Brett Kissel, the 27 year old Juno and Canadian Country Music Association award winner from Flat Lake, Alberta is back with new music on, We Were That Song ... and Canadian country fans are here for it.
The 13 track album runs 45 minutes, starting with the title track that fans started hearing earlier this fall, and ending with Burgers And Fries, featuring the legendary Charley Pride. But it's the ride in between the bookends that makes this album a little different than the Kissel offerings that have come before it.
Songs like Anthem, Guitars And Gasoline, and Nights In The Sun are all familiar, not because they're derivative, but because they feel like they could already be staples of a Brett Kissel concert. And to that point, these songs will make for a great live show, sliding in with the hits and fan favourites from Started With A Song and Pick Me Up.
If you don't know the title track and lead single, hit play on We Were That Song now...
During my first couple of listens through We Were That Song, two songs stood out for their differences from what we are used to hearing through the speakers on Brett Kissel tracks.
The first (in order of the tracklist) is Between You And Me which feels like it would work as a single from Thomas Rhett. It's not that it doesn't sound like Brett, it does. But if you close your eyes, give it a little imagination and allow yourself to hear the Life Changes singer in there, it fits. Coming in at just a tick under three minutes, Between You And Me is nice work and I expect it to hold up on future listens.
The second, Shootin' It immediately hit me with a vibe of The Cadillac Three. From the groove to the effect on Brett's voice, the track sounds like it could be from the Nashville trio's Legacy album from earlier this year. It's another short track that will be fun in the live show - and should make for a fun addition to the live shows starting in 2018.
On the more traditional Kissel path, God Made Daughters stands out. After the success of I Didn't Fall In Love With Your Hair, it makes sense that fans were ready to embrace another slowed down track from the Alberta boy, and he delivered. And as the father of two young daughters, it's pretty easy to hear the truth and feeling that Brett feels for the track as he sings it.
On the whole, this is an album that Brett Kissel fans, and country music fans, are going to be able to get into. There's a little something for everyone - and it all fits with what we know and expect from Kissel, with just enough surprises thrown in to keep things interesting.
Hit play on the stream to give We Were That Song a listen, and be ready to hear some of the new songs live when Brett Kissel hits the road next year on part 1 of his nationwide We Were That Song Tour.
Brett Kissel, We Were That Song Tracklist
