Country artist Randall King, a modern traditionalist from West Texas, draws inspiration from the endless plains of his upbringing. Influenced by classic country icons like Keith Whitley and George Strait, as well as modern stars such as Eric Church and Dierks Bentley. King has developed a gritty yet graceful sound that has come to fruition delightfully and coelesced into something incredibly meaningful on new album ‘Into the Neon.’
Raised on the plains of West Texas, Randall King honed his craft with countless nights spent strumming his guitar under the expansive skies, backlit by the stars’ neon glow. Flash forward to today, and King’s road warrior diet finds him revitalizing Country’s neo-traditional sound under a different kind of neon – the radiant glow from the signs of nearly 150 honky tonks he performs in across the country each year.
After honing his craft across a number of years King released the defiant EP ‘Another Bullet’ in 2016, followed by a self-titled album in 2018. Under the production of Bart Butler and Ryan Gore, King made a massive leap forward and added an organic, timeless sound to the mainstream with his major label debut album, ‘Shot Glass’ in 2022 and now here in 2024 we find him consolidating the sound & style of ‘Shot Glass’ but also pushing the boundaries of his creativity on ‘Into the Neon.’ This is an artist growing and developing into something really special and unique before our very eyes, folks!
‘Into the Neon’ is a dynamic journey through modern Texan country, offering a mix of slick, mid-tempo tracks, poignant ballads and honky tonk anthems. The album opens with ‘One Night Dance’ setting the tone for the journey ahead with some grandiose declarations of love and commitment. Backed by laid-back, retro country instrumentation and an infectious melody that repeats the album’s theme of ‘going into the neon,’ an analogy for challenging yourself to explore situations and emotions hitherto held at arms length, the tone & feel is established from the off.
Throughout the album you’ll hear a mix of George Strait-esque Texan Country, Dierks Bentley meets Tim McGraw style commerical Country and some good old Garth Brooks 90s vibe throwback bangers. With a polished sound reminiscent of Dierks Bentley and Tim McGraw, ‘Somewhere Over Us’ explores escaping memories of a failed relationship. The turn-of-the-century style and a stellar guitar solo place it firmly in the commercial country bracket alongside songs like ‘I Could be That Rain’, a slick, neo-traditional country song with modern production and an anthemic chorus about missing a lost love and the fabulous, future hit song in waiting ‘Burns Like Her,’ a song about love and obsession featuring tasteful, chugging guitars and radio-friendly vibes. The explosive chorus captures the pain of lost love, making it a potential fan favourite and radio hit to these ears.
If we’re talking radio hits, look no further than ‘Right Things Right’ or the fabulous Western influenced title track to provide the ammunition for success on that platform. ‘Right Things Right’ is a catchy, uptempo song carrying a light touch and breezy banjo through line as it builds throughout to a huge chorus where King sings about all the things people can do to stay on the right side of life. Wisdom and melody combine here on a song destined to have a life outside the confines of this album. ‘The title track, ‘Into the Neon,’ meanwhile, is a cowboy-leaning anthem that builds to one of the strongest, most atmospheric choruses on the album. Playing with all the usual cowboy tropes, King plays the role of a wandering troubadour with a John Wayne attitude who moves from town, riding ‘into the neon,’ at the end of each stay on a bed of western-sounding guitars and open plains vibes. Fans of ‘Another Bullet,’ an early signature song for Randall King, will absolutely go nuts for this sequel-not-sequel as the cowboy in him rides again!
There’s a little funky fun hidden within the 18 tracks on ‘Into the Neon’ as well. With slightly heavier electric guitars, King channels 90s country artists on ‘What Doesn’t Kill You,’ a catchy, chorus-driven song about resilience. The memorable hook is centred around the idea that adversity makes you stronger, making it perfect for singing and dancing along to as well whilst funky guitar riffs and some southern rock vibes give ‘Good Feelin’ a Brothers Osborne-esque vibe in the verses before then morphing into something more akin to Jerry Reed in the uptempo, toe-tapping chorus. Fiddles run wild and drinking vibes abound here as King ponders which is going to hurt more, the girl or the Jack Daniels!
No Randall King album is complete without a range of honky tonk songs and heartfelt ballads. For the ‘tonkers’ amongst you, check out songs like ‘Tonk Til I Die,’ ‘When My Baby’s In Boots’ and ‘Coulda Been Love.’ You’ll find some classic, quintessential Texan bar room pianos, fiddles and the kind of beats that will make you wanna get up out of your chair and cut a rug. ‘Coulda Been Love,’ in particular, barrels along with a Garth Brooks-esque 90s chorus as King reflects on lost opportunities and what could have been driven by delightful fiddle and piano solos. Let’s go ahead and throw the fabulous ‘Damn You Look Good’ into the mix at this point. A slick George Strait meets Aaron Watson-style Texan country song, it comes across as a love song until a surprising twist in the very last line of the chorus brings the hammer blow that you weren’t expecting down in fine style. Clever lyrics and catchy melodies make this track a standout on an album full of songs that demand your attention and respect.
As you would expect, the ballads on ‘Into the Neon’ are also high-end, high quality stuff. Originally recorded by Alan Jackson, ‘The One You’re Waiting On’ tells a compelling story of a girl being stood up in a bar. King’s engaging storytelling and lush instrumentation do justice to the original, creating a delightful sonic landscape whilst ‘Hang of Hanging On’ (another potential hit song to these ears) is an emotional country ballad enriched with fiddles that reflects on growing up, falling in love, and finding comfort in the arms of a significant other. It carries echoes of early Garth Brooks, creating a nostalgic yet timeless feel. The album concludes with a heartfelt song about the effects of alcohol. ‘I Don’t Whiskey Anymore’ showcases Randall King’s soulful vocals within a sober-curious theme that is very popular in Nashville and in wider society right now. The plaintive steel and Texan country soul on offer here add depth to this reflective ballad as King reflects on past misdemeanours. ‘I’m good with just one pour….i don’t like me when I’m on it, so I don’t whiskey anymore,’ he sings, bringing the album to an impactful and mature close.
Throughout ‘Into the Neon’ Randall King showcases his rich vocals, thoughtful storytelling, and a seamless blend of modern and traditional country elements. The album encompasses a diverse range of emotions, from upbeat honky-tonk celebrations to heartfelt reflective ballads, making it a sure-fire contender to finish 2024 well placed within most people’s ‘Top Tens’ despite the fact it comes out so early in the year. King has consolidated his Texan sound & pushed a little further too, experimenting with a more commercial edge in some places and a more retro-nostalgic 90s one in others. This one has legs, folks, and is jam-packed with radio hits and dance hall bangers!
Tracklist: 1. One Night Dance 2. Somewhere Over Us 3. When My Baby’s in Boots 4. What Doesn’t Kill You 5. Hang of Hanging On 6. Burns Like Her 7. Good Feeling 8. The One You’re Waiting On 9. Into the Neon 10. Tonk Til I Die 11. But I Ain’t 12. Coulda Been Love 13. Damn You Look Good 14. Hard to be Humble 15. Right Things Right 16. As Far as We Go 17. I Could Be That Rain 18. I Don’t Whiskey Anymore Release Date: January 26th Record Label: Warner Nashville Buy ‘Into the Neon’ right here.
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