Before even listening, a serious country music listener needs to go in knowing what this album is. It's bubbly pop-country from an early twenties woman who just got married. It's going to be sickly sweet at moments, and very poppy at others. But there are some surprises. There's depth to this album, in a way that not many people expected it to have, and although is it polished pop country, it's polished pop-country perfection. With some misses, and some incredible hits, RaeLynn's debut record is worth a listen.
“Your Heart” kicks off the album, and it’s an almost flawless pop-country track. The anthemic chorus sets the tone for the record: it’s okay to feel broken sometimes, but you’ll get through it. The song speaks of changes, echoing a message told in some later tracks, how love can affect a life.
“Lonely Call” has one of the best choruses on the record, but the song is bogged down by the strange electronic sounds that persist throughout the song. The key change also doesn’t help the track. Despite being on The Voice, RaeLynn’s voice has some obvious limits, making the key change sounds strained. While "Lonely Call" is in some ways the track with the most potential, but flaws in execution, the weirdest track on the record is "Graveyard." The sound is different from everything on the record, a little more rocky and southern than everything else. RaeLynn is bubblegum pop-country, and this song is dark. The juxtaposition of the production and the lyrics with RaeLynn's sweet vocals creates an interesting and somewhat enticing track.
The innocence on the early part of the record with the childish, but beautifully executed view of divorce on "Love Triangle" transitions into darker subject matter, with “The Apple” as the turning point. The only song on the record not written by RaeLynn, writers Marshall Altman, Nicolle Galyon and Emily Weisband invoke images from the bible to talk about loss of innocence and growing up. Again, the electronic elements at the beginning don’t add anything to the song, but looking past that, the story and lyrics of this song are incredibly solid. The bridge is the highlight of the song, containing some of the best vocals from RaeLynn on the record. “I’ll fall in love someday, but in some way I’ll still be yours / I’ll never see the world again the way I did before.”
“Lonely Call” has one of the best choruses on the record, but the song is bogged down by the strange electronic sounds that persist throughout the song. The key change also doesn’t help the track. Despite being on The Voice, RaeLynn’s voice has some obvious limits, making the key change sounds strained. While "Lonely Call" is in some ways the track with the most potential, but flaws in execution, the weirdest track on the record is "Graveyard." The sound is different from everything on the record, a little more rocky and southern than everything else. RaeLynn is bubblegum pop-country, and this song is dark. The juxtaposition of the production and the lyrics with RaeLynn's sweet vocals creates an interesting and somewhat enticing track.
The innocence on the early part of the record with the childish, but beautifully executed view of divorce on "Love Triangle" transitions into darker subject matter, with “The Apple” as the turning point. The only song on the record not written by RaeLynn, writers Marshall Altman, Nicolle Galyon and Emily Weisband invoke images from the bible to talk about loss of innocence and growing up. Again, the electronic elements at the beginning don’t add anything to the song, but looking past that, the story and lyrics of this song are incredibly solid. The bridge is the highlight of the song, containing some of the best vocals from RaeLynn on the record. “I’ll fall in love someday, but in some way I’ll still be yours / I’ll never see the world again the way I did before.”
The features are the strongest tracks on the record. In particular, “Say” featuring Dan + Shay is a perfect love song. Dan + Shay have a history of putting out sickly sweet love songs, and some may say this is no exception, but the blend of Shay Mooney’s voice with RaeLynn’s and the lyrics make this a standout. Love songs appear on this record, most notably in the form of “Diamonds." But that song is full of forced lines and cliched attempting to capture the feeling of love. “Say” captures the feeling better. The message of the song is simple: “I hear everything / everything you can’t say.” This song is what love is about, and the quirky lyrics in the verses about stumbling and fumbling with keys add a unique RaeLynn touch. The electronic influences that appear on many songs isn’t found on this track, giving it an organic and more classic country-pop feel. This is RaeLynn at her best.
"I learn about love / I learn about pain," RaeLynn sings in the closing track of her debut record. That's what the album is about. It's the story of a girl, recovering from emotional trauma of having divorced parents, and learning how to love herself. This record isn't perfect, but it's hard not to admire the effort and emotion poured into this record. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but WildHorse is RaeLynn, and she's not apologizing for it.
Best tracks: "Your Heart," "The Apple," "Say"
Throwaway tracks: "Diamonds"
Overall rating: 3 ½ crowns
"I learn about love / I learn about pain," RaeLynn sings in the closing track of her debut record. That's what the album is about. It's the story of a girl, recovering from emotional trauma of having divorced parents, and learning how to love herself. This record isn't perfect, but it's hard not to admire the effort and emotion poured into this record. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but WildHorse is RaeLynn, and she's not apologizing for it.
Best tracks: "Your Heart," "The Apple," "Say"
Throwaway tracks: "Diamonds"
Overall rating: 3 ½ crowns
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