LOCASH have spent years establishing themselves as one of modern Country music’s most dependable purveyors of big hooks, feel-good melodies and small-town storytelling. With ‘Chris & Preston,’ the duo of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas are doing something a little more personal, putting their friendship, shared experiences and love of Country music at the heart of a 12-track collection that feels like a celebration of everything they have built together. Expanded from the five-track EP released over the summer, the album offers a fuller picture of a duo who know exactly where their strengths lie, while saving their most revealing statement for the very end.
Opening with the infectious ‘Talkin’ Bout’, LOCASH waste little time reminding listeners why they have enjoyed such longevity on Country radio. Driven by funky guitar work and an effortless rhythmic bounce, the track recalls the bright, radio-friendly Country-pop that dominated the late 2000s and early 2010s, a sound the duo helped to perfect alongside acts such as Florida Georgia Line. Built around the irresistible refrain of “Talkin’ about you every chance I get,” it captures the carefree excitement of young love, sundresses and stolen kisses. There is nothing particularly complicated about its ambitions, but its melodic immediacy makes it an ideal album opener, practically inviting festival crowds to sing along.
‘These Days’ takes that feel-good approach and amplifies it. A repeating guitar line and driving drums establish a sound reminiscent of Rascal Flatts, before the track explodes into an anthemic chorus packed with soaring melodies and fist-in-the-air energy. The “whoa-oh” backing vocals add to its arena-sized appeal, while the declaration “These are the highlights of our lives” captures the song’s celebration of making the most of the moments that matter. It is the sort of uplifting, emotionally expansive Country-rock that has long provided a reliable route to radio success, and LOCASH deliver it with conviction. If there is another No. 1 waiting in this collection, this feels like a strong contender.
That sense of contentment continues on ‘I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’, although the focus shifts from romance to the comforts of home. Its opening guitar line carries echoes of Marc Cohn’s ‘Walking in Memphis’, before developing into a breezy anthem about the enduring appeal of small-town life. Hometown pride is hardly unfamiliar territory in Country music, but LOCASH approach the subject with warmth rather than simply recycling familiar imagery. “They say we’re missing out, but I don’t care,” they sing before reaching the defiant conclusion, “We have it all right here… so I ain’t going nowhere.” It is a straightforward sentiment, but one that feels authentic within an album built around the people, places and experiences that have shaped the duo.
‘Where My Stars Line Up’ brings a softer dimension to the record. Built on acoustic guitars, a subtle touch of banjo and polished production, it is a tender love song about the feeling that everything falls into place when you are with the right person. “It’s always perfect timing when I’m right there with you,” they sing, before delivering the romantic declaration, “Anywhere from you to heaven, that’s where my stars line up.” The lyrics lean into the familiar Country tradition of expressing devotion through the language of fate and belonging, but the melodic delivery gives the song an easy intimacy. It is a reminder that LOCASH can dial back the party-ready arrangements without losing their instinct for a memorable chorus.
One of the album’s most enjoyable moments arrives with ‘Let The Country Music Play’, the collaboration with fellow hitmakers Parmalee. Between them, the two acts have accumulated an impressive run of Country radio successes, making this partnership feel long overdue. Rather than simply covering Rupert Holmes’ ‘Escape (The Piña Colada Song)’, they cleverly repurpose its instantly recognisable melody into a celebration of the music that brought them here. The familiar chorus provides an immediate point of connection, while references to Merle Haggard, Hank Williams and Alan Jackson trace a line through Country music’s history, acknowledging the artists who inspired the next generation.
“Bring me two Piña Coladas and let the country music play” is an inspired hook, transforming a pop classic into a communal Country singalong. It is playful without being disposable, affectionate without becoming overly reverential, and tailor-made for amphitheatres and festival fields. More importantly, it illustrates LOCASH’s ability to make their love of the genre feel contemporary rather than purely nostalgic.
That enthusiasm for life and music is complemented by ‘YES’, another previously released highlight. With an extraordinary list of co-writers that includes Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Cole Swindell, Thomas Rhett and John Byron, the song arrives with some serious songwriting pedigree. Its breezy acoustic groove and sun-drenched guitar work evoke Jason Mraz as much as contemporary Nashville, giving it an easygoing, beach-ready quality. The infectious “whoa-oh” refrain practically begs for audience participation, while its declaration of lifelong commitment gives the song a sincere emotional centre. It is polished, accessible and undeniably commercial, but beneath the sunshine sits a straightforward promise of devotion that suits the album’s broader themes.
Romance takes a slightly more rueful turn on ‘Case of Missin’ You’. With its retro-tinged production, smooth mid-tempo groove and subtle twang, the track occupies a sonic space that will appeal to fans of Midland. The central conceit is a familiar one in Country music: drinking away the pain of a broken relationship. Here, though, LOCASH give the idea a playful twist, turning their “case” of missing someone into a twelve-pack of beer. “Taking me a sip for every lost kiss” delivers the kind of double meaning that has fuelled countless Country heartbreak songs, balancing genuine regret with a knowing wink. It is slick, melodic and comfortably within the duo’s wheelhouse, with enough retro character to distinguish it from the more overtly sun-soaked material.
The tribute to lasting love continues on ‘Rockstar’, a muscular, funky anthem dedicated to their wives. “Baby, you a rockstar, you’re every melody and lyric I write,” they sing, placing their partners at the centre of their creative lives. There are echoes of Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise’ in the song’s snappy cadence and easy rhythmic swagger, but LOCASH bring their own warmth to the arrangement. It is a celebration of the people who stand beside you while the music industry demands everything you have, a theme that takes on additional significance when the album’s final track reveals the less glamorous realities of chasing a career in Nashville.
