I never expected to be writing this article, and trust me no one is more shocked about it than I am. As someone who has been a fan of Country music for the past 30 or so years, I’ve been baffled by the obsession that the genre’s fans have with Luke Combs. With the release of his new album ‘Fathers & Sons’ though, I might actually get the hype.
Since his breakthrough hit ‘Hurricane' in 2016, he’s rocketed to the top of the charts and established himself as one of the most popular artists in Country music. More than that, his appeal has enabled him to crossover to those who wouldn’t consider themselves Country music fans. He’s breaking down barriers that his contemporaries can only dream of but I’ve just never liked his music. Even after I saw him performing on the Main Stage as part of C2C: Country to Country in 2018, I remained distinctly indifferent.
As Combs has notched up hit-after-hit, and soared in popularity, I tried several times to understand what everyone sees in him. The closest I got was ‘Even Though I’m Leaving' from his second album ‘What You See Ain’t Always What You Get' but even then, I was hardly rushing to listen to the song on my streaming service of choice. Since that album Combs has released “Growin’ Up” in 2022 and “Gettin’ Old” in 2023, and still the appeal of the genre’s most omnipresent star passed me by.
Last Friday Combs released his latest album ‘Fathers & Sons' and the strong reaction that fans were having to it grabbed my attention. Fans who’d previously worshipped the ground he walked on, were complaining that the new record was dull and not as good as his previous ones. At the same time, those Country lovers that didn’t get the Combs hype were saying the total opposite. Convinced that I’d give it a cursory listen, and never play it again, I headed to Apple Music and found ‘Fathers & Sons'.
The 12-track record is a concept album, exploring the relationships that fathers have with their sons and vice-versa. Combs digs deep into what it means to be both a father and a son, expressing his hopes for his own son and his reflections on his relationship with his own father. The album’s production team remains the same as Combs’ last few records with Combs himself working alongside Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton, but somehow the music is just… different.
An artist I’ve often dismissed as someone who just regurgitates the same song over and over, has caught my attention by making the album I’ve always wanted from him. Lyrically this collection is deeper than anything he’s written before, and production wise it’s more stripped back allowing his vocals to breathe alongside the instrumentation. Critics have said that the album is samey and pointed to the narrow subject matter, but that’s not been my experience. From opening track ‘Front Door Famous', which shines a spotlight on how nothing beats the enthusiasm of a child greeting their father when he returns home, through to the emotional closing track ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame', which explores the longing that a son has to spend time with his father, these songs hit in all the right places.
What I’ve always wanted from Combs is some authenticity and something beyond his trucker cup and red solo cup stage presence (seriously, the stage presence could do with some work). Listening to ‘In Case I Ain’t Around' brings a tear to my eye as Combs prepares for a life that his son may one day have to navigate without him while on ‘Whoever You Turn Out To Be', Combs paints himself as the kind of father who just wants the best for his children. Turning his attention to his own father, ‘Remember Him That Way' captures that feel we all get as we watch our fathers (and mothers) age. It’s hard. Life is tough. Combs captures that difficulty perfectly with more emotion coming from his vocal than I’ve ever heard before. I could pick out every single song but we already have an album review on Entertainment Focus, and honestly by this point I’m sure you get my drift.
I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest I’ll be snapping up tickets for Combs’ next World Tour but I’m definitely more open to listening to his output moving forward. Should he decide to do an acoustic tour that focuses on this record, I’ll consider going as this is a side of Combs that I’m enjoying hearing. This is the artist that is underneath all of the sheen and polish of his previous work, and mining the familial relationships that so often underpin Country music is something that works for him. His hardcore fans may be disappointed but ‘Fathers & Sons' is a serious contender for my ‘Albums of the Year' list.
Luke Combs’ new album ‘Fathers & Sons' is out now via Sony Music.
