It’s been four years since Montgomery Gentry released their last album, 2011’s Rebels On The Run, and now they’re back with their latest effort titled, Folks Like Us, a nod to their style of singing blue-collar lifestyle songs. So how does this album stack up?
Well, overall pretty good! They open the album up with “We Were Here”, a song that reminds me of Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos On This Town”. The two reminisce their small town and how they at one time were the kings of it. Some may find the track to be a bit cliche, however i do appreciate the sentiment that they are reflecting on their good times instead of pretending like they’re still living in it. Up next is the lead single, “Headlights”. I always thought this track was very weak and really just here to try and score MG a hit. The rock-country feel makes the song a bit better but it is still lyrically light. The small town theme continues on “In A Small Town”, a tale of a man who leaves a small town and ultimately regrets it.The duo, vocally, still sound as good as ever. Unfortunately, much like they did with “Headlights”, the duo go back to chasing trends, and the result isn’t pretty. “Back On A Dirt Road” finds the duo in an awkward position, singing about a party……on a dirt road, which we’ve heard millions of times before. Chris Robertson adds vocals here, and I really don’t understand why. There is nothing about this song that truly warrants an added vocalist. “Two Old Friends” tells of two old friends who meet up after a long while an catch up on old times. They feel like no time has passed since they last saw each other. The song is obviously about the duo and is a nice sentiment to how long they’ve been together. The title track follows, which is a song that pays tribute to the blue-collar fans that the duo makes music for. It’s not half bad, but they have sang the same type of song better before. Next up is “Pain” which is one of my favorites on the album and there’s a good reason why, it was written by the great Chris Stapleton. Eddie Montgomery delivers his best vocal performance on the album here. “Hillbilly Hippies” unfortunately messes up the album with its talking of partying……again. This time, they’re hippies! There is nothing that stands out about this track and makes it one of the weakest on the album. Thankfully, the best song on the album follows up to this song. “Better For It” finds Troy Gentry talking about past events in his life that impacted him like raising hell in his youth. He now has a woman who loves him and realizes that now that he is a changed man, he’s better for it. The track is laced with a steel guitar making it a winner in all areas in my book. The final track, “That’s Just Living” talks about how sometimes we can get a little reckless, but hey its just living. You live and you learn. This song is signature Montgomery Gentry and is a great way to close the album.
Overall, a few mishaps turn this record into a good one instead of a truly great one. However, this record does have some awesome tracks that shouldn’t be overlooked. I will say that this album is definitely not different from their past work and will satisfy anyone who has been looking forward to new Montgomery Gentry music.
Essential Tracks: “Better For It”, “That’s Just Living”, “Two Old Friends”
Well, overall pretty good! They open the album up with “We Were Here”, a song that reminds me of Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos On This Town”. The two reminisce their small town and how they at one time were the kings of it. Some may find the track to be a bit cliche, however i do appreciate the sentiment that they are reflecting on their good times instead of pretending like they’re still living in it. Up next is the lead single, “Headlights”. I always thought this track was very weak and really just here to try and score MG a hit. The rock-country feel makes the song a bit better but it is still lyrically light. The small town theme continues on “In A Small Town”, a tale of a man who leaves a small town and ultimately regrets it.The duo, vocally, still sound as good as ever. Unfortunately, much like they did with “Headlights”, the duo go back to chasing trends, and the result isn’t pretty. “Back On A Dirt Road” finds the duo in an awkward position, singing about a party……on a dirt road, which we’ve heard millions of times before. Chris Robertson adds vocals here, and I really don’t understand why. There is nothing about this song that truly warrants an added vocalist. “Two Old Friends” tells of two old friends who meet up after a long while an catch up on old times. They feel like no time has passed since they last saw each other. The song is obviously about the duo and is a nice sentiment to how long they’ve been together. The title track follows, which is a song that pays tribute to the blue-collar fans that the duo makes music for. It’s not half bad, but they have sang the same type of song better before. Next up is “Pain” which is one of my favorites on the album and there’s a good reason why, it was written by the great Chris Stapleton. Eddie Montgomery delivers his best vocal performance on the album here. “Hillbilly Hippies” unfortunately messes up the album with its talking of partying……again. This time, they’re hippies! There is nothing that stands out about this track and makes it one of the weakest on the album. Thankfully, the best song on the album follows up to this song. “Better For It” finds Troy Gentry talking about past events in his life that impacted him like raising hell in his youth. He now has a woman who loves him and realizes that now that he is a changed man, he’s better for it. The track is laced with a steel guitar making it a winner in all areas in my book. The final track, “That’s Just Living” talks about how sometimes we can get a little reckless, but hey its just living. You live and you learn. This song is signature Montgomery Gentry and is a great way to close the album.
Overall, a few mishaps turn this record into a good one instead of a truly great one. However, this record does have some awesome tracks that shouldn’t be overlooked. I will say that this album is definitely not different from their past work and will satisfy anyone who has been looking forward to new Montgomery Gentry music.
Essential Tracks: “Better For It”, “That’s Just Living”, “Two Old Friends”