Brett Young's debut album introduces the pop country newcomer as a romantic who takes pride in being emotionally vulnerable.
Young's self-titled album is officially out today (Feb. 10), but he already has two singles and one No. 1 hit under his belt. He's also already built a loyal female fanbase (tweet about him, and you'll see a flood of response). The new LP follows his six-track debut EP, which was released roughly a year ago on Big Machine. Those six tracks are sprinkled throughout his first album and they all have one common theme: romance.
The new LP follows his six-track debut EP, which was released roughly a year ago on Big Machine. Those six tracks are sprinkled throughout his first album and they all have one common theme: romance.
Young is the Romeo on his 12-track album, which focuses primarily on romantic relationships. He's the gentleman in all of the tracks — even if he's the heartbroken guy that realizes his ex never loved him like he did. It's a perspective we seldom see from male country singers these days, especially on Top 40 radio.
Young's No. 1 single, "Sleep Without You," is our introduction to the Cali-born singer's stance on relationships. It's an earworm, which is good because the second track is the album's least impressive. It's hooky, but "Close Enough" quickly gets repetitive. With Young's unique vocal range and songwriting skills, he doesn't need to rely on just catchy beats to get by. His next two tracks are the perfect examples of that.
"Like I Loved You" and "In Case You Didn't Know" are two of the album's most vulnerable. The first is an honest take on unrequited love. I could genuinely feel Young's experiences as he sang about the woman who didn't quite love him the way he loved her. The latter track shows off Young's raspy vocals, as well as a male perspective of love mainstream listeners don't get very often.
The standout track is "Beautiful Believer," a story song about a woman who supports her man in his journey to become a songwriter.
The album's last two tracks detail the heartbreaking side of love. "Memory Won't Let Me" tells a sad story about not being able to give the one you're with your heart because you can't get over your ex. "Mercy," is a beautifully sparse arrangement that showcase's Young's gorgeously raspy voice, and ends the record on a note that hits you right in the feels.
Brett Young is out now on iTunes and it's the perfect introduction to Young's sweet sound. With a debut like this, he has plenty of room to grow not only as a singer but also a songwriter.
