It’s Time To Finally Give Chase Rice Another Chance

Everybody deserves a second chance. And for country music fans who were turned off by the bro-country of a decade ago, it may be time to give Chase Rice another look. Now, I know our audience pretty well, so I know that the second I mention Chase Rice a lot of people are going to immediately tune me out or start commenting about how he's "not real country." But hear me out - or rather, hear Chase out. Chase started his career as the stereotypical "bro country" artist, with pop-infused songs like “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen” and “Ready Set Roll.” But even on his earlier albums, there were hints of what he was capable of. "Jack Daniels and Jesus" and "Carolina Can" from his 2014 album Ignite the Night were genuinely good songs, and they were more country than pretty much anything on the radio at the time. Unfortunately songs like that seemed to be the exception rather than the rule from Chase at the time. But a couple years ago, it seems he decided to go a different direction. Back in 2022, Chase announced his first album since 2017, and hinted that it would be different from his previous work: “For 10 years I’ve put out glimpses of who I truly am in my music, but I’ve never been able to piece it all together. I was chasin’ whatever bullshit thing I thought I was supposed to be doing at the time. I’m done with that. February I’m putting out my first full album since 2017, and this one wrecked me. I finally deal with the loss of my dad in this music, and this is an album I know he would be proud of.” And I'll admit I was skeptical. We've heard that before from other artists, and ended up being disappointed. But the result was Chase's 2023 album I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell. And it was undeniably the best album of his career. The album contained singles like "Key West & Colorado" and "Bench Seat" that showed off what Chase is truly capable of as a songwriter. ("Bench Seat" was one of the best songs of 2023, and it's a shame it didn't get more recognition than it did). And more importantly, the album didn't contain any of the pop beats or snap tracks that infiltrated country music during the bro-country era. It was a good album. I genuinely enjoyed the album, but I was still a little hesitant to go all in on Chase. How many times have we seen an artist declare that they're changing directions, put out one album that sounds different, and then fall right back into their safe zone and go back to their old sound? So I waited for the next one to see whether this new sound from Chase would actually last. And I'm happy to report that it did. He recently released his newest album Go Down Singin' and it seems that Chase has truly embraced his new sound and his role as a songwriter. Far from the pop country sounds of his early career, and songs about driving down a dirt road in a pickup truck to drink beer at a bonfire, the music Chase is releasing now has depth, it has meaning - and it actually sounds country. There are vulnerable moments like "Hey God It's Me Again" and "That Word Don't Work No More" with Lori McKenna. There are murder ballads like the haunting "Haw River." The first single from the album, "Fireside," sounds like it could have been written by Dierks Bentley in a cabin in Colorado. And there are even songs like "Oh Tennessee" that reflect on the toll that the music business takes on an artist. I'll admit, it's an impressive album - and there's even some fiddle on there. And it's also the first that he's released since leaving his longtime record label, Broken Bow Records. The album comes after some self-reflection from Chase, who admits that he wasn't making the best music earlier in his career: “I was so lost, and I had no fucking clue what I was doing.” He also echoes some of the same criticism that country music fans (including myself) have directed at him over the years: That he was just a watered down version of FGL and Sam Hunt. And honestly, it takes balls to admit that, and realize that you weren't being true to yourself and making the music that you wanted, no matter how much success you were having. I know it's easy to dismiss an artist who made their career in bro-country. And it can be hard to trust that a change in sound is truly "genuine," as opposed to just chasing the new trend as country music evolves back towards the more traditional country sound. But after two solid albums, it seems like Chase has moved past the bro-country sound of a decade ago. He's grown as an artist, grown in his appreciation for country music, and he's releasing music that reflects his growth. And honestly, why shouldn't we reward somebody who admits their mistakes and is now making solid country music? It's time to give Chase Rice another chance. You might be surprised - and if you're like me, you'll probably enjoy it. "Bench Seat" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKuVG58Xskc "Haw River" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBtqih3aov0