Country riser Conner Smith has had quite the year. He kicked off 2024 with the release of his debut album ‘Smoky Mountains’, which features his breakthrough hit ‘Creek Will Rise’. In March he performed as part of the line-up at C2C in the UK and over the summer his song ‘Steal Your Thunder’ featuring Tucker Wetmore was featured on the soundtrack from the blockbuster smash ‘Twisters’. August saw the release of live EP ‘Smoky Mountains Sessions’ and now, before 2024 bows out, Smith is unleashing even more new music with his new 5-track EP ‘The Storyteller’.
Anyone who had heard ‘Smoky Mountains’ will know that Smith is part of the movement of young Country artists taking the genre back to its roots. He is moving past the pop, R&B and hip-hop inflected Country that has dominated the charts, choosing to hark back to 90s and 00s Country, where the focus was on telling real stories. New EP ‘The Storyteller’ takes that mission one step further with 5 perfectly crafted songs that really showcase what Smith can do as a songwriter.
Three of the tracks on the EP were written by Smith with Dwight Baker and Cleto Cordero; the contemplative title track, the upbeat thigh-slapping “Rollin’ Down the Road”, which features Cordero on guest vocals, and closing track ‘The Garden’, an acoustic-led gem that proves less can most definitely be more as Smith’s distinctive husky tone rings clear. ‘Nostalgia’, written by Smith and Baker, feels like the most obvious radio single combining a thumping beat as Smith sings about looking back on a relationship that has passed due to differing wants.
Where Smith really soars though is when he writes on his own. Those songs have tended to be among his best and that’s the case on this EP. ‘Faith From a Farmer’, which sits right in the middle of the track list, is the highlight here. It hits all the right notes by telling a real story about small town life, the kind of which the Country music genre has long been known for. Touching upon family and working, and the power of faith, it’s a song that sounds like a classic we’ve known for years while at the same time remaining fresh. It’s the best song Smith has released to date.
‘The Storyteller’ EP is further proof that Smith is an artist worth keeping an eye on. He’s making real Country music and his song-writing is superior to a lot of what’s out there in the genre right now. Taking Country music back to relatable stories, Smith is setting out the foundations for a long and successful career, and it’s not long before he elevates to one of the leading stars of the modern Country music scene.
Track list: 1. The Storyteller 2. Nostalgia 3. Faith From a Farmer 4. Rollin’ Down the Road (feat. Cleto Cordero) 5. The Garden Record label: Valory Music Co. Release date: 4th October 2024 Buy ‘The Storyteller’ EP now
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