Award-winning composer Chris Stapleton delves into the performance industry with his new album “Traveller.”
The new album has added to Stapleton’s award collection by winning both “Best Country Album” and “Album of the Year” at this year’s Grammy Awards and the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards.
The album starts out with its namesake song, “Traveller,” which is a catchy song that is about a vagabond, or someone who is lost in life and trying to find themselves. It’s a strong song to open the album with and it acts like a “hook” aimed at the listener, making them want to hear more.
Unfortunately, when actually listening to the rest of the album, it is a little less than satisfying. A large portion of the album is filled with long country ballads that seem to be never-ending.
One other gem, named “Parachute,” brings a much needed break from the monotony. “Parachute” is an upbeat song that has a rock-like feel, a good contrast to the previously mentioned country songs.
Along with the abundance of ballads, the majority of “Traveller” seems to be about the stereotypical country song topics: alcohol, religion, and romance. All of these subjects cause similarity for the songs in both sound and quality.
Stapleton is an established composer in the country genre, and he has won seven ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) awards in a row for being a top member of the organization in country music composition.
He started off his career as an artist in 2007 by joining the bluegrass group, “The Steeldrivers” and becoming the front-man for the band. In 2013, Stapleton was signed to Mercury Nashville.
As his debut album as a solo artist, “Traveller” shows that Stapleton can write songs that are practically carbon copies of each other. However, if one enjoys classic country music, the album is a great compilation of southern charm.
2 / 5 stars
