Album Review – Kip Moore’s “Wild Ones”
As further evidence that Music Row in Nashville is completely out of ideas and totally devoid of any true direction, I offer into state’s evidence Kip Moore’s latest album Wild Ones. Though you may discover significant plaudits for this project and its refreshingly forward-thinking and non “Bro-Country” approach, Wild Ones is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and despite Kip’s willingness to take sonic leaps in the music itself from what were used to hearing in the mainstream country realm, a deep listen reveals little depth of songwriting, and a reliance on a style that is interpretive and derivative of the outmoded “Avett Brothers/Mumford & Sons/Lumineers” influence as opposed to a truly original expression, regardless of how foreign it might sound to the fawning ears of country music.
To understand how we arrived here, it might be helpful to revisit Kenny Chesney’s album The Big Revival from 2014. Apparently Kenny had an entirely different album recorded and in the can when he decided to completely switch gears. Indications were that Kenny had amassed an album of material that veered into Bro-Country territory since this was the hot style of the time, but sensing a shift in the winds, he scrapped it, took a year off from touring, and with long-time producer Buddy Cannon, pointed his nose in a completely different direction that resulted in the release of the first single called “American Kids” complete with minor chords, hand clapping, and Lumineers’ style “Hey!” shouts.
Kenny wanted to be ahead of the curve and not behind it, and indications in 2014 were that Bro-Country was on the heavy wane. That health assessment of Bro-Country was likely true, and it’s not that over the last year Bro-Country has found a second wind as much as it has refused to die. Big time artists such as Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line have doubled down on the style, and the result has been a unfortunate prolonging of the era.
Though it would be unfair to lump Kip Moore in with the inner sanctum of the Bro-Country sect, the biggest song of his career so far has been the decidedly Bro mega hit “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck.” Kip was already veering somewhat in the direction of the style we see reveal itself in full force on Wild Ones before the release, so we can’t be wholeheartedly surprised by the overall style of this album. And it is fair to say that for country in 2015, it is very forward-thinking, fresh-sounding (at least from the mainstream country perspective), and most importantly, a very enjoyable listen in places.
It’s not as much that Kip Moore’s Wild Ones is bad, it’s that its not as good as it appears on the surface. Sonically, this album takes the most potent elements of Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers, combines them with the most potent elements of arena rock, and then under-the-radar slips in a lyrical style that is slightly more advanced, but nonetheless indicative of Bro-Country. Without question, this concoction of ingredients is powerful on the ears, but sort of doesn’t hold up under its own weight. It’s almost too theoretical as opposed to practical, and by the end of the album, every song begins to sound the same.
And possibly most important to point out, Wild Ones is in no way country. And when I say “in no way,” I would put this album in the Sam Hunt territory for non-countriness, if not even calling it less country that Hunt’s Montevallo. Yes, there’s more guitar, more real drums, more organic instrumentation coming from Kip, though there are songs like “What Ya Got On Tonight” that start out with an electronic beat. But just because something is straight rock instead of EDM or hip-hop doesn’t recuse it from non-country criticism. Wild Ones is a rock album, and it is completely unwarranted for it to be labeled as country.
But we’re all music fans first, and then our loyalties break down genre lines, right? And I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the second half of the song “Come and Get It,” and numerous other moments in this album didn’t have my heart racing, and that it didn’t evidence an advanced methodology in making popular music. If nothing else producer Brett James and Kip Moore himself—who had a hand in writing every one of these songs—deserves a stiff pat on the back for crafting a vision and seeing it through cohesively, especially in the creatively-bereft environment present on Music Row. But in the end these are country guys making a Lumineers-influenced rock album, and there’s going to be limitations. The “Hey’s and Ooh’s” and other shouts are just so remarkably transparent here some three years removed from The Lumineers heyday. There’s a song on this album called “Magic” that sounds so incredibly close to Mumford & Sons it’s eerie.
Still, the care these songs were arranged with is quite remarkable, and probably deserves some praise. Just like Mumford, it can stir the spirit. Though Eric Church has worn out his right hand patting himself on the back for the musical advances he’s made over his career, some of his “progressive” moments have been nothing more than guitar wank offs and rhythmic hijinks that disregard groove and just try to impress you with acrobatics as opposed to making you feel something. Though it’s undoubtedly derivative, the music of Wild Ones “works” for the lack of a better term. It’s the way Wild Ones is such a parade of the same approach one song after another where the sonic leanings become weary, and start to chafe on themselves like a magician who does the same trick one time too many.
But the real issue with Wild Ones is there’s really just not much there when regarding the lyrics. Is it as vapid and one-dimensional as Florida Georgia Line? Of course not, but it leaves a tremendous amount to be desired as Kip fills in advanced compositions performed admirably with wimpy and narrowcasted tropes about Saturday nights raising hell, slinking into back seats for teenage sex, and braying on and on about what a badass he and his buds are. The songs “That Was Us” and “I’m To Blame” work almost exactly the same in the lyrical approach, basically naming off an event or artifact, and attributing the result to how awesome Kip and his friends were back in the day.
