By Jamie Gerhartz
Correspondent
The popular country band Little Big Town released its eighth studio album “The Breaker” on Feb. 24. While this album has an old country feel to it, there are some modern twists that give it a fresh sound. The four-person band is currently touring the U.S. with this new album, and it seems to be a hit.
The album starts off with “Happy People,” an upbeat song with a pop sound. Although not a fan favorite, it’s still a nice light way to start off the album. It has an older country feel to it, which might speak to some classic country fans.
The album transitions into “Night On Our Side,” which starts out with captivating a cappella harmonies that grab our attention. Throughout the song, the harmonies continue — a notorious Little Big Town move.
According to the song’s iTunes description, Karen Fairchild, one of the band members, describes the next song, “Lost in California,” as the “standout track on the album.” This song has a chilling, yet calm melody accompanied by subtle harmonies that give the song a bit of an edge. It’s definitely one of the stronger songs in “The Breaker.”
The album later goes into “Drivin’ Around,” a fun song that starts off with strong a cappella harmonies, which seems to be a popular tactic for this album. The country/rock aspect of “Drivin’ Around” makes it an exciting listen that reminds us of the summer nights spent driving around with the windows down.
Though that song as well as “We Went To The Beach” both exude nostalgic summer vibes, the latter is lighter with some soft harmonies that make it a chill listen. The vocals are soft, yet still on point.
Written by Taylor Swift, “Better Man” is tinged with her usual break-up song bitterness. The lyrics are sad, but genuine, which fits into the theme of the album, and the harmonies in the chorus tie the whole song together.
“Rollin’” is a fun, head bobbing song, however, it is the outcast on the album. Most of the songs are either slow and emotional or fun and dancy, while this song has more of a rock/country vibe.
The last two songs on the album are slow ballads that have a lasting impact. “When Someone Stops Loving You” is a beautiful melody laden with sadness and nostalgia as it describes what it feels like when someone’s love for another is no longer returned. It’s a somber, yet realistic expectation of modern-day romantics. You can feel the emotion and passion behind the song through the powerful vocals and harmonies.
“The Breaker” is soft and slow with great guitar melodies and some accompanying harmonies. It’s the perfect fit for the album title because it combines several aspects from their previous songs. It almost serves as a reflection for the rest of the album in terms of its sound and theme.
This album’s intricate harmonies and passionate lyrics seem to be a trend, as they are in Little Big Town’s other albums. Although there are a couple of stragglers in “The Breaker,” the album is worth a listen.
