After being involved with writing songs like ‘Honky Tonk Badonkadonk’ in the mid to late noughties Randy Houser released break out ballad ‘Anything Goes’ in 2008 and collections like ‘They Call Me Cadillac’, which was full of Southern rock, blues and Country music joy. This led to a record deal with Broken Bow Records in 2011 and number one hits but by his ‘Fired Up’ album in 2016 the tide had begun to turn.
A more slick, polished, commercial edge had begun to creep into his music that he didn’t like. Houser told Rolling Stone magazine, ‘Having those hits on ‘How Country Feels’ bridged a lot of gaps for me. It showed me a lot about myself and showed me what I don’t want to do.’. Speaking on the ‘Fired Up’ album, he also said, ‘You know why it sucks? Because it sounds like everything else…I recorded a lot of songs that I really had nothing to do with and didn’t feel anything for.’
A reset came in 2019 with the ‘Magnolia’ album, which Houser co-produced and wrote with the likes of Travis Meadows, Jaren Johnston and Hillary Lindsey and here we are in late 2022 with ‘Note to Self’, a reflective, earthy organic sounding album that screams ‘Peak Houser’ to these ears.
‘Note to Self’ is named after the song of the same name that has made waves in radio and across Nashville this year. The song is one of the most honest, raw and inspiring songs of the year, a kind of follow up to Tim McGraw’s ‘Humble and Kind’ in spirit. The lyrics touch upon strength, honesty, materialism, women, relationships and everything else in between! ‘Instead of taking her for granted, ‘ Houser sings at one point, ‘take her somewhere nice.’ It’s a song that makes you think, makes you feel and encapsulates what it means to be a good person in one three minute melodic sermon. A plaintive guitar solo and a drum driven crescendo in the final third really hammers the message home whilst you are waving your lighters in the air. This is Country music, right here, folks and it deserves to be a number one hit.
‘Note to Self’, ironically, isn’t the only song on the album that could be a radio hit during this earthy, organic phase of Randy Houser’s career. Both ‘Country Round Here Tonight’ and ‘Call Me’ are also worthy of wider attention and could have a life of their own beyond this album. The former is a slick, almost-Countrypolitan sounding retro number with an insanely catchy chorus. A simple, fiddle-driven song about simply just getting through the day to be able to go out in the evening, ‘Country Round Here Tonight’ is going to go down a storm at Houser’s live shows. ‘Call Me’, meanwhile, is a clever, plaintive heartbreak song in which Houser implores the girl to call him all the names under the sun, as long as she just calls him. Tasteful, restrained guitars kick in in the second verse as the song slowly reveals itself and, like most of the songs on this album, Houser’s rich, deep vocals, almost like an instrument in their own right, are layered over the top in an intense and intimate way.
There are so many songs on ‘Note to Self’ where Houser’s vocals shine. ‘Rub a Little Dirt on It’, another song imparting wisdom and grace, has a delightful melody that allows Houser to put his vocals front and centre whilst he reminds people that they shouldn’t be ‘scared to bleed’. ‘American Dreamer’, a patriotic. nostalgic and meaningful look at a country and maybe even an attitude that doesn’t exist anymore, does the same. A little blue-collar resilience begins to creep into this song before it explodes in a searing Bon Jovi-esque guitar solo as Houser sings about people busting their backs for the American dream.
That working class, blue-collar strength can also be found on rip-roaring tracks like ‘Workin Man’ and ‘Out and Down’, a couple of bar room rockers that will find a home and a cherished place in Houser’s set list in the months ahead. The former builds slowly towards a second verse explosion which highlights Houser’s song writing ability as the listener is taken on a real aural journey before ending up with their fists pumping in the air. ‘Out and Down’, meanwhile, is a simple rabble-rousing rocker about getting back up on your feet again after a break up. It will be a great listen for those people in need of ‘a second round of doubles’ and a big middle finger message to their exes!
The album ends in a reflective, spiritual place with ‘Remember How to Pray’, a quiet, acoustic song on which Houser reflects on his faith and its importance throughout the ebb and flow of his life. It’s a fitting place to end this particular phase of his career. It comes book-ended with album opener, ‘Still a Cowboy’, which is a powerful song on which Houser expresses thanks for his wife, Tatiana, who recently gave birth to their second child. Both songs are tied together by a similar narrative of thanks and could only come from the pen of an artist at peace with themselves and their place in the wider scheme of things.
Age and experience has brought a wisdom to Randy Houser’s writing that pays dividends across the whole of ‘Note to Self’. This is grown-up Country music for grown ups who have lived a little and are comfortable in their own skins. It’s a reflective, thankful album that is weathered a little around the edges, a bit battered and bruised but still standing and ready to have a good time! The quality of Houser’s writing and his rich, deep vocals make ‘Note to Self’ a rewarding and at times, inspirational listen. No longer chasing radio hits, Houser has written a tight, compact set of songs that are intrinsically linked together by the binding narratives he explores. Strength, faith, resilience and hope are the major themes writ large across ‘Note to Self’ and if you let Houser be your guide you might actually come out of the end of this journey a better person than you went in as, although your throat might be a little sore from all the singing you did along the way!
Tracklist: 1.Still That Cowboy 2. Workin Man 3. Note to Self 4. Country Round Here Tonight 5. Take it to the Bank 6. Call Me 7. Out and Down 8. Rub a Little Dirt on It 9. American Dreamer 10. Remember How to Pray Record Label: Magnolia Music Group Release Date: 11th November Buy ‘Note to Self’ now
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