Before that reckoning, ‘Make It About You’ delivers another dose of retro-inflected pop-country. With its 1970s-inspired textures, Bee Gees-esque harmonies and polished melodic flourishes, it finds LOCASH leaning into the softer, more romantic side of their sound. Images of shadow dancing, wine and mood music create an atmosphere of deliberate intimacy, while the promise to “turn every night into forever and make it about you” places the emphasis firmly on making a partner feel cherished. The arrangement is glossy, but the sentiment fits neatly into the album’s portrait of two men who understand that success means little without someone to share it with.
‘Fish Her off My Mind’ initially sounds like another light-hearted detour, and the title certainly suggests a song built around a knowing Country pun. It delivers precisely that, using fishing metaphors to explore the process of moving on after heartbreak. “There’s a lot of nice bass in the sea” is the kind of line that could easily tip into novelty territory, but the buoyant rhythm and retro pop-country production keep things moving. There is a playful 1970s flavour to the track, continuing the album’s fascination with older melodic sensibilities while giving the duo room to indulge their humorous side. It is not the deepest song here, but it understands that a good Country record needs room for a smile as well as a sentimental moment.
Then comes ‘Life on Music Row’, and suddenly the mood changes. After an album filled with breezy rhythms, affectionate tributes and uplifting choruses, LOCASH close with a strikingly personal and considerably darker examination of the industry they have spent years navigating. Drawing on memories of youth, fights and the allure of Nashville’s Broadway, the song strips away some of the glamour associated with the Country music dream and replaces it with something altogether more uncomfortable. The musical backdrop feels harder and more ominous, reflecting lyrics that compare the experience of working on Music Row to a form of imprisonment.
“I’m a prisoner to the songs I write,” they confess, capturing the tension between the creative freedom that drew them to music and the demands of an industry that can gradually turn passion into obligation. Their pointed reference to whether a song is good depending on TikTok adds a distinctly contemporary frustration, questioning a business increasingly driven by fleeting online attention and the pressure to manufacture viral moments. There are suggestions of selling your soul, of becoming trapped by the very ambition that once inspired you, and of trying to maintain artistic integrity in a marketplace where the rules keep changing.
It is a bold choice to place the album’s angriest, most confrontational song at the end, but it proves enormously effective. Rather than finishing on another triumphant chorus, LOCASH leave listeners with an uncomfortable question about the cost of pursuing the dream. It is also the track that most directly connects the album’s title to its underlying purpose: this is not simply a collection of songs from a successful duo, but a glimpse of the people behind the name and the experiences that have shaped them.
The contrast makes ‘Life on Music Row’ all the more powerful. The same men who spend the preceding tracks celebrating love, family, hometowns and the enduring joy of Country music are also prepared to acknowledge the industry’s capacity to frustrate and consume them. Their affection for the music has not disappeared; if anything, the bitterness comes from caring enough to want the business around it to be better.
That tension gives ‘Chris & Preston’ more substance than its polished, feel-good exterior might initially suggest. Across the record, LOCASH move comfortably between snappy pop-country, retro twang, beach-inflected rhythms and arena-ready anthems, drawing on the melodic instincts of acts such as Rascal Flatts and Florida Georgia Line while occasionally nodding towards the nostalgic sheen of Midland and the breezy acoustic sensibilities of Jason Mraz. There is no great desire to reinvent the genre here, nor should there be. LOCASH understand their audience, their strengths and the emotional connection that a well-written, instantly memorable chorus can create.
What makes the album work is the balance between that commercial confidence and the personal details threaded throughout it. Love songs sit alongside reflections on home and family; playful heartbreak gives way to a celebration of the artists who inspired them; and beneath the optimism lies an awareness of what it takes to sustain a career in modern Country music. The expanded 12-track collection feels more rounded than the original five-song EP, allowing the duo to explore different shades of their identity while maintaining a consistent musical character. If ‘Bet The Farm’ helped reaffirm LOCASH’s position as one of Country radio’s reliable hitmakers, ‘Chris & Preston’ offers a more intimate explanation of why they have endured. It celebrates the genre without becoming trapped in nostalgia, embraces positivity without making every song lightweight, and delivers a succession of tracks that feel built for live audiences.
But it is that final sucker punch, ‘Life on Music Row’, that ultimately elevates the record. After spending much of the album celebrating the rewards of the Country music dream, LOCASH remind us that living it is not always as simple as singing about it. They have the hits, the experience and the independence to do things their own way. They also have enough perspective to recognise the price of admission.
‘Chris & Preston’ is an assured, entertaining and occasionally revealing statement from a duo who remain committed to the music, even when the machinery surrounding it threatens to wear them down. Sometimes the biggest insight comes not from the songs that tell you how good life can be, but from the one that admits what it costs to get there.
Tracklist: 1. Talkin Bout 2. These Days 3. I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere 4. Where My Stars Line Up 5. Let The Country Music Play (with Parmalee) 6. Love Always Wins 7. YES 8. Case of Missin You 9. Rockstar 10. Make It About You 11. Fish Her Off My Mind 12. Life on Music Row Release Date: October 23rd Record Label: Galaxy Label Group / BBR / BMG Buy ‘Chris & Preston’ right here
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