Moore doesn’t just name drop Mellencamp in one of the songs, he emulates the Cougar in the lyrics throughout this entire record. And just like with the Lumineers sonically, Kip borrows the most obviously parts of the influence, while leaving behind the meat and potatoes that go into making more meaningful music. The one line in “That Was Us” about the protagonist and his buddies getting pulled over by the cops on their way to take revenge on a guy who beat up one of their female friends is one of the few moments “story” works itself into the equation of Wild Ones. “Girl Of The Summer” tries to be a love song, but again is more nostalgia than storytelling at its heart. Instead we just get one reminiscent bragging montage after another. That doesn’t mean some of these songs don’t work. There’s a tune on the Deluxe Edition called “Backseat” that is totally a take on the whole Bob Seger “Night Moves” nostalgia trip, but Kip hits a groove and the song resonates.
Something else bothersome about the record is Kip’s voice. He’s never been regarded as some remarkable or unique singer. It’s Kip’s energy and enthusiasm as an entertainer that has landed him in the mainstream. Throughout Wild Ones, Kip is using this sort of growling affectation that at times definitely fits the mood, but just like how the same sonic parameters applied to each song get old, so does Kip’s singing style. He seems to be trying too hard to sound like something as opposed to finding the natural tone and register of his voice.
It’s never my intention to dispel someone’s appeal for music by conveying a critical viewpoint. If I was a mainstream country fan that had grown weary from years of the Bro-Country onslaught, and was a fan of Kip Moore’s to begin with, I would find plenty to favor in Wild Ones. Musically, there’s a lot of moments of substance here. They’re not country moments, but they’re music moments nonetheless, and those can go discounted because it’s so hard to find music that resonates at all these days.
But this album could have been more. Artists, producers, and players who grew up performing country are always going to fail to some degree when they try mixing in influences from outside of their history. And if you’re going to swing for the fences with an advanced sonic palette, then don’t allow the lyrics to become secondary.
Overall, the result is sort of a mixed bag. Though the attempt to do something different, and sway country in a direction away from EDM and hip-hop influenced slop, and back to accepting something with more organic instrumentation is certainly appreciated.
1 Gun Up for an advanced and forward-thinking approach to the music.
1 Gun Down for lackluster lyrics, some sonic sameness to the approach throughout the album, and being labeled country instead of rock.
– – – – – – – – – – –
Nate
August 24, 2015 @ 6:51 pm
I’m glad you reviewed this album because I was pondering the greater meaning of it as I listened to it for the first time last night. It says a lot about the current state of mainstream country music that this album will probably be seen as one of the best of the year. Like you pointed out in the review- the album is not bad. It’s actually quite good if labled as a rock offering. But it does not deserve anywhere near the plaudits that it already is garnering. Moore has been really pushing his narrative in recent interview and profiles in anticipation of the album’s release. I have to say, I admire how he rebounded after struggling in between albums. I do, however, just get a weird vibe from Moore as an artist. I don’t really know his career trajectory, but it seems as though he’s unwilling to admit that he made a name off of a song that chased trends rather than creating something new. Now he’s acting fresh and new with this offering. He’s released some above-average singles in the past, but I can’t see any songs on this album really having much of an impact on radio.
FromtheWordsofBR
August 28, 2015 @ 7:21 am
“Of the year”? Maddie & Tae says hi.
Kale
August 24, 2015 @ 6:55 pm
“Heys,” “Ohs,” and “Whoahs” are my biggest pet peeves along with EDM and drum loops. I just don’t see what’s so “country” about all that… Oh yeah: “They play it on the country station, so it must be country, right?” Nope.
John Wayne Twitty
August 24, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
The Heys/ Ohs/ Whoahs have pretty much replaced instrument solos. I despise them.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 24, 2015 @ 7:30 pm
That’s because nobody can play for beans anymore. Aldean knows two chords if he isn’t drunk, the FGL guys between them probably don’t know the difference between an A sharp and a B flat, and Luke can play better than them put together, even though he isn’t fit to carry Hunter Hayes’ guitar case. At least Hayes can actually play. He’s the most tolerable person in country music.
Kale
August 24, 2015 @ 7:41 pm
Hayes is like a solo Rascal Flatts, but more metrosexual. Not a single thing country about him, just like Sam Hunt. Jason Aldean actually CAN play guitar. From what I hear, he used to play entire songs perfectly after listening to them one or two times. He just doesn’t do it now because he likes to strut around stage while he raps.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 25, 2015 @ 10:00 am
I’ve heard rumors about both Aldean AND Bryan being great players. BUT Hunter Hayes is the only one who DEMONSTRATES that ability. As far as I’m concerned, the proof is in the picking.
Eric
August 24, 2015 @ 10:28 pm
Why can’t they just use session musicians to play the instruments?
Mike
August 25, 2015 @ 5:08 am
Why? There are a couple of reasons. First, The Nashville Corporate Music Machine is too damn greedy and lazy to pay session musicians money and waste time. Plus they know that the sheeple don’t want to actually think while listening to a song. They want to be satiated with techno and rap beats.
The second reason is screw traditional country music fans like us. I truly believe that the major record labels simply want to stick it to listeners like us and try to make the point that we don’t matter.
Eric
August 25, 2015 @ 2:17 pm
For me, good instrumentation in music has little to do with “thinking”. It’s about deriving emotional satisfaction from a solid melody. It’s sad that country fans no longer appreciate melody.
Cool Lester Smooth
August 25, 2015 @ 10:02 pm
Keith Urban can play, too. And he actually released decent music at one point, several years ago.
Eric
August 25, 2015 @ 10:22 pm
Indeed. This song, for instance, was played heavily in 2010 and every time I hear it I am reminded of how much better country music was prior to the bro takeover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84waoIO6Ww
Eric
August 25, 2015 @ 10:36 pm
Here’s another one, from 2011:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3TWpWf798s
One of the greatest features of country music in the 00s and right up to the point when bro-country took hold was the beauty of the chorus melodies. It was reminiscent of the best of the classic pop soft-rock power ballads.
Joseph Braga
August 24, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
Very Fair Analysis. Enjoyed must of the album, but not particularly Country, and many of the songs do blend together. I really enjoy “Comeback Kid.” personally, but the album is solid, but not special, With such a diluted mainstream country movement currently, Wild Ones is a breath of fresh air because it is so much better than most of the crap on Country, yet still leaves you feeling empty and wanting more. Wild Ones should be praised for being unique, in a mainstream Country world of repetition, but should be criticized for falling lyrically, and failing to provide advanced storytelling
Albert
August 24, 2015 @ 7:02 pm
Your review had my appetite whetted Trigger .
This particular song was over for me after the first verse .
” I’m a badass …here let me tell you about me “. Fuck …..
Jim Z
August 24, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
that track reminds me of Jack Ingram circa 1998. Todd Snider does it better and with a lot more depth.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 24, 2015 @ 7:09 pm
I bet Kip Moore was supposed to record in the studio across the street but “his team made a mistake” and “he’ll own that” and he went someplace else instead.
Trigger
August 24, 2015 @ 10:12 pm
Burn!
If anyone is wondering what this is about:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/kip-moore-insists-his-afterparty-skip-was-a-big-misunderstanding
Donny
August 24, 2015 @ 7:17 pm
Why does this even get a thumbs up? Fuck that this stuff is so bad.
BwareDWare94
August 24, 2015 @ 7:40 pm
Kip Moore is what would happen if Will Hoge fell prisoner to the mainstream. The result is still somewhat tolerable but not worth buying, by any means.
Bomber
August 24, 2015 @ 7:45 pm
Kip Moore? You mean Brantley Gilbert? Or Tyler Farr? I can’t tell the difference. Their shitty fake rasps sound the same.
Kale
August 24, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
I consistently get Tyler Farr and Thomas Rhett mixed up.
Dogit
August 25, 2015 @ 7:22 am
Agree, I get those 3 mixed up too. I hate Brantley Gilbert. I would rather listen to Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, or Thomas Rhett any day over that loser. BTW, that aint saying much!
Dogit
August 25, 2015 @ 7:27 am
Brantley Gilbert reminds of “that guy” in high school that needs his ass kicked at a tailgate/cornfield/cottonfield/dirt road/ green grass field/truck pull/backwoods/ bonfire party! I hate everything about this character. He is such a fake artist and fake tough guy. Maybe, he could kick my ass, but I would love to find out. I would enjoy the opportunity to put his ass kicking to the test.
Nadia Lockheart
August 25, 2015 @ 11:19 am
Really?
I happen to think Kip Moore has some undeniable presence in front of the microphone that Brantley Gilbert doesn’t have, and I don’t gather Tyler Farr has either from what I’ve heard of him thus far.
He doesn’t have much range as far as octaves is concerned, but I think he has a decent amount of emotive range with some genuine, earnest passion driving it. I think he instinctively knows how to make the most of what he does have in a way Gilbert simply doesn’t, and Farr either can’t or hasn’t discovered yet.
Bomber
August 25, 2015 @ 11:25 am
Cool. More power to you if you think more of him than I do. I can’t stand him or his fake rasp.
Cool Lester Smooth
August 25, 2015 @ 10:05 pm
He doesn’t rasp anywhere near as much as the other two, and it sounds mostly natural.
Bomber
August 26, 2015 @ 3:25 am
I wholeheartedly disagree with that sounding “natural” sentiment.
Pete Marshall
August 24, 2015 @ 9:05 pm
What happen to country music?
Mike
August 25, 2015 @ 5:10 am
The Illuminati grew tired of destroying hip hop, so it needed a new victim to bleed out. Country music seemed like a vulnerable target. And so country music has been all but destroyed.
Dr. Doom
August 25, 2015 @ 5:35 am
Country music has its own Illuminatii bent on its complete annihaltion. It consists of Scott Borchetta, Dallas Davidson, Kid Rock, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Osama Bin Laden.
Megan Conley
August 24, 2015 @ 10:31 pm
This was a decent rock album. It falls in the unique category of being a non-country album being marketed as country that still has quality music. Most non-country music being slapped with a country label is crap as both country and whatever genre it really is. This is not a country album by any stretch of the imagination, but it is decent rock music. I’ll take Kip Moore’s pretty good rock being sold as country over Sam Hunt’s shit that is a joke in both country and pop any day.
Charlie
August 25, 2015 @ 7:29 am
‘I”™ll take Kip Moore”™s pretty good rock being sold as country over Sam Hunt”™s shit that is a joke in both country and pop any day.’
Love that. That approach seems to come up a lot. Nobody seems to be able to fit their pegs in the proper corresponding holes, so we make do. It’s like somebody keeps getting their Legos mixed in with the Duplos. Sometimes they fit–sometimes not. And we end up with one weird-ass looking space castle.
Eric
August 24, 2015 @ 10:35 pm
It is clear that Kip Moore is straining to achieve a growling voice, much like Brantley Gilbert or Tyler Farr as others mentioned above. Sounds downright grating to me.
Also, I dislike the violent nature of the lyrics to that single. Hopefully the other songs will feature somewhat deeper themes.
Bolivwx
August 25, 2015 @ 1:14 am
I have seen Kip Moore live on two different occasions. The first time seemed like he was trying to make a name for himself because all he really had were three radio songs, and the second time reminded me too much of a Springsteen/Mellencamp concert and I have never seen either of them. Considering that he opened for the likenesses of Toby Keith the first time and Tim McGraw the second time, his performances were pretty decent rock concerts all in all.
Sullie
August 25, 2015 @ 3:32 am
I didn’t mind Kip’s first album. Is was pretty much a straight up alternative album (if you don’t count “Something About A Truck”. I really like “Hey, Pretty Girl”, I think it had a lot of heart and it showed a good relationship with a real respect for the girl.
Charlie
August 25, 2015 @ 4:17 am
Aw shit. I hate Mumford & Sons & Lumineers & hand claps & drum choruses.
Noj
August 25, 2015 @ 4:41 am
I completely agree with this review. I really enjoyed it but it certainly isn’t a country album.
I think the issue is if Kip Moore releases this as a “Rock” album where does it get played? Rock stations are essentially dead so in order to get air play artists basically have to release as country in order to get any radio airplay.
Trigger
August 25, 2015 @ 7:24 am
That’s one of the big problems for country and rock right now. “Country” is becoming the catch-all term, just like rock was in the 80’s and 90’s.
NCW
August 25, 2015 @ 3:50 pm
Couldn’t agree more. It’s not so much that artists are bending the genre of country music as they’re blending it.
Jason
August 25, 2015 @ 4:59 am
Glad to see this review. I was very disappointed with this, especially after liking the first two singles. Sadly, the originally planned album was scrapped and you can tell; the first half of the record feels like a compilation of singles, while the second is more of what this record could’ve been. Maybe I was expecting too much after liking the first album (aside from a few songs) and loving the first two singles.
Brian
August 25, 2015 @ 6:39 am
“Throughout Wild Ones, Kip is using this sort of growling affectation that at times definitely fits the mood, but just like how the same sonic parameters applied to each song get old, so does Kip”™s singing style. He seems to be trying too hard to sound like something as opposed to finding the natural tone and register of his voice.”
I listened to the clips on ITunes and this is the first thing I thought.
Cobra
August 25, 2015 @ 8:39 am
I’m still waiting to hear this album (I really liked his first album). And from a couple of different reviews now, I’m getting the sense that this seems to be a country-influenced rock album (rather than simply a rock album labeled as country with no other connection to country whatsoever).
I am disappointed that “Young Love” isn’t on the album, as I thought that was a great song. I’m still willing to give this album a shot, though.
Six String Richie
August 25, 2015 @ 9:14 am
My least favorite aspect of this album is the writing. The lyrics are very weak in my opinion.
I don’t understand why Kip Moore is spending so much time reminiscing about being a bad ass in high school. How old is he? Like 27? Shouldn’t he still be a bad ass if he’s that young?
I get it when 45-year-old men that used to be football stars reminisce about being in high school when they were dating pretty girls and going to parties and breaking the rules. But they brag about those days because they usually now are overweight and un-athletic, and have been divorced twice. High school was the best time of their life.
Moore is a music star and only 27. These should be the best days of his life. Why bother bragging about how hot and bad ass you were in high school when you now are a famous 27-year-old with money and national popularity?
Trigger
August 25, 2015 @ 9:50 am
The “good ole days” Uncle Rico syndrome has beset mainstream country music, and it’s about all we hear about nowadays. Life ends after college according to these songs.
Nadia Lockheart
August 25, 2015 @ 11:11 am
Ha!
Uncle Rico is a PERFECT pop culture analogy. I can see it all now: an obligatory autumn football anthem that is clinically designed to tug heartstrings with melancholic nostalgia on a college football player’s glory days, and a bridge that screams denial of his physical limitations where he belts: “How much you wanna bet I can still throw this pigskin over them mountains?” 😉
Six String Richie
August 25, 2015 @ 11:53 am
That picture of Moore used for the video looks like an Uncle Rico character. That’s all I’m gonna be able to see every time I see Kip Moore.
Nadia Lockheart
August 25, 2015 @ 3:12 pm
Uncle Rico: “You know anything about………………t-time travel?”
“Country” Music: ………………eeeeeasy! That’s about all we’re looking into right now!”
Uncle Rico: (snickering) “…………………….right on…………………..right on!”
*
😉
martha ajamian
August 25, 2015 @ 11:05 am
I was thinking he was in his mid-30’s. I guess it really doesn’t matter.
Scotty J
August 25, 2015 @ 11:46 am
Kip Moore is 35 years old.
Six String Richie
August 26, 2015 @ 5:35 am
Now that I know his age, looking at his pictures it seems like he’s trying so hard to look younger. It’s kind of pathetic.
Sara
August 26, 2015 @ 8:19 pm
He’s 35 not 27…….. I dont think it’s that he tries to look younger I just think he doesn’t look like an old 35. If he was really trying to look younger he’d use eye cream.
Nadia Lockheart
August 25, 2015 @ 9:38 am
This album achieves enough to be fairly enjoyable, to my ears……………..but concur it shouldn’t be regarded (nor should ever have been marketed) as a country album.
*
I’m inclined to agree the lyrics are the weakest aspect of “Wild Ones”.
The album’s two low points, to me, are “What You Got On Tonight” and “Come And Get It”. Both those tracks try and pass off as love songs, but instead come across as somewhat creepy from the standpoint that Moore is texting his love interest his intentions. Not Chase Rice-creepy, mind you, but still questionable.
Outside of that pairing, many of the tracks (once again) equate being a rebel, or at least living wild, with the most blase cliches including drinking, staying up all night and running red lights. The title track reads like a reprise of Eric Church’s “The Outsiders” (choice lyric: “Cause we’re the wildcats, we’re the fighters, we’re the midnight up all nighters…”), while “Complicated” features a narrator chest-thumping to his love interest about sitting together in his getaway car while adoring her two pink lines (again, something Eric Church already named a song after) and admitting he has little in the bank account. And then you have tracks like “That’s Alright With Me”, which comes across as a cross between Darius Rucker’s ode to mediocrity that was “Alright”, and Randy Houser’s “Whistlin’ Dixie” as far as laundry list lyricism is concerned.
*
That said, what proves to be a saving grace for this set is the remaining sum of its parts.
I for one actually enjoy Kip Moore’s vocals. His rasp generally has a believable, worn-in texture that elevates a number of tracks to a serviceable quality that would otherwise be anonymous in the hands of most of his B-artist peers. I admit there may be some personal bias in play given that I grew up consistently loving Mellencamp’s output, but it’s refreshing to hear someone with a voice that resembles his raw emotive mode of vocal interpretation. Moore may have limited range, but when you make the most of what you have, I can still be captivated……………….and Moore sounds emotionally invested throughout the record. I can certainly believe what he is selling, even if it is lyrically a heap of second-rate cliches.
And more often than not, the production aligns well with his style.
There are exceptions. “Magic” doesn’t work in that the use of reverb applied to Moore’s vocals along with the jarring contrast between the church bell-like percussive effects and the Audio Wars bombast in the chorus amounts to an unfortunate mess (along with a purposeless mini-guitar solo in the bridge). “Running For You” kicks off with what resembles a hip-hop beat before phasing out in favor of live percussion. And “Comeback Kid” relies a bit too much on the “Whoa oh ohs!” to carry its chorus.
As a whole, however, the production suits his style. “Girl of the Summer” features hazy, watery guitars and driving percussion that nonetheless never hits you over the head in driving the wistfulness and regret home. Despite the use of a drum machine in the first verse, “That Was Us” flourishes off the strength of the sparseness of its production that allows Moore’s more understated vocals to breathe as he reflects on youthful indiscretions. “Heart’s Desire” succeeds in a similar fashion reflecting on youthful lust, while “Lipstick” is a more buoyant take on the theme with slow-burning, meaty guitars that nonetheless succeed off of resisting the need for an obligatory “big chorus” and instead favors riding a groove that lifts like smoke setting on a lake. The bonus track “Backseat” stands out in riding on its fuzzy vintage riff and seductive rhythm. And despite the lazy songwriting in the chorus, “Comeback Kid” again demonstrates how Moore’s vocals resonate remarkably well at a warm, hushed register with the bombast traded for acoustic textures.
*
In listening to this, I am absolutely convinced MCA Nashville chose the wrong singles.
“I’m To Blame” is that kind of track that comes in one ear and slips right out the other. It may reflect the album as a whole (underwhelming lyrics, decent all-around production, spirited vocals) but at barely over two minutes in duration has too much of a fleeting feel to it and is more of a receipt of boasts than anything that would make listeners care. And though neither feature on this album, “Young Love” sounded like a latter career Bon Jovi B-side power ballad (in a time where Bon Jovi power ballads get virtually no airplay) and “Dirt Road” is all around forgettable and unclever.
If I had my druthers, I would have anchored the album with “Running For You”. I think it would have hit the same soft spot his previous hit “Hey Pretty Girl” did. Then, I would have followed it up with “That’s Alright With Me” in that, as much as I find the lyricism underwhelming, does have some nice instrumentation and resonates the best and most accessible as something more uptempo. Finally, I would probably go with “Girl of the Summer” because those type of songs, thematically, resonate well with listeners in this climate and also bears some emotive delivery.
*
As a whole, Kip Moore’s “Wild Ones” is admittedly a dividing listen. His strengths are on full display here, but his weaknesses are just as glaring. And the tough truth is that Moore easily could have written a better album than this half-assed reversion to adolescent rebellion themes overall.
But Moore’s vocals and some strong production on most tracks make for a mainstream rock album that is quite listenable, all the same, and indicate a passionate performer that still has a lot of room to grow.
I’m thinking a Light To Decent 6/10 here as an album itself, but definitely one that flunks as a country album.
CountryKnight
August 25, 2015 @ 9:56 am
The afternoon DJ on a local country channel said that Kip Moore has 1000 songs written. I guess he wrote them all in one day.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 25, 2015 @ 10:05 am
They’re probably all variations of beer trucks and girls.
“Drinking beer with my girl by the creek”
“Drunk out of my skull in my truck watching that girl out my window”
“I’m so drunk I can’t tell if she’s twins or not but man oh man she sure is hot”
Three intros to three songs that all suck, and it took me about a minute. Although I think that third one has some potential.
DarthBadGuy
August 25, 2015 @ 10:10 am
I remember seeing some kind of back-porch special on GAC a while back while flipping through the channels. It was basically an intimate interview with Kip, interspersed with him playing a few acoustic songs. I didn’t watch it for too long, but from the pieces of performance I saw I was struck with the amount of talent he showed, since before I thought he was just another talentless bro-hack. I was pretty surprised and immediately I thought that he had a lot more potential than the crappy pair of singles I’d heard from him displayed.
The other thing I noticed was that they were talking about his musical influences, and the number one name dominating the conversation was Springsteen, with only sparse mentioning of country musicians. And that’s definitely the name that comes to mind with the overall image and musical style of this album. The problem, though (while I’m not a huge Springsteen fan by any real means), is that Kip doesn’t have the songwriting acumen to produce stuff like “Atlantic City” and “Adam Raised A Cain,” or the band to jump the heartrate in the way “Thunder Road” and “Born To Run” do. In the end it just comes off as a very produced, smoothed-out take on heartland rock interspersed with an endless and embarrassing longing to be eighteen again.
Boston
August 25, 2015 @ 10:19 am
I saw Kip play at one of the CMA Songwriter nights last year. It was Kip, Miranda and Kip’s producer Brett James all performing acoustically. I was not a fan of his going into the show, (And I’m still not a big fan), but I will say I truly enjoyed him that night. None of the ridiculous growling with his voice.. he played the guitar well and his song selection was great. I laughed because of course some of the crowd kept asking him to play Somethin’ Bout a Truck and he wouldn’t. Finally Miranda (Who seemed a little buzzed) yells “He already told us backstage, he ain’t playing that shitty song!” haha good stuff.
James
August 25, 2015 @ 10:22 am
One of these is an artist that makes good music and one doesn’t, but Kip Moore sounds a lot like Matt Woods in that track posted above.
In my most humble opinion, anyway…
HossDiesel
August 25, 2015 @ 10:36 am
When my more mainstream-oriented friends ask me if I like Moore’s music, I tell them to listen to J.D. McPherson instead. Moore’s name has yet to come up in subsequent convos with those friends.
Kaia
August 25, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
I find Kip Moore very interesting. His songwriting is completely split between some of the genre’s most shallow bro country songs and some of the deepest, most heartfelt music put out the last five years. I loved Hey Pretty Girl, but from Up All Night, my favorite songs were Crazy One More Time and Faith When I Fall. These songs tell a story, and though they’re not upbeat, they are so intense and vulnerable.
I had high hopes for Wild Ones, and though I’m not disappointed, I find myself missing something, but being unable to pinpoint it. Perhaps the songwriting revolves too much on sex, drinking and girls, and many of the songs end up sort of blurring together. I will give him credit for keeping his own sound, and still refusing to stop believing in his own music (and simply accept songs written by others). To me, based on the current singles chart, it feels like Kip, along with Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley are the only top artists believing in delivering their own stories.
I think the complete highlight of Wild Ones is Heart’s Desire. I’m really hoping it ends up as a single, as it has strong lyrics and a deeper intensity that sticks through the whole song.
Completely at random, I was fortunate enough to end up in the same bar as Kip and the band after one of their show. We hung out and talked for hours, and they all were so including and came across as very genuine and nice people. I learned a lot about the struggles in the music business, and I’m still impressed with how he’s pushing through. I have seen most of the popular country acts live by now, and noone else comes close when it comes to interacting with fans. He stays behind and meets people and signs their stuff, asking for everyone’s name and personally thanking them for showing up. I hope his music keeps developing and that he stays this humble.
NCW
August 25, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
I actually enjoyed this album if excluding genre in my assessment. I heard a lot of different influences that have all been mentioned. As a rock album I think it was a solid effort. Again let’s remember that true rock is almost certainly dead and has blended in with mainstream country. I also am a big Matt Nathanson fan and heard songs on this album that could have passed for some of his material. This really is a hard album to judge based on radio play, but personally for me I had to take the genre thing away to like it for what it was – a straight rock album.
ShadeGrown
August 25, 2015 @ 6:12 pm
Personally I would rather read reviews of music that I might like
Trigger
August 26, 2015 @ 12:01 am
I am a music fan above all, and I approach each album I listen to with the hope that I will like it, even albums from folks like Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line. Unfortunately, I don’t always like albums, and sometimes even when I do, I don’t really have enough to say about them to warrant a review.
I heard a lot of positive things about this Kip Moore album, and that is why I reviewed it. It’s unfortunate it turned out not to be as good as I was hoping. The reason I still decided to review it was because I had something to say about it, which is the ultimate requisite for any album to get reviewed, not whether I like it or not. Negative and neutral reviews are also helpful in the music discovery process, in my opinion.
Vickye Fisher
August 26, 2015 @ 2:35 am
I agree with your comment wholeheartedly, Trigger. It’s something that I’ve attempted to get across to people who ask me why I bother to waste time reviewing music I don’t like.
Vickye Fisher
August 26, 2015 @ 2:27 am
I came to the exact same conclusion as you Trigger. When I first listened I was rather unimpressed, but a few listens later and I found many of the songs catchy and enjoyable – but still, there’s limited narrative there. A lot of the songs sound very similar, even if I now have listened enough to tell them apart.
It’s a great one to put on when you’re in a good mood and want to sing along – I really love the grooves and the hooks and it does a good job of appopriating 80s rock even if it doesn’t try to stamp some originality on things. But it is somewhat vapid – the only one I really connected to was ‘Comeback Kid’, largely because I feel that was his most honest lyric and one that I personally relate to.
He’s clearly a good lyricist, judging by a handful of tracks on ‘Up All Night’, but that’s not on display here.
CubsFanChris
August 26, 2015 @ 7:25 am
You hit the nail on the head with this review. This comment especially very insightful in my opinion. “If I was a mainstream country fan that had grown weary from years of the Bro-Country onslaught, and was a fan of Kip Moore”™s to begin with, I would find plenty to favor in Wild Ones.” That’s the category I fit in at this moment in time. Kip more is one of my favorite artists, because I like listening to something that points me to carefree, and with so much depth in my life right now with my family and by job, I don’t need lyrical depth in the music I listen to, but I do need something that provides a staycation atmosphere.
In addition, I also want an album that when I attend the artists concert that I can party out and be on a true vacation for a few hours, and hear an artists music like I hear it on the radio or from an album, and sing along. If someone doesn’t get this album, attend one of his shows, and it will all make sense.
For me it all sums up to Kip knows his core fan base, and he probably ditched his first planned album that might have been more for the masses and ended up with something that he knew his fan base would appreciate, and stuff he’d enjoy playing through the years.
