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Midland – Let It Roll

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Midland - Let It Roll

Midland - Let It Roll
3.7

Rating

 3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Better in the second half
  • Unique traditional, but still modern sound of Midland

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Rather slow start of the album

Can Midland top their rock-like rise to the line of fine country music acts? After a massive success of their debut album On The Rocks, Midland released their second studio album Let It Roll on 23rd of August. Publishing these tracks on the same day as Taylor Swift’s Lover shows at least a level of confidence in their latest musical baby. Here is my view of Let It Roll.

 

Midland – About the Artist

Midland is a trio from Texas. The lead vocalist is Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson is playing the guitar and Cameron Duddy the bass guitar. Wystrach is also working as an actor. The band members met in 2013, their career started in 2016 after they signed with Big Machine Records. 2017 was amazing for the band – which is closely related to one song: Drinkin’ Problem reached place 4 in the US Country charts, #3 in US Country Airplays and even topped the Canadian Country charts. The country music party anthem was extremely popular. The track was already the lead song of a self-titled EP released in 2016. Their debut album, On The Rocks, which the band released in later 2017, created two other single chart entries. However, Make a Little and Burnout were not as commercially successful as Drinkin’ Problems. At least, though, Burn Out, was a radio song making it to #3 in the US Country Airplays. As I already featured the Spanish version of Drinkin’ Problem in my country music picks, the video belong is Burn Out.

 

Midland – Let It Roll – Track by Track

The 2019 Midland album takes 51 minutes. It contains 14 tracks.

1. Let It Roll

The album starts with the title track. I have to say that I did not get a grip on Let It Roll at all. The song did not touch me at all. Sorry, Midland!

2. Fourteen Gears

Hear that Peterbilt whine down the solid white line
Don’t make no money if I don’t make it there on time
Houston Dallas San Antone
Wind it up until I’m home
I’ve got fourteen gears to get you back in my arms

The second song has a quite traditional sound. The story is also quite traditional stuff: a truck driver going home. I like Fourteen Gears much more than the title track.

3. Mr. Lonely

Mr. Lonely was the first track released of the new album and had a limited chart success. It is definitely catchy, though I feel it not as good as the best tracks of the On The Rocks album.

4. Cheatin’ Songs

Sometimes her jacket smells like cigarettes
But she hates to smoke
And when I ask her who she’s hanging out with
She says no one I would know

Cheatin’ Songs is definitely a track how I love Midland to be: ironic, nice melody and just catchy – it makes you smile to listen to it. Well done!

5. Put The Hurt On Me

The fifth track is a love song / ballad in the Midland way. It feels quite similar to Cheatin’ Songs, maybe a bit more traditional in sound. I like that.

6. I Love You, Goodbye

Baby, we know
Sometimes this is just the way that love goes
We could drag it out, but when it’s over
Point it toward the sunset and ride
No crying, no lies
Babe, I love you, goodbye

Another song, which is has this Midland sound. I like this one. The arrangement and the lyrics are catching me.

7. Every Song’s A Drinkin’ Song

While Midland songs always feel traditional with a modern touch, this even feels a bit more traditional to me. I am not too much into this Roots Country stuff, but this song just catches me. I guess that could be one of the highlights of the next tour:

Every song’s a drinkin’ song when you’re drinkin’
Fast or slow, they all go good when you’re buzzed
You don’t have to wait on Hank
If you want to raise your glass
Every song’s a drinkin’ song when you’re drinkin’

To me the best track on the album so far! Finally, Midland songs which I really love seem to need a strong alcohol component 🙂

8. 21st Century Honky Tonk American Band

The eighth track on the album has quite much of a country rock track. It still feels like Midland, but it is just a bit more unique than other songs on the album. Thus, I like this anthem on tour life of a Honky Tonk Band.

9. Fast Hearts and Slow Towns

Didn’t we have that song already? No, it is definitely new lyrics. To me, there is not a massive variety in Midland’s melodies – the lyrics make the difference. Sometimes they are catchy to me – sometimes not. Like here.

10. Cheatin’ By The Rules

Harmonica and piano – this song starts very soft and slow, before it goes back to much stronger Midland elements. Nevertheless, it adds something special to the album – and I like it. One of the best songs on the album, also due to the worth-listening chorus:

Don’t call me after 5 o’clock
Change my name in your phone
Pay cash for all our drinks
We don’t need those receipts
Followin’ us home
We both got somebody we
That ain’t no reason to treat ’em cruel
We’re gonna keep on leaving
Keep this secret that we’re keeping
We’re cheatin’ by the rules

11. Playboys

Midland released the Playboys video just few days before the album. While I cannot really state that the sound of this track is really innovative compared to the other ones, it is a song I rather see on the positive and nice-to-listen-to side.

12. Lost In The Night

While I was not too happy with the album at the beginning, there are some more characterful tracks towards the end. Lost In The Night, which even features a saxophone, is one of those. Well done!

13. Gettin’ The Feel

I don’t get too much into the slow country music ballad Gettin’ The Feel, but at least, Midland added other song with a new character on this album. Definitely nice.

14. Roll Away

After this track starts as a slow, but quite expected song, it more and more is dominated by lovely instrument play. Great to fade out at the end of the album.

 

Midland – Let It Roll – Spotify

The Spotify widget allows you to listen to Let It Roll on Flyctory.com:

 

Midland – Let It Roll – My View

Let It Roll is definitely a nicely arranged album. I like the vast range of musicians and instruments, which contributed to this album. You can say that Midland creates their own sound, but I sometimes felt that the sound is too narrow. The album contains some really good songs, but no massive chartbuster potential. Maybe Every Song is a Drinkin’ Song has some chance to focus on the whole album. The second half of the album is much stronger, so I feel that a good average rating is absolutely in line with my thoughts about this second album by the sympathetic band.

 

Midland – Tour 2019/20

Midland will tour with the new album during later 2019. There will be six concerts in the United Kingdom in December 2019. The only concert in Central Europe will be in Amsterdam.Two more dates in Germany in March 2020 were announced later.

Tu 10.12.2019 Amsterdam (NL), Melkweg SOLD OUT
Tu 17.03.2020 Hamburg, Mojo Club
We 18.03.2020 Berlin, Columbia Theater

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