Three words on an album cover never rang so true; Nashville native Ernest writes earnestly on almost every track of his second double-album in as many years, released with Big Loud Records. There is no doubt that Ernest Keith Smith can write – he’s been writing prolifically for other artists for almost a decade, including Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett. Label mates, school friends and family appear throughout the twenty-six tracks, which includes a classic song from childhood, a Radiohead cover and a John Mayer cover.
Well, who has the time to listen to 26 tracks? With breaks, make time; Ernest and producer Joey Moi (Jake Owen, Morgan Wallen) found the time. With each listen of the album, every read of the lyrics, I discovered different appreciative facets to this hardworking artist.
Let me introduce you to ten of the best tracks, covers aside.
I love the rhythm and rolling opener ‘I Went to College/I Went to Jail’ featuring JellyRoll, which shares their origin stories, and references ‘son of a sinner’, the JellyRoll track that earned him multiple award wins, which Ernest co-wrote.
The highlight of the album, for me, is the Lukas Nelson collaboration, ‘Why Dallas’, an uptempo, fun track that I could easily put on repeat. Who doesn’t love a good geographical lyric, which highlights key states in between some impressive guitar soloing.
Morgan Wallen features on the ballad of heartbreak ‘Hangin’ On’ showcasing incredible vocal strengths from both artists, as well as a good helping of fiddle and steel guitar.Â
The mood kicks up with the tempo on the follow up track, ‘Did It For The Story’ which sounds cinematic in the delivery of the rapid vocals offering, to my mind at least, an abstract presentation of a one night stand.Â
The tempo lifts, along with the strings, on the insightful, ‘How’d We Get Here’, which could apply to the success of friendships as well as a relationship, and Nashville, Tennessee is an album of songwriters and artists who appreciate a good song, situated in decades of the beautiful Nashville sound. This is the only song that Ernest wrote by himself.
Lainey Wilson lends her incredible Dolly-esque vocals on the ballad, ‘Would If I Could’ charting a doomed relationship. With this much steel, you can almost hear the tears from the characters. Stunning.
Ernest’s son, Ryman, joined Dad on the stage at Fenway Park to perform the childhood classic, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and it’s a moment as adorable as it sounds. Placed just before the middle of the album, this could signify repetitions of songs or a significant change in tone, like the rest of the album wanders off, but it doesn’t. Rather like Stephen Wilson Jr’s 22-track Son of Dad, this is a full, cohesive album from an artist and songwriter who is just this good.
The haunting ballad ‘You Don’t Have To Die’ reminds me of the ‘70s hit Before The Next Teardrop Falls, and is probably the moment I realised the quality of Ernest’s songwriting. Here’s an artist with the history of Nashville (and Texan and Georgian) music running through his veins, alongside a love of hip hop and rap. There’s something of a renaissance going on in Nashville with babies born in the 90s writing up hit song after hit song, equally inspired by friendship, rap and traditional country that Ernest is the centre of.
‘Sayin’ You Love Me’ is a track I could imagine Kane Brown performing; Ernest was a co-write on the iconic Brown hit One Mississippi, which also focussed my mind to one of my new favourite songwriters.Â
The placement of the final song, effortlessly referencing Loretta, Alan Jackson, Cash, Haggard and Jones in the lyrics, ‘Dollar to Cash’ further reinforces that Ernest is a songwriter at the forefront of revival of traditional country told from a ‘90s kid who grew up influenced by Eminem and hip hop in a ‘90s town revered for rhinestones. Ernest, and friends, are doing things differently and they sound amazing.
Overall, there’s a familiarity on this album, with the sound appearing to curate decades of the right kind of country music, featuring plenty of fiddle, steel guitar and honkytonk. Nashville, Tennessee is a double album that will appeal to fans of traditional country, alternative country and collaborators, JellyRoll, HARDY and Morgan Wallen.
Track listing: 1. I Went To College / I Went To Jail (feat. Jelly Roll) 2. Ain’t As Easy 3. Why Dallas (feat. Lukas Nelson) 4. One More Heartache 5. Hangin’ On (feat. Morgan Wallen) 6. Did It For The Story 7. How’d We Get Here 8. Never Said I Love You 9. Would If I Could (feat. Lainey Wilson) 10. Honkytonk Fairytale 11. Smokin’ Gun 12. Twinkle Twinkle (Live At Fenway Park) [feat. Ryman Saint] 13. Life Goes On 14. If You Don’t Know By Now 15. You Don’t Have To Die 16. Redneck Sh*ttt 17. Small Town Goes 18. Kiss Of Death 19. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room 20. Ain’t Too Late 21. Sayin’ You Love Me 22. Summertime Flies 23. Ain’t Right Ain’t Wrong 24. Creep (feat. HARDY) 25. Bars On My Heart 26 “Dollar To Cash Record label: Big Loud Records Release date: 12th April 2024 Buy ‘Nashville, Tennessee’ right here
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