‘Blame It All on Country Music’, the new EP from Big Machine newcomer Chase McDaniel is punchy, slick, clean pop country that isn’t afraid to touch on difficult lyrical content in both ways. It’s out today (January 26th) and can be found in all the usual places.
Chase McDaniel’s journey so far has been one of many ups and downs. Hailing from Greensburg, Kentucky, Chase is considered one of Nashville’s most tenacious singer-songwriters, and having gone from jobless and down to his last $12 to now releasing his debut EP, signed to Big Machine Records/Big Machine Label Group, I think that’s a fair analysis! Chase marks his signing to Big Machine with his new EP ‘Blame It All On Country Music.’
The EP is undeniably eclectic from start to finish, and thanks to some varied production takes the listener on quite the journey in its roughly 20 minute runtime. Whilst 4 of the 6 tracks have been released previously, it’s the ordering of the tracks that gives them entirely new context.
The EP smartly kicks off with the huge chanted chorus of its eponymous track ‘Blame It All On Country Music’. This track is almost like the exposition of a classical concert giving you a little bit of everything you can expect in the remaining tracks: big 80s guitars, filtered hip-hop elements, some throwback Bakersfield country allusions, heavily auto-tuned poppy vocals and some truck/beer/girl driven southern narratives that we’ve become somewhat accustomed to in country idiom. I’ll have no doubt lost a lot of readers there, but for those that are still reading, and don’t mind their country a touch ‘bro’, it’s worth sticking with. This track can be a bit of a challenge on the first listen with so much going on, and such major scene changes from section to section, but it keeps the track exciting. By the time you’ve reached the slowed down ritornello ending (when did you last hear one of those in modern country music?) you’re wanting both a moment to catch your breath, and also desperate to hit back and take it all in again.
However, with no time to rest your thrust into the midst of ‘Relapse’ which could easily have been a pitch for Sam Hunt that he never cut. The way Chase delivers the first lines, it’s clear to see the inspiration for this one. Pop country to its core with 808 kicks, and programmed claps throughout the first verse, this track walks on the well trodden ground of returning to a previous lover and being unable to control oneself. The chorus takes on somewhat Olivia Rodrigo-esque indie/emo rock sounding stabs, accenting the first 2 beats of each bar, a lot like Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’. This one is a ball of energy, and whilst the programmed sounding banjo gets a touch repetitive, the overall vibe of this one will please most modern country fans.
Next we turn to one of the stand-out tracks of the EP, ‘Your daughter’, with undeniably the smartest hook of the EP. Whilst the notion of ‘how could you have ever left her?’ in relation to describing a current lover’s ex has been covered in many-a-song, ‘Your Daughter’ talks about Chase’s sister and the relationship with her Dad. ‘When you sober up maybe you should call her, ‘cause I’m the man who loves your daughter’ really summarises the track. It’s smart, it’s heartfelt, it musically lands just right, and overall, it makes the song. This track had me drawing strong comparisons with Kelsea Ballerini’s first two records and had me wondering if Chase is the closest thing to a genuine male Kelsea we’ve seen yet? With the delicate acoustics, poppy drums and 80s synths, it might be the closest I’ve heard. The structure of this song is also refreshing as it breaks the mould and ends with the 3rd breakdown chorus never coming back up. Different.
At this point we do a complete 180 as ‘Drop your Tailgate’ blasts through the speakers. If any track was going to polarise audiences, this is it. If you didn’t like Nelly and FGL’s ‘Lil Bit’, I would suggest you’ll probably be scrabbling for the skip button on this track too. With lyrics such as “Bump that bass… drop it low girl, to the flow girl, if there’s a twang in your thang let it show girl” and “girl driving me crazy, lovin’ the way you drop your tailgate” it’s arguably not one for the wordsmiths out there, either. However, if you don’t mind a little bit of fun rock guitar-meets-hip-hop crossover, then it’s got something going for it. It’s enjoyable, if lacking in substance. I just wouldn’t line it first up on a playlist for your bro-country hating partner on your next long journey…
‘Project’ is the next track up and take us back to our genre-busting madness from track 1. ‘Project’ sounds a lot like hearing Toto IV meets country for the first time, as we’re treated to full on 80s synth pads and unashamedly obvious synth brass. With a hip-hop feeling beat underneath, and Lukather-like solo guitar lines throughout, it feels fresh, as these elements get re-contextualised. It’s a heavily rhythmic track, and this is felt in the vocals too, which have a semi-rapped delivery throughout, describing how the lover should “Save yourself the heartache… Baby I’m a project”. It’s track that bounces a long and feels like an amalgamation of many elements we’ve heard throughout so far.
Finally we reach track 6, ‘Somebody Like Me’. Undoubtedly the most poignant track of the EP with Chase talking about how it’s difficult to discuss mental health and ask for help in southern society, and how he can’t be the only one. This track feels the most like what we’re getting on country radio right now, with Rascal Flatts style harmonies throughout chorus, Lady A-like ballad piano and a throwback to Chase’s Sam Hunt style vocal in the middle 8. At 4 minutes this track is certainly longer than most country radio tracks nowadays, but it doesn’t feel like it. With anthemic Coldplay-esque guitars that play out to the end of the track, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this as the end to Chase’s live set at upcoming dates, and makes perfect sense to end the EP.
In some ways ‘Blame It All On Country Music’ feels a lot like a compilation of the potential directions in which Chase could head, and almost begs the question of “why don’t you pick a lane”? However, I believe for a lot of modern listeners whose listening habits vary drastically thanks to our modern methods of music consumption, it’s this willingness to create freely and bend typical genre boundaries, that draws us in.
If you’re into modern country-pop that isn’t afraid to explore a whole host of musical elements from the past few decades, and don’t mind the sound being a little ‘plastic’ at times, then this is for you. It’s definitely pop, not the Nashville band in a room sound that’s typically found blended with pop, on the radio. Whilst ‘Your Daughter’ and ‘Somebody Like Me’ stand out in terms of their lyrical content and sentiment, the rest of the EP is maybe a little lighter on lyrical depth than many country fans may want. Despite that, it’s a groove filled, generally fun EP with a great vibe and modern production.
Tracklist: 1. Blame It All On Country Music 2. Relapse 3. Your Daughter 4. Drop Your Tailgate 5. Project 6. Somebody Like Me Release Date: January 26th Record Label: Big Machine Buy ‘Blame It All On Country Music’ right here.
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