19. July 2025
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Media Review

Clayton Smalley – Dirt Road Therapy EP

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Clayton Smalley - Dirt Road Therapy

Clayton Smalley - Dirt Road Therapy
3.8

Rating

 3.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Nice characteristic sound
  • Good stories

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Feels like having even more potential

After I had to alter my music review planning for the 20th November 2020, I quite quickly began scanning new releases. One publication which I liked very quickly was Dirt Road Therapy by Clayton Smalley, who is releasing music since 2018. Here is my view on his EP.

 

Clayton Smalley – About The Artist

Clayton Smalley is a Southern California-raised artist, who is nowadays living in Spanish Fork, Utah, which is about a one hour drive from Salt Lake City. His publishing career started comparably late as he decided to first care about his family. With his kids in their teenage years, Smalley started releasing music on YouTube and Facebook and gained quite some popularity. This finally lead to his debut EP in 2019, Whiskey Sunrise. He is quite regularly singles on top of longer players – his most successful track, regarding Spotify streams, so far is A New Year Without You (82k streams at time of writing). Dirt Road Therapy is his second EP.

 

Clayton Smalley – Dirt Road Therapy – Track by Track

The six track EP lasts 18 minutes.

1. Two Lane Time Machine

Wish I had a two lane time machine // To take me back before I wrecked that dream – the first song is a very catchy modern country music song which is dealing with looking back wasted opportunities and chances like teenage love. Really love to listen to that one – sounds a bit like The Eagles to me.

2. Modern Day Merle

Modern Day Merle is touching country rock, but still having classic elements like the violin. Nice one.

3. Phoenix Rise

Sometimes I wish I could burn it down
Strike the match and turn around
Neverlook back
Sometimes I could do the same to me
From the ashes of what used to be
like a phoenix rise.

I really love to listen to this ballad, which in a certain way feels to relate to the Two Lane Time Machine. 

4. Dirt Road Therapy

The Dirt Road Therapy is not only the title track, but (maybe in addition to the Two Lane Time Machine) the most catchy and present song on the album. It’s just a very good modern country track – a therapy on four wheels. Nice one.

5. I Never Let a Good Time Get Away

Due to its very uptempo and rhythmic character, I Never Let a Good Time Get Away even has a touch of Rock’n’Roll. No worry that it is the shortest song of all on this EP – it’s got its message just a bit more on the faster lane.

6. Watch Me Fall

The EP closes with another slow track. I like Phoenix Rise much more than this one.

 

Clayton Smalley – Dirt Road Therapy – Spotify

Here is the Spotify widget to Dirt Road Therapy:

 

Clayton Smalley – Dirt Road Therapy – My View

Not just due to the Dirt Road Therapy title track, this EP is definitely a nice listen. I feel that Smalley just needs to take some more minor steps to get to the top ratings – so long, I definitely enjoy his very characteristic sound.

 

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