Keepin’ The Lights On is the sophomore album of Kameron Marlowe. The musician has released a lot of singles and some major publications in recent years. I have been really curious about the album, which has been released on 31st May 2024.
Kameron Marlowe – About The Artist
Kameron Marlowe is a US-American country music artist. He was born on 20th June 1997 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He turned into a professional musician in 2018. The same year, he competed at The Voice, where he was finally eliminated in the Top 24 episode. Already his 2019 debut single Giving You Up has been a great success Until today, the song has been streamed almost 100 million times on Spotify only. His first major release was a 2020 EP simply named EP. Finally, Marlowe shared his debut album We Were Cowboys in August 2022.
Kameron Marlowe – Keepin’ The Lights On – Track by Track
The 16 track album lasts 57 minutes.
1. 911
Right in the first song, Kameron Marlowe is already calling the emergency number. No need to set a place on fire or get a heart attack – the song is a straight country rocker.
2. Nothin’ Slowin’ Us Down
The second track is slower than the opener, coming with a nice groove and lovely emotions. I really enjoy the storytelling and the lovely melody of this one – really catching.
Your lips, my lips, skin on skin
My hands don’t know where to begin
You lead the way, and I’ll be right behind
Ain’t nothin’ slowin’ us down
3. On My Way Out
On My Way Out has been one of the songs already released before the album. The acoustic guitar is taking the lead until the chorus. What feels to be a country ballad at the beginning, turns out being a slower, emotional country track with a rock touch. I feel that Kameron does great in it.
4. Never Really Know
Miss Carol was a homeroom teacher
Stare at John and Becky making out in the bleachers
And say, “Oh, to be young again, sixteen in love again”
She goes home and drowns herself in whiskey
Stares into the mirror asking, “Where did my pretty go?
Seems like it was yesterday, didn’t have a wrinkle on my face”
The song is one of the best writes of the album. As you already see in the opening lyrics excerpt, the song is about Fake a smile, and they tell you lies, how the chorus is opening. Or about You never really know what someone’s going through, how the chorus is closing. A great, emotional song, which is just using a nice, decent level of instrumental force.
5. Tennessee Don’t Mind
If you look on the number of streams, Tennessee Don’t Mind has been the peak of the promotion campaign of the album. The song comes with 15 million streams on Spotify only. This is absolutely deserved: the song beautifully leverages emotions, rock power and a good melody.
6. Leaning On You
‘Cause I can’t even stand up straight without leaning on you – the sixth song is a beautiful emotional song, which also works out fine for the romantic moments of country music listeners. A heartwarming experience.
7. I Can Run
Keepin’ The Lights On is a very personal, relatable album. Kameron Marlowe is doing much more than stereotypical songs about love, cars and alcohol. I Can Run is a lovely example for that. The song also nicely leverages between rather quiet moments and powerful guitar sections.
I could run on fumes, hell, I could run like the wind
I could run forever like the road don’t end
But I’m running out of reasons to keep running like a bat out of hell
‘Cause I can’t outrun myself
8. High Hopes
The eighth track is a slow tracks with a swaying vibe, which here and there even comes with a traditional country music touch. I love the very present voice of Marlowe in this song, as well as beautiful storytelling.
I’ve got high hopes and low expectations
My glass is half empty, and that old country station
Is playing our songs, and it’s hurtin’ just right
I’ve got low expectations, but my hopes are high
My hopes are high
9. One That I Don’t Call
Without a doubt, you can classify One That I Don’t Call as a country ballad. Nonetheless, the song is not quiet, but comes with quite some energy. Beautiful.
10. Lock Me Up
The guitars have much more presence in the next song, Lock Me Up. The song even feels a bit of angry. The song is a treat for country rock listeners.
11. Will It Be There in the Morning
This track is a rather characteristic country ballad, even coming with some howling steel guitar in the background. No matter whether Kameron Marlowe is rather loud or rather quiet like in here, it just seems to work out on his 2024 album.
12. Quit You
After a series of new songs, the very emotional and gentle Quit You is one of the already known tracks. There is not too much more to say than: it simply works out fine.
13. Smaller
But tonight, this small town just got a whole lot smaller
I hope you know that down here we don’t know what to do
Tonight, this small town just got a whole lot smaller
Buddy, this place won’t feel the same without you
Wow, right after the already emotional Quit You, Kameron Marlowe is adding one of the most touching tracks of the whole album. Buddy, this place won’t feel the same without you – the song is about a passed away friends, all the memories and about the lack his departure leaves in the community. Amazing one.
14. Strangers (feat. Ella Langley)
The audience loved this duet with young Alabama artist Ella Langley. Almost ten million streams on Spotify only are a strong statement. And indeed, the song is just a beautiful, fine listen.
15. Broke Down in a Truck
This second part of the album comes with a couple of very touching emotional listens. The second last song Broke Down in a Truck is just in line with that. The song also comes with a lovely plot and is one of my favorite songs on the whole album.
16. Keepin’ the Lights On
The title track of Kameron Marlowe’s 2024 album is taking the role of the closing listen. The song comes with a beautiful listen, but is also a lovely and gentle fade-out after all the intense story the US-American artist shared before.
Kameron Marlowe – Keepin’ The Lights On – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify:
Kameron Marlowe – Keepin’ The Lights On – My View
Wow, I am very deeply impressed by Keepin’ The Lights On. Not only that Kameron Marlowe presents 16 songs – much more you typically get in a country album nowadays. The more, I just cannot find a weak spot in here. Every song has a nicely told story and a valuable listen. Congrats to this release!
Favorite Song: Smaller
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