The Ghost of Buckshot Jones
August 26, 2015 @ 7:59 am
Boy, that single in the article. Yeesh. It sounds like someone stole a napkin that Chris Knight was writing on and tried to flesh it out into an entire song. A whopping 2 minutes 15 seconds?
Pat Kane
August 26, 2015 @ 1:19 pm
You know country music has hit rock bottom when people think this album is actually decent. Kip Moore is mixed in with all the other crap out there on the radio. Every damn song has the same lyrics and same structure. Garbage album…end of story.
mcs
August 26, 2015 @ 3:24 pm
I should probably preface this by saying I own both of Kip Moore’s deluxe albums and all of his singles that didn’t make it onto the albums. I’ve seen him in concert twice now, most recently last Saturday with Deirks. Does he always wear the same stupid red trucker hat? Yes. Does he sing with a raspy voice when maybe sometimes he could be a little softer? Yes. Does he interject an over abundance of “Hey!”s on this album? Yes.
But besides all that silly stuff, his music makes me feel something. I can listen to country radio all day and not feel anything (although Whiskey Lullaby always gets me!). But I think Kip totally rocks the carefree vibe/mentality (Hello, ‘Reckless’) and does it in way that doesn’t drive me crazy me like Kenny Chesney. I totally agree with your assessment Trigger as far as the sonic nuances of this album – it feels good to listen to. There really isn’t much out there, at least in the mainstream country/rock world, like it in my opinion.
I am one to put in a CD (yes, I still do that) and listen to a whole album in sequence. But like many have said, the songs on Wild Ones do seem to run together. It takes me a while before I can determine what song I am hearing. You might not know what song you are listening to, but you will probably be able to groove to it and enjoy. I think I will almost enjoy the songs more if I hear them shuffled with other artists.
I actually really like ‘Magic’ and it might be my favorite on the album-listening intently, it really does have some smart lyrics that tie into “magic” in the versus (I’ll admit the Chorus lyrics aren’t as inventive). However, I actually thought it was one of the stronger songs — it sounds different than the others.
Heart’s Desire, Running for You, and Wild Ones also sat well with me and I think they could all do well as singles. I did think of Eric Church’s ‘The Outsiders’ immediately when I heard Wild Ones. Kip Moore probably did a better job leading off an album with something pretty unexpected. And Backseat is well, just pretty fun to listen to, because hey, we’ve all been there 😉
I think he is a genuine guy, with a genuine voice, trying to make music that he believes in. Unfortunately that isn’t the standard anymore in today’s mainstream country.
On another note, Kip is pretty fun in concert but I was blown away by Dierks Bentley. I mean I’m a pretty big fan, have all of Dierks albums, but had never been to see him live and had always heard his vocals weren’t the strongest. Dierks was good, like really good. They played ‘Up on the Ridge’ which shocked me and it was just plain awesome.
Trigger
August 26, 2015 @ 9:04 pm
I agree “Magic” is one of the stronger tracks of the album, even if it sounds very similar to Mumford & Sons.
Maranda
August 26, 2015 @ 11:05 pm
Honestly, I think the vocals on his first album were better. His voice is either getting raspier from smoking or he’s straining. Was I the only one who thought he as completely phoning it in on “What you got on tonight”? I want to find out the co-writers because it feels like the label told him to write a bro-country song and he followed orders- it’s not his style at all. I also didn’t believe “Complicated”. To me, Kip’s a work in progress. I really really wanted him to write deeper lyrics and broaden his themes but maybe next time… I’ll listen to Tift Merritt in the meantime.
Scott
August 27, 2015 @ 7:12 pm
Trigger. I did not mind the album as music. I actually kind of enjoyed it. It definitely is not country, but I caught some of the classic rock leanings. Is it just me, or does Lipstick come off sounding very familiar…oh…say…Tom Petty’s Don’t Come Around Here No More?
CountryKnight
August 28, 2015 @ 9:24 am
Faith When I Fall is a darn good song. I played it repeatedly the night my grandfather went to Heaven.
Nate
August 28, 2015 @ 3:20 pm
I by no means think it should be regarded so highly. Going by the track-record of mainstream critics, however, it will certainly be regarded as such.
Tim from GA
August 31, 2015 @ 3:08 pm
“That was us” song title has been used before by a Nashville veteran originally from Georgia as is Kip. A fella named Mitchell Oglesby who is very traditional, but doesn’t have a chance in current Nashville market. First heard it 10+ years ago. Here’s a link to it. Quite different than Kips song of the same title. https://www.reverbnation.com/mitchelloglesby/song/7579799-that-was-us
Anthony
September 1, 2015 @ 12:20 pm
This album has some good songs but its definitely a rock album lol
Colten Johnson
October 1, 2015 @ 11:41 am
I got an idea for ya. Why don’t ya leave them boys alone and let em sing their songs.