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Scotty McCreery – ‘Same Truck’ review

Since winning ‘American Idol’ in 2011, Scotty McCreery has managed to beat the odds and carve a very successful career out for himself. While he may not have reached the heights of fellow ‘American Idol’ winner Carrie Underwood, McCreery has released four studio albums – three of which have topped the charts – and his debut record ‘Clear As Day’ was certified Platinum. For 2018’s ‘Seasons Change’, McCreery switched record labels and he’s now part of the Triple Tigers family. Three and a half years on from the release of that album, McCreery is back with brand new album ‘Same Truck’.

With co-writing credits on 10 of the album’s 12 tracks, McCreery has well and truly put his stamp on ‘Same Truck’. The list of co-writers reads like a who’s who of modern Country music with the likes of Ashley Gorley, Zach Crowell and Rhett Akins among the collaborators. If you’ve heard the lead single ‘You Time’, then you’ll know exactly what to expect from this record. The lyrics cover the usual topics of trucks, romance and small towns, which means that these songs will likely feel familiar to you the minute you first hear them.

The title track opens the record with McCreery comparing the journey that is life to us all being in the same truck, battling the same challenges. The song could be seen as a call for people to come together during a time when the US is more divided than it’s ever been. It’s hopeful and optimistic, even if it’s not particularly realistic. Across the album’s 12 tracks, there’s not really anything new to find. Sonically the album stays in McCreery’s comfort zone combining his deep voice with radio-friendly instrumentation. The songs here are the kind of crowd pleasers that will delight fans at his shows but they’re unlikely to convert anyone who’s resisted McCreery’s charms this far.

‘It Matters To Her’ mines relationships telling the listener to put their woman first, ‘It’ll Grow On Ya’ marries stirring instrumentation for a tale of small towns, and ‘Home’ celebrates the rush of love changing your life. The uptempo ‘Small Town Girl’ has a catchy melody, even if its lyrics aren’t particularly original, and ‘That Kind of Fire’ sits in the midtempo yearning ballad category. Ending things on an emotional note with ‘How Ya Doin’ Up There’, McCreery saves his best song until last and it’s sure to resonate with those who have lost people near and dear to them during the pandemic.

‘Same Truck’ isn’t a reinvention of the wheel but it’s designed to hit McCreery’s hardcore fanbase, which it will most definitely do. He has one of the most distinctive voices in Country music and he’s proven himself to be incredibly popular over the years. Personally, I’d like to hear a bit more growth from McCreery and I’m interested to see what would happen if he pushed himself out of his comfort zone. Hopefully that’ll happen on the next record but ‘Same Truck’ is a perfectly enjoyable album that stays firmly in familiar territory.

Scotty McCreery - Same Truck
Credit Jeff Ray

Track listing: 1. Same Truck 2. You Time 3. It Matters to Her 4. Damn Strait 5. It’ll Grow on Ya 6. The Waiter 7. Why You Gotta Be Like That 8. Home 9. Carolina To Me 10. Small Town Girl 11. That Kind of Fire 12. How Ya Doin’ Up There Record label: Triple Tigers Release date: 17th September 2021 Buy ‘Same Truck’ now

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Pip Ellwood-Hughes Editor / Owner
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media.

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