BY EVIE MASON
Confession: I was not much of a Brett Young fan until I saw his set at London’s Country 2 Country in 2022. Being the penultimate set of the night to the triumphant Darius Rucker, my expectations were set high. However, I must admit that Young truly won me over, and seemingly the crowd too. In his set of hits such as ‘Mercy’ and ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’, the star presented an aspect of emotion and vulnerability within his set that I simply did not expect. And much to my delight, this new album reflects exactly this vulnerability and realism that made me respect and enjoy his music live.
‘Across the Sheets’ is unmistakably and undeniably Brett Young. Featuring his distinctive tone of voice, country-pop style and emotive lyricism, this album is not one to miss if you are a fan of Young. The album begins with the track ‘Dance with You’, a laid-back love song which I can only presume is about his wife, Taylor Mills. This song is sweet, catchy and makes me believe that Taylor is truly a very loved woman. It is followed by ‘Let Go Too Soon’, which is, emotionally, a huge contrast to the previous track. My personal favourite part is not Young’s contemplative lyrics, but the instrumental break, about two minutes in, which features a short-lived but top quality guitar solo that I reckon would sound incredible live. Anyway, my point is that this track, and others within the album, brings variation to the album.
I won’t discuss every song in close detail, because this review could very easily turn into an essay, but here’s a song that I simply need to closely explore – track four, ‘Uncomfortable’. Upon first listen, I have to admit that I wasn’t keen on it. The opening guitar riff felt almost irritating and made me feel, ironically, uncomfortable. Truthfully, I can see why listeners may initially dub this as a track to skip. But, if I were you, I wouldn’t make up my mind quite so fast. The chorus returns to the comforting typical Brett Young style and vibe, which almost makes the juxtaposition between the twangy guitar riff and catchy chorus satisfying. Even so, what really won me over was the honesty in Young’s lyrics. Whether or not you can get on board with the twangy guitar (I eventually did), there is a lot to be respected in this song. It is an insight into the vulnerability in a relationship which is rarely displayed by men in not just country music, but music in general. He admits that love makes him ‘nervous’, ‘crazy’ and uncomfortable, and concludes that he always wants to feel this way. I respect Young for releasing a song that feels so sincere.
The album continues with ‘I Did This To Me’, which is an upbeat song confessing all his mistakes. I always enjoy the paradox in songs like this. Finally, Young ends ‘Across The Sheets’ with a heartbreaking love story in ‘Don’t Take The Girl’. I’ll let you listen to that yourself, and maybe have some tissues at hand – just in case.
‘Across The Sheets’ is unmistakably Brett Young. I never thought I’d use ‘Brett Young’ as an adjective, but here I am. The album is similar in style to his previous and yet is distinctively his own.
Across the Sheets Track List:
- “Dance With You” (Written by Brett Young, Jordan Minton, Jimmy Robbins)
- “Let Go Too Soon” (Written by Brett Young, Chris LaCorte, Jon Nite)
- “Back To Jesus” (Written by Brett Young, Justin Ebach, Jon Nite)
- “Uncomfortable” (Written by Brett Young, Ryan Marrone, Jon Nite)
- “Love Goes On” (Written by Brett Young, Sam Ellis, Julia Michaels)
- “I Did This To Me” (Written by Brett Young, Ross Copperman, Gabe Simon)
- “You Ain’t Here to Kiss Me (2022)” (Written by Brett Young, Matt Alderman, Tiffany Goss)
- “Don’t Take the Girl” (Written by Larry Johnson, Craig Martin)
Pre-add/Pre-save Across The Sheets HERE
For all tour dates and ticket information, visit BrettYoungMusic.com.