Album Review: Chase Wright “Letting Go”
As country music continues to rise in popularity, so comes the challenge of finding fresh ways to appeal to audiences. The blending of different genres in a way that’s appealing to artists can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but for singer-songwriter Chase Wright, he pulls off the combination of memorable beats and emotional lyrics effortlessly.
The 28-year-old Indiana native is fairly new to the music scene. His debut album “Intertwined” was released in 2021 with his first single “My Kinda Morning” dropping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing inspiration from Keith Urban, The Fray and Matchbox Twenty, Wright mixes his country-style music with touches of modern R&B and pop-rock. His sophomore album “Letting Go” blends love, heartbreak, grief and dealing with its emotional aftermath.
The album starts strong with Wright’s viral song “Hurt No More,” where in the powerhouse of a chorus, Wright contemplates letting an ex back into his life for one more night. However, he quickly moves on from wrestling with his demons by the second “She Ain’t Taking Your Call.” Perfectly embodying country’s feels, guitar and drums accompany lyrics about meeting a girl who’s finally moved on from her ex by sipping whiskey on his tab and “finding a groove she didn’t know she had.”
The passion builds with “Never Been Done Before,” where Wright nearly screams the vocals of making a “last goodbye like it don’t exist” and loving someone that’s never been done by media before. Wright moves into more sensual territory in the guitar and bass-heavy “I Don’t Think That I Could Love You.” While the title seems misconstrued, the country-rock tune has a crooning voice about “no one else making him feel this way” and how he doesn’t think he could love his partner more than he does at the current moment. Feeling moved by this moment, Wright is ready to spring forward with his relationship in “Off to the Races.” As the guitar builds, it nearly bursts into the chorus in an upbeat rhythm as Wright sings about how he and his partner “have some kind of lightning” and they should rush “off to the races” full force in love.
However, the passion can only last for so long. Following the heart-throbbing dance songs, Wright slows things down with the ballad “Never Loved Before.” The wedding-like song makes a heartfelt confessional as Wright admits he thought he knew love before meeting his partner, but is now convinced he never truly loved someone like her before. The second half of the album is when the dynamic starts to shift. “Who I Want to Be” sounds gospel-like as, over a beautiful blend of piano and guitar, Wright promises to be better as he’s “battling his demons” and “running to the light” on his journey of “trying to close the space” of who he is today and who he wants to be.
Wright’s hurt continues as he covers Keith Urban’s 2004 hit “Tonight I Wanna Cry.” The tempo is slightly faster with a soft-pop twist but still conveys the hurt of his partner walking out. The one song that seems out of place on the album is “Memory.” While it fits the theme of a grief-filled ballad as Wright wrote it in memory of his grandpa who passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has a different sound production than the rest of the tracks. It stands out awkwardly as it doesn’t sound country like the other tracks, but more of a pop and R&B style.
Chase Wright is the up-and-coming country artist listeners should be looking out for. He’s mastered the art of addictive choruses and catchy beats that are nearly impossible to get out of people’s heads. His lyrics are touching and applicable to not one specific group, but anyone who has a heartbeat. “Letting Go” is a perfect follow-up to “Intertwined,” cementing his place as the future country artist we didn’t know we needed.
Photo Caption: Drawing inspiration from Keith Urban, The Fray and Matchbox Twenty, Wright mixes his country-style music with touches of modern R&B and pop-rock. (Jason Myers/People)
Write to Emma Johnson at emma.johnson.5@mnsu.edu