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Logan Mize – Still That Kid

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Logan Mize - Still That Kid

Logan Mize - Still That Kid
3.4

Rating

 3.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Some really good songs
  • Great artist and good voice

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Too few new songs
  • ... which are not even too good

Still That Kid – the fourth album by Logan Mize was definitely a release I have been looking forward to. The charismatic country music artist has gained quite some sympathy in Germany already – the last time I saw him was during his October 2019 concert in Cologne. Here is my album review – the publication date ist 27th January 2021.

 

Logan Mize – About The Artist

Logan Mize, born on 7th May 1985, is a country music singer / songwriter from Clearwater, Kansas, a city close to Wichita. He is recording since the age of 25, but his first release took until 2009, when he released his self-titled album. In 2012, his second album, Nobody In Nashville has been released and made it to the Top 50 in the US Country Album Charts. The best US Country Chart position ever by Logan Mize was by his 2015 Pawn Shop Guitar debut EP, which climed up to the 32nd spot. His most successful single so war was – regarding charts positioning – the 2016 Ain’t Always Pretty, which was part of his latest album, the 2017 Come Back Road. Logan Mize is quite popular in Europe as well – Sound of Nashville for example chose him for their 2019 press event in Cologne.

 

Logan Mize – Still That Kid – Track by Track

The thirteen track album lasts 41 minutes. Two of the songs are part of the record in two different versions. If you look at the mass of music videos below, you see that only four of the tracks have in fact not been released before the album has been published – Logan Mize fans might feel a bit of bored.

1 .American Livin’

The first song of the album is one of the new ones. American Livin’  is a powerful, good listen – but overall, it is rather one of the weaker tracks of the album to me.

2. I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up

In contrast to the amuse gueule of the album, I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up is indeed much more fun – not just because it is already quite well known. The rhythmic track is just a power engine for each country music summer party… Okay, it is winter right now… But Logan goes for a warmer touch with that one.

3. Who Didn’t

Work like hell
Pray in the huddle
Cruise ’round a two-lane no name bubble
Put it in park for some cold beer kissing
We didn’t know anybody who didn’t
Mow their own yard
Fill their own tank
Check on the temp on the sign at the bank
Not everybody lived in those city limits
But we didn’t know anybody who didn’t

Every country artists needs to his country life praising songs – this is how Logan Mize is doing it. I like the melody of the song – and in general I love to listen to Logan’s voice – I just don’t like the Nashville idea that concatenating stereotypes is the best way to win the heart of a person wearing boots. Thus, Who Didn’t is simply not my favorite.

4. Grew Apart (feat. Donovan Woods)

The fourth track of the album is Grew Apart in the original release with Donovan Woods. The song is a nice breakup track, without anger and the seeking for revenge. The catching melody is likely the signature element of the song.

It’s for the best, it’s over now
Wasn’t anyone’s fault, it didn’t work out
She’s a good girl, just wasn’t the one
We wanted different things, we had a good run
She’s better off, and so am I
It is what it is, yeah, it’s alright
I don’t tell ’em how you broke my heart
I just tell ’em that we grew apart

5. Gone Goes On and On

Two new songs in a row now: the first one is Gone Goes On and On. The song is a typical Logan Mize one, being very present during its chorus. Nice melody, nice lyrics. But so far, the new tracks feel a bit like beating a dead horse.

6. Practice Swing

The horse is still alive! Practice Swing is in my point of view the best new song on the album. The next single, maybe?

7. Hometown

When I wrote down my thoughts about Who Didn’t, I started with “Every country music artists needs his country life praising song”… Ain’t a hometown song a bit like this? Like the pirouette at figure skating if you in fact would love to go for the quadruple toe loop?

I wanna be home in my own hometown
Yeah, back where my roots ran wild in my barefoot stompin’ ground
Yeah, I wanna wake up to some of that cookin’
Know my way around without lookin’
Home in my own hometown
I’m always gonna be home-town, yeah

Bad news, Logan: your genre unfortunately requires some phyiscal presence in Nashville – but maybe one day you are back again in Kansas. So far, we enjoy your music – even though I have to admit I am a bit less enthusiastic about these kind of tracks.

8. Get ‘Em Together (with Clare Dunn)

If there wasn’t the collaboration with Willie Jones at the very end of this album, Get ‘Em Down with Clare Dunn would be a hot candidate for the “coolest track on the album” award to me. Two cool interesting voices, a lot of country feeling, groove and great guitar elements. Great song!

9. Prettiest Girl in the World

Prettiest Girl in the World, Logan Mize’s love song to his daughter, is definitely one of the emotional highlights of the album. I liked the song when it has originally been released – and I still feel it is a good one!

10. Slow

Slow might not impose itself on the listener, but it is indeed a lovely slow track. I like the way it is arranged, with a strong focus on the voice and the story told – even the instrumental parts feel not to be that present. Nice.

11. Something Just Like This

As Logan Mize released this cover already before the album, it was not too surprising that Something Just Like This will be part of Still That Kid. I struggle with the cover – it is surprisingly close to the original. I would have loved to have a stronger Logan Mize touch in it.

12. Grew Apart (feat. Alexandra Kay)

The last two tracks of Still That Kid are re-recordings of songs which have already featured on the album – just now recorded with other artists partnering Mize. Alexandra Kay is adding more contrast and thus more character to the song compared to the Donovan Woods version, so that I prefer this version. It is, however, a close battle and strongly a matter of taste.

13. I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up (feat. Willie Jones)

I do love Willie Jones – and I feel that his collaboration with Mize at I Ain’t Gotta Grow Up is just way better than the original recording. Willie Jones is simply the country music groove-master – and this song is groovy. Welcome to Mr. Jones’ home territory.

 

Logan Mize – Still That Kid – Spotify

Here is Still That Kid on Spotify:

 

Logan Mize – Still That Kid – My View

I love Logan Mize – and Still That Kid definitely contains some great songs. Nonetheless, I struggle with the album. It is just too idealess for the European market, I believe. Indeed, the US market is much more single driven and thus the album is the last chance to squeeze some money out of the fans’ credit cards – but there is just too few new material, too few new stories. His Come Back Road was so much better – Still That Kid just leads to an average ranking to me.

 

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