and “Salt Life,” and ever-cheeky “Watcha Got Girl.”
Although there are many to choose from, one stand-out song on the album is “I Don’t Do Lonely Well,” which can be found on Jason Aldean’s Night Train. Originally written by and intended for himself, it is easy to hear Wicks’ raw emotions behind the heartbreaking lyricism — it invites an entirely new perspective to Aldean’s version that is bound to pull on fans’ heartstrings.
Despite a lengthy break from releasing recorded music, Wicks proves he can be a powerful contributor to the country music scene with Turning Point. For more information on Wicks and his music, visit chuckwicks.com and purchase Turning Point on iTunes or stream below.