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Darius Rucker – Carolyn’s Boy

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Darius Rucker - Carolyn's Boy

Darius Rucker - Carolyn's Boy
4.8

Rating

 4.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very personal, good stories
  • Nice leverage between emotional and party songs
  • The typical Darius Rucker Southern touch

Not only that Darius Rucker is releasing a new album on 6th October 2023, he also recently announced a European tour for 2024. That’s two reasons for having a deeper listen to Carolyn’s Boy, ain’t it? Here are my thoughts about his eighth solo album release overall.

 

Darius Rucker – About The Artist

Darius Carolos Rucker was born on 13th May 1966 in Charleston, South Carolina. Darius Rucker has become one of the first modern country and country rock artists with a global fan base. One of the key reasons was that he, Dean Felber and Mark Bryan founded the band Hootie & the Blowfish in their University times. Already their first studio album review Cracked Rear View had very good chart placements in music markets outside North America. The band broke up in 2008 (but came back in 2018), which gave Rucker the opportunity to turn solo. After a solo debut album in 2002, the album Learn To Live hit the top of the US Country Charts in 2008. Three singles made it to the top of the US Country Charts as well.

Since then, Darius Rucker albums regularly make it to the very top regions of the US country album sales. His last album release, When Was the Last Time, peaked second in the Country Billboards. However, there are also good sales in markets like Australia and the United Kingdom. His biggest single release is likely the 2013 Wagon Wheel, which is an eleven time platinum song in the US and a three time platinum one in Canada.

 

Darius Rucker – Carolyn’s Boy – Track by Track

The 14 songs album lasts 46 minutes.

1. Beers And Sunshine

Beers and sunshine
Bonfires and summertime
Back porch nights in South Carolina
Ain’t nothing finer than me and my girl striking up a little lighter
‘Cause everybody’s down in a world gone crazy
Don’t know how to fix it but I think maybe
Turn on the good times, turn off the TV
Yeah, the only BS I need is beers and sunshine

The album is dedicated to Darius’ single mother Carolyn – and what would be a better start than praising life at home? The opener is a nice catch and a good song for a late summer evening on your back porch. Just very country music-alike.

2. In This Together

The first songs of Rucker’s 2023 album are a treat for his fans. How could a song sound more Rucker-alike than In This Together? I already imagine how well this song is working when a sold-out arena is singing We’re all in this together with the US-American artist.

3. Never Been Over

We’ve never been a headlights-weaving, taillights-fadin’
So long, move on, goodbye-waitin’
Never been one last long look across your shoulder
We’ve been a lot of things, but we’ve never been over

After these rather happy sounds, the third song of the album is a breakup-ballad. In Never Been Over, Darius Rucker is singing about the split from his split with Beth Leonard after twenty years of marriage. A very touching moment of this set of songs.

4. Fires Don’t Start Themselves

Fires Don’t Start Themselves is one of the single features of the album. The sound is a rather typical modern country one, but comes with a cool groove, which stays in your mind. One of the most present songs of the album.

5. Ol’ Church Hymn (feat. Chapel Hart)

For the Ol’ Church Hymn, Rucker teamed up with the country music vocal group Chapel Hart. This beautifully supports the gospel-alike touch of the song. Other songs of the album touch me deeper, but if you are more spiritual than me, I am sure, you are smiling more brightly during the listen.

6. 7 Days

One drink, one shot, there at the bar
I see two people dancin’ out in the dark
It’s that 3 in the morning telephone call
That I wanna make, staring at these four walls
Then it’s 5 o’clock, gettin’ off work all alone
Kick back with a six-pack but your memory ain’t gone
I think maybe that I’d be okay
If I wasn’t seeing your face
7 days

The sixth song about 7 Days is a really nice one, but it feels a bit hidden in the context of the album. The mid-tempo, typical country song does not offer these striking and unique characteristics to love it more than other songs in here. Bad luck, it deserves better.

7. Same Beer Different Problem

Same Beer Different Problem is a lovely track to ease up the listen. A country pop track which makes you smile and which you can sing with it in any situation. I really enjoy it!

8. Sara

I ain’t lookin’ for a one-night, I’m just lookin’ for a friend – the eighth song is about just a good heart in your life. Songs like Sara underline the very personal character of Carolyn’s Boy. The song is majorly driven by the story and the strumming guitar. Would love to have it in an acoustic set of the next tour.

9. Have A Good Time

The single release Have A Good Time is another of these songs you know that they will be great when Darius is back on stage. A typical feelgood sound, the ease of a pop track, which makes it easy to remember and to party with the artist on his show. Not deep the deepest story of the album, but really good fun.

10. Sure Would Have Loved Her

Rather traditional country music listeners might have heartwarming feelings during Sure Would Have Loved Her. The song is rather slow and comes with the “classic” country ingredients – including a strong presence of the fiddle.

11. Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort is a typical Darius Rucker song to me again. The song is driven by rather fast drumming, but also has this nice Southern State touch. Nice rocker.

12. 3am in Carolina

Right now, I’m spinnin’ like a barstool
Right now, I’m missin’ your pretty smile
In the back of a cab in the carpool lane
Goin’ insane ’cause it’s been a while
Since I told you that I love you, and I still do
Wish I was layin’ right beside ya
Just had to let you know, but I’ll let you go
I know it’s 3 am in Carolina

The album is back to love – the most popular topic in music (ain’t it?). The song is also quite a typical modern country music track. Good listen with nice lyrics.

13. Lift Me Up

Call it emotional, call it kitschy, call it beautiful – just as you like. With Lift Me Up, Rucker is lifting the level of loving emotions to its peak in this album. Heartwarming.

14. Stargazing

Compared to Lift Me Up, Stargazing feels like a pop track. Apart from that, however, the album is closing with a beautiful energetic country music ballad. You are loaded with emotions when Carolyn’s Boy is coming to an end.

 

Darius Rucker – Carolyn’s Boy – Spotify

Here is Carolyn’s Boy on Spotify:

 

Darius Rucker – Carolyn’s Boy – My View

Wow. Darius Rucker is taking us on a very personal and sometimes intimate trip with his Carolyn’s Boy album. Nonetheless, the album is not boring at all. It contains tracks which you enjoy in the intimate moments with your beloved one as well as those, which make you rush for tickets for his future tour. A lovely, very balanced album.

Favorite Song: Never Been Over

 

Darius Rucker – Starting Fires Tour 2024

I am somehow proud to say that Darius Rucker will start his 2024 tour in my home town Cologne. Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland and the U.K. are featured:

Fr 19.04.2024 Cologne (Germany) – Live Music Hall
Su 21.04.2024 Zurich (Switzerland) – Kaufleuten
Mo 22.04.2024 Munich (Germany) – Backstage
We 24.04.2024 Amsterdam (Netherlands) – Paradiso
Sa 27.04.2024 Manchester (United Kingdom) – O2 Apollo
Su 28.04.2024 Newcastle – City Hall
Tu 30.04.2024 Birmingham – O2 Academy
We 01.05.2024 Bristol – Beacon
Fr 03.05.2024 London – Hammersmith Apollo
Su 05.05.2024 Leeds – O2 Academy
Mo 06.05.2024 Glasgow – O2 Academy
Th 09.05.2024 Dublin (Ireland) – Olympia Theatre
Sa 11.05.2024 Belfast (United Kingdom) – Waterfront Hall

 

Flyctory.com Country Music Top Picks! Reviews in 2023

Here are all 2023-published Media reviews about Country Music with a Top Pick! rating:

 

Postings with Tour Dates 2023

Here are postings released in 2023, which contain tour dates:

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