After releasing a string of non-album singles in recent years, Keith Urban has finally put out a full-length album for the first time since 2020. Entitled High, and released on September 20, 2024 under the label Hit Red Records (an affiliate of parent company Capitol Nashville), his twelfth overall studio album features Lainey Wilson, plus plenty of Country music twang to back it up. A kickback mix of road trip Country and introspective ballads, High is one of the year’s most-anticipated releases… because we all know Urban brings his brand of Country with an edge of power.
Something interesting, yet not too surprising, High was recorded in the Country music capital of the world, Nashville, Tennessee. Urban’s last project 615, the area code of Nashville, Tennessee, was a collection of darker songs that dived deep into his past, and the choices he has made to create the man he is now. While this could have been an interesting new direction for the singer, it was ultimately scrapped; because Urban felt that the songs were all too similar. Staying in the same thematic and sonic landscape through the entire playthrough, and going through the pile of 615, Urban salvaged four songs for this new album. With that in mind, while listening to High, it is easy to figure out which ones go with the more emotional, reflective material.
Looking back, everyone knows Urban as the Australian Country superstar with a crazy personality. While this did lead him to rehab and a sober married life, it is still a part of him that the Country music world fell in love with. Because of this, Urban has been able to channel the best parts of his past self without destroying his own life. The 615 part of High addresses this fact, but also the reasons why he lived that life behind to begin with. Either way, there is an awareness of a change instead of living despite it. Here, Urban is trying to embrace it and use it to fuel more music that is new, as well as exciting in its own right.
Whether Urban is successful in this new escapade is up to the listener to decide. The electric guitar has subsided and his flashy powerful lyrics have been replaced with catchy feel-good choruses, but his words are still meaningful. Although, he still appears to know how to party; “Laughin’ All the Way to the Drank” and “Wildside” can attest to that. While these songs crank up the energy and feel like a slice of Urban’s old life, they are only a small portion of High, which otherwise is more emotional, talking about love, personal relations, and problems with addiction. It is a mixed bag of songs meant to reflect Urban himself, instead of a specific theme or feeling. This can be revealing and fun, but a little repetitive with a Country music standard plentiful with others out there, like Zach Bryan’s 2024 album Great American Bar Scene.
The highlights of High come from the songs that can carry their own as singles. “Daytona” and “Go Home W U” fit this descriptor well. Good Country songs that can exist outside of the album, and are not testaments of Keith Urban specifically, they sound like radio music headliners. With their fun lyrics and snappy guitar chords, they are examples of what a good Country song should sound like. Furthermore, the addition of Lainey Wilson on “Go Home W U” adds extra depth, responding to Urban’s barfly lyrics. While these are the highlights, the reflective 615 songs still have their place and give High more depth. After all, it would feel out of place for Keith Urban to be releasing a full-on party album in 2024, and these songs are the anchors of his work where he puts his soul out, all while expressing vulnerability. In the end, they are the foils to the upbeat songs that help give this album its energy.
A roulette wheel of party songs and emotional slow dances, High is a Country album meant for a couples kickback. Urban has brought another round of upbeat tunes that invoke the same feelings as some of his hits. His changing themes and sense of self in each song help to propel the music past sounding basic. Moreover, his vocal twang mixed with rocking Country creates an album with a good groove and decent enough style, and that is why Cryptic Rock gives High 4 out of 5 stars.
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