Country duo Florida Georgia Line are big stars in the US and their popularity is rising here in the UK. Members Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley met at Belmont University in 2008 and they released their debut album Hereās To The Good Times in 2012. That album sold over 2 million copies in the US and topped the US Country chart. In October 2014 the duo released their follow-up album Anything Goes giving them their second US Country chart number 1 album and their first Billboard 200 number 1. To date the album has sold over 500,000 copies in the US and itās starting to give the band an international profile too.
Ahead of their appearance at this yearās C2C Festival, the band will be appearing in London, Dublin, Oslo and Stockholm, Florida Georgia Line is releasing a deluxe edition of Anything Goes in the UK. The album features all 12 tracks from the standard edition along with 3 bonus tracks; in the US the deluxe album was released as a Target exclusive.
Anything Goes builds on the genre-defying sound of the bandās debut album whilst ensuring that it maintains its country sensibilities. With their breakout hit Cruise, Florida Georgia Line showed that country music doesnāt have to stick within a restrictive formula by recording a remix with hip-hop star Nelly. Thereās nothing as mainstream appealing on Anything Goes but what Florida Georgia Line does is continue to establish a sound that is uniquely theirs. The album opens with the banjo-driven Anything Goes that immediately reintroduces the duoās signature harmonies.
Once the title track is over Florida Georgia Line move into party mood giving shout outs to inspirations such as country legend Merle Haggard and rock legend Mick Jagger, and sharing their hopes of getting stoned and laid. The song could be a companion to Little Big Townās smash hit Day Drinking with the two songs sharing similar beats and sentiments.
Florida Georgia Line do show a few different sides to their talents across Anything Goes. Dirt, the albumās lead single, is one of the more heartfelt moments on the record proving the band can sound great without the bravado. Elsewhere on the album Sippinā On Fire is one of the strongest tracks on the record with a memorable chorus and infectious melody, Like You Aināt Even Gone further incorporates elements of hip-hop into the bandās sound, and Every Night is a perfect blend of country, rock and hip-hop.
Of the three bonus tracks Girl on the Radio is the standout moment. The fast-paced vocal delivery from Hubbard pushes forward the hip-hop influence the band regularly incorporates into their music and the chorus is destined to be blasted out from many a radio station. The other two tracks ā Dance For Me and Thatās Whatās Up ā are standard Florida Georgia Line that are solid efforts but unlikely to be favourites from the set.
Anything Goes is a solid album from Florida Georgia Line that further cements their position as one of the leading acts in country music at the moment. For their next effort weād like to see them push further out of their comfort zone but itās clear with Anything Goes that theyāve crafted an album full of radio-friendly hits that will keep their core fan-base happy and continue to appeal to the mainstream.
Florida Georgia Line will be performing at C2C in London on Saturday 7th March 2015. For more information and tickets head over to www.c2c-countrytocountry.com. Watch Florida Georgia Line’s music video for Sun Daze below: