13. July 2025
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Media Review

Paul Carrack – The Country Side of Paul Carrack

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Paul Carrack - The Country Side of Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - The Country Side of Paul Carrack
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great transition of traditional country songs
  • Two originals
  • Great voice and rather modern listen

Paul Carrack is regarded to be one of the best voices of the United Kingdom. He has been part of legendary acts and has a long history of solo releases. His twentieth album is a special one (again), though. With The Country Side of Paul Carrack, he is heading into a new genre. The small Volume 1 on the title of the (mainly) cover album even suggests that there might be more to come in the future. For so long, the ten song album will be released on 4th July 2025.

 

Paul Carrack – About The Artist

Paul Melvyn Carrack was born on 22nd April 1951 in Sheffield in England. He gained more and more recognition in the music industry in the 1970’s when he was part of several bands. His first band was a jazz–rock band called Warm Dust. Later, he was the frontman of the rock band Ace and later was part of Roger Waters’ the Bleeding Heart Band. In 1980, Carrack released his solo debut album Nightbird, which did not work out commercially. From 1985 to 2004, he was also the lead singer of Mike and the Mechanics, alongside Paul Young (until his death in 2000).

During that time, Carrack grew as a solo artist as well and decided to focus on that part of his career. Overall, Carrack has released 19 solo albums so far, the last one being Don’t Wait Too Long in 2023. It has been recorded with the SWR Big Band. As a songwriter, Carrack is responsible for several very successful single hits.

 

Paul Carrack – The Country Side of Paul Carrack – Track by Track

The ten track album lasts 32 minutes.

1. Sea Of Heartbreak

The focus of the album is on country music of the 1950s to 1970s. Paul Carrack opens with a 1961 Don Gibson song, Sea of Heartbreak. There is indeed a nostalgic touch in the song, but it somehow also feels rather timeless and modern. The country swag feels to fit perfectly to Paul Carrack’s voice.

2. Take Me

The second track of the album, Take Me, is from the same decade. However, the George Jones original is significantly, slower and calmer and rather spreads ballad feelings. The warm vocals by Carrack feel to suit perfectly to that – and the scattered howling steel guitar adds some country music spirit to that.

3. Love Will Keep Us Alive

The Country Side of Paul Carrack also features two originals. Love Will Keep Us Alive is the first of them. The song stays in the traditional setting, but does not feel outdated. The more I listen to the album, the more I feel that Carrack and that kind of country music is a magic combination.

4. Heartaches By The Number

The first version of Heartaches by the Number has been released in 1959 buy Ray Price. The most popular version is likely the one by Guy Mitchell the same year. There is even a German version of it. Now, Paul Carrack is adding the song to his discography. It still feels very traditional and close to the original, just having a sightly modern touch.

5. Shelly’s Winter Love

Paul Carrack heads into the 1970s with Merle Haggard’s Shelly’s Winter Love. The song is rather on ballad side of music and spreads quite some warmth and harmony. A good song, which just feels a bit of weird in summer time.

6. Cold Light Of Day

Here is the second Paul Carrack original. After the rather slow Love Will Keep Us Alive, Cold Light Of Day is definitely a good driver for a country music dance. It is fun to listen to this rhythmic track with playful piano lines.

7. It Don’t Hurt Anymore

Hank Snow is next on the album. The song strikes on the melodic side – and Paul Carrack leaves sufficient space to praise the legendary country artist, who released this song in 1954.

8. Take These Chains from My Heart

Violins open for Take These Chains from My Heart. Already the first notes tell you that this song has a bit longer history than others on the album. In fact, it it is a 1952 Hank Williams one. And it still feels very nostalgic and heartwarming in the 2025 version by the British artist. The song was also the feature single towards The Country Side of Paul Carrack. 

9. I Saw The Light

I Saw The Light mixes country and gospel elements. Hank Williams released it in 1948. The song works surprisingly well almost 80 years later. That’s also part of the quality Paul Carrack adds to this album.

10. My Baby’s Gone

Paul Carrack closes his album with song originally performed by the Louvin Brothers in 1960. The melancholy of the song somehow fits to the sad feelings you have at the end of the album. The British music legend did a very good job.

 

Paul Carrack – The Country Side of Paul Carrack – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Paul Carrack – The Country Side of Paul Carrack – My View

The much I was surprised about the announcement of the release, the much I love it. Paul Carrack did a great job in respecting the country music classics and turning them into his own songs. Most of them have a surprisingly modern touch, even though they don’t deviate too much from the original. I definitely hope for a Volume 2 of this collection.

Favorite Song: Cold Light of Day

 

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