Track45 – made up of Mississippi siblings Jenna, Ben and KK – originally got their start as individual songwriters, working with the likes of Morgan Wallen, Dierks Bentley, HARDY and Lauren Alaina, before coming together as a trio. They released their debut EP, ‘Small Town’, back in 2020, winning over fans with their strong harmonies and current yet classic sounds, drawing on influences including rock, country, pop and R&B. Now they’re back with their third collection, ‘Grew Up On’, the follow-up to their 2021 release ‘Big Dreams’.
The six-track set opens with ‘Drinkin’ and Thinkin”, a wistful break-up number with an epic feel about its arrangement and some rocky touches, including a wicked guitar riff late on. Right from the off what stands out are the trio’s harmonies. They blend together absolutely beautifully, especially on the chorus with its sharp lyrical delivery, and there’s a real richness about their vocals that elevates the song.
Those vocals are the thread that really pulls the whole EP together. On the title track, the group’s add an extra layer of sweetness to the dreamy, fiddle-heavy melody and soaring bridge alongside lyrical details referencing driving John Deeres ‘like I stole it’ and drawing hearts around Jesse’s name. Elsewhere, they show off their fun side on the jangly, punchy ‘Hate Me’ which puts a fun twist on the ex calling when they’re drunk, whilst their Southern drawl comes out on ‘Last Man In Tennessee’, which mixes a playful, swaggering feel with kiss-off lyrics in its singalong chorus and plenty of slide guitar.
For me the standout track of the bunch is ‘PCH’ (which doesn’t necessarily stand for what you think it does). It’s got a twangy melody and a laid-back, sunsoaked feel early on, before shifting into a slinky, sultry melody that pairs really well with the cautionary tale in the lyrics. I feel like it wouldn’t be out of place on the ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ soundtrack and the imagery and storytelling of the song shine through really strongly.
The project closes with ‘Family’, originally made famous by Bebe Rexha and David Guetta before Track45’s version went viral on TikTok. It’s a relative shift in gear from the rest of the project, with its piano-driven melody, focus on the group’s incredible vocals yet again and lyrics packed with warmth and affection about the value of friendship. To me it feels like a really positive, uplifting note to finish on and it’s definitely a direction I’d be interested to see them explore more of in the future.
Overall, with ‘Grew Up On’ Track45 have produced a fun, upbeat EP that highlights their standout skills as vocalists and their talents as songwriters. If I have any criticisms, for me it does feel like it lacks variety a little and I would have loved some more songs like ‘Family’ which would have really allowed those harmonies to stand out. However, it’s another strong collection of songs from them that will definitely draw in new fans as well as playing very well live, and I’m keen to see where they’ll go next from here.
Track listing: 1. Drinkin’ And Thinkin’ 2. Grew Up On 3. Last Man In Tennessee 4. Hate Me 5. PCH 6. Family Record label: This Is Hit/Stoney Creek Records Release date: 14th July 2023
