With his debut album ‘Winston-Salem,' North Carolina native Cooper Alan plants both boots firmly in the red clay of his upbringing and the electric chaos of his live shows. It’s a bold, double-sided concept record split between ‘Winston' — the heartfelt, rootsy, personal songs — and ‘Salem,' which captures the rowdy, rollicking energy that’s made him a viral sensation and a force on the touring circuit. Across the record, Alan crafts stories steeped in family, faith, and small-town grit, while still leaving plenty of room for whiskey-soaked humour and honky-tonk mayhem. It’s an ambitious, two-sided portrait that cements him as one of modern country’s most compelling new voices.
The ‘Winston' side opens with ‘Roots,' a melodic, Brooks & Dunn-meets-Tim McGraw anthem that honors the unsung heroes who keep small towns — and the nation — running: “First responders, teachers, truckers — backbone of the country.” It’s a spirited statement of intent, all twang and pride, grounded in Alan’s reverence for ordinary folks doing extraordinary work. From there, ‘Fourth of July' shifts into heavier emotional territory, examining PTSD through the eyes of a veteran: “Sounds like a battle, bombs outside, he’s pouring up another, hangin’ on for dear life.” The result is one of the album’s most powerful moments, a reminder of the quiet struggles behind patriotic celebrations.
Alan’s ability to blend the personal and universal shines on ‘La-Z-Boy' and ‘5×7.' The former is a tender, fiddle-laced ballad about his grandfather’s wisdom — the kind of quiet legacy only time can carve. The latter, a radio-ready love song, uses the image of a framed photo to recall the milestones of a life built with his wife: “I see five years of falling for you, seven months of saving up.” It’s catchy, heartfelt and nostalgic — think Lonestar in their prime, with just enough edge to feel modern. Together, they show Alan’s knack for storytelling that feels lived-in, not written.
That sincerity deepens with ‘Holy Ghost,' ‘Starting to Show,' ‘Better Dad' and ‘Good Mama' — four songs that form the emotional spine of ‘Winston.' ‘Holy Ghost' could sit comfortably next to peak Tim McGraw, a soaring ballad where Alan thanks his wife for pulling him from the dark. ‘Starting to Show' chronicles the next step in their journey — pregnancy — with disarming honesty: “I’m kinda freakin’ out, I can’t wait to count ten little toes.” ‘Better Dad' follows with a promise to “try and try till I get it right,” paying tribute to his own father's presence and parenting through love and humility, while ‘Good Mama' ties the threads together, praising both his wife and mother in a lyrical sleight of hand: “She’s just like you, she never gives up on me.” It’s country songwriting at its most classic — sentimental without ever tipping into syrupy.
‘Hard Acre,' one of the album’s finest cuts, stands as the emotional summit of the ‘Winston' half. With little more than piano and Alan’s rich, commanding voice, he tells the story of a widower forced to sell his land — a “damn hard acre to sell,” can also be heard as “a damn heartacher to sell.” It’s a masterclass in wordplay and restraint, a heartbreaking ballad that could’ve been penned by Randy Travis or early Garth Brooks. From there, ‘Take a Life' and ‘Devil in My Mind' close the ‘Winston' chapter with darker shades — the former a gripping, Johnny Cash-inspired morality tale about bullying and its lifelong consequences, the latter a gospel-tinged rocker where Alan confesses, “I’ve got an angel in my bed for that devil in my mind.” as he thanks his wife one last time whilst shining a light on mental health that will be universally relatable. Both songs prove his ability to handle weighty themes without losing musical punch.
When the ‘Salem' half kicks off, the lights come up and the whiskey flows. ‘Plead the Fifth' launches this section like a cannon blast — an Irish-flavoured drinking song that flips ‘Auld Lang Syne' into a barroom banger and a tale of one hell of a wild night out. ‘Damn in Me' keeps the fire burning, channeling swampy funk as Alan snarls, “I can’t be the SOB that they want me to be.” It’s a sharp, defiant middle finger to industry suits — and a testament to how he’s built his career on authenticity. Then comes ‘Dale Dickens (RIP),' a bluegrass-speed murder romp that barrels ahead with Garth Brooks ‘Ain't Going Down Till the Sun Comes Up'-style velocity, and ‘BOS', a 1950s-inspired rocker that cheekily redefines its title as “Son of a Bitch, but not a bitch of a son.” Both tracks showcase Alan’s humour and high-octane showmanship in full flight and Dale Dickens also gets a reference in ‘BOS' – Alan showing us he's a skilled enough writer to link his songs together with the same characters and easter eggs!
The chaos keeps coming with ‘Crazy Shady Uncle,' a southern rock protest tune that turns Uncle Sam into a shady character, taking money from hard working people or, as Alan says, “rednecks writing cheques to the government.” It’s rowdy, tongue-in-cheek, and surprisingly insightful — something an artist like Charlie Daniels would have been thrilled to have in his back catalogue. ‘Alive,' meanwhile, takes the rebellious streak further, marrying western whistles and cinematic guitars to a lyrical tirade against greed, fake country stars and “crooks in D.C. who don’t give a damn about you and me.” It’s a protest song that feels timeless and modern all at once — think Shinedown meets the spirit of Johnny Cash. ‘Greener Grass,' ‘Take Bobby Home' and ‘Drunk Drink' close things down with a wink and a grin: a breezy weed anthem, a rockabilly romp about corralling a drunk buddy and finally, an Irish-tinged pub singalong that ensures the ‘Salem' part of the album ends as it began — with a toast, a roar and an Irish themed drinking song.
‘Winston-Salem' is more than a debut — it’s a declaration. Across its sprawling tracklist, Cooper Alan manages to bridge heartland sincerity with barnstorming bravado, offering a two-sided glimpse into who he is both onstage and off. He can break your heart on ‘Hard Acre,' have you hollering ‘Don't Tread on Me' on songs like ‘Crazy Shady Uncle' and get you throwing back pints of Guinness on tracks like ‘Plead the Fifth' and ‘Drunk Drink.' With its smart wordplay, cinematic storytelling and fearless blend of classic and contemporary, ‘Winston-Salem' doesn’t just introduce a new artist — it announces a fully formed voice with something really interesting to say. If this is the starting point, Cooper Alan isn’t just an artist to watch — he’s one to believe in, right from the get-go.'
Track list: Winston: 1. Roots 2. Fourth of July 3. La-Z-Boy 4. 5×7 5. Holy Ghost 6. Starting To Show 7. Better Dad 8. Good Mama 9. Hard Acre 10. Take a Life 11. Devil in My Mind Salem: 12. Plead the Fifth 13. Damn In Me 14. Dale Dickens (RIP) 15. BOS 16. Crazy Shady Uncle 17. Alive 18. Greener Grass 19. Take Bobby Home 20. Drunk Drink Record Label: Cooped Up Records Release Date: November 7th Buy ‘Winston-Salem' right here
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