Well, the wait is finally over! Stoney LaRue has released his new studio album “Velvet” after how many years?? I think I lost count, but that really isn’t the point. The point is that we all now have new Stoney to listen to and that doesn’t make me anything but happy!
I really didn’t know what to expect when I listened to the album. I’m a “One Chord Song” kind of girl, so this threw me for a loop at first. I had heard the current single “Velvet” and truly loved the song. I was surprised to hear how different the tone of the album is, but like I said I had no idea what to expect from this album. One thing I can say that Stoney stays true to is his lyrics. These lyrics definitely come from the Stoney we all know and have all come to love over the past many years.
I get a raw and stripped feeling from the album which I love. That is very hard to do on a full band album and I feel like he did it with “Velvet.” You get the feeling that he has put all of himself and the last few years into this album. “Velvet” is just so different from anything you will hear in the scene. I am such a huge fan of anything different being released in this scene. I don’t want any of us to ever get stuck in the same old sound because it is comfortable. I love that Stoney and other artists in this scene continue to push the envelope with their releases.
“Velvet” starts off with a song called “Dresses.” It’s so somber for Stoney LaRue. I will tell you that right from the beginning of the album with songs like “Dresses,” “Wiregrass,” and “Look at Me Fly” I knew that this was going to be a well written album. I have said it before and I will say it again. I love amazing writers and that comes through on this album several times. Also, “Look at Me Fly” is one of my favorite songs on the album. I hope to hear this song on the radio very soon. I think that it would do very well on radio. It has great lyrics and a great tone to the song.
LeAnn Womack lends her voice to “Travelin’ Kind.” I like the message in this song. I just can’t stress enough how well written this album is and this song is no different. Their voices meshed together really well in the song. Love the song!
“Sharecropper” had a familiar feeling for me. Not only did I hear a little old school Stoney coming out in the song, but I also heard a little Bob Childers influence in his song. I’m sure that influence is heard many times throughout the album, but this song is where I really heard it. Great song!
I found myself thinking a lot through this album about how a person would come up with these things to write about, but not only the ideas to write about, but also how a person would come up with the unique ways these songs are written. “Siren” was no exception. Musically the song blew my mind as well. If you are not amazed by this song there is something wrong with you.
“Te Amo Mas Que La Vida” which means I love you more life its self is such a fun song. I actually found myself replaying it after I heard it the first time. I think most people will love this song.
I have to admit on a lot of the songs on this album I had to listen to a couple times to figure out what they were about. That wasn’t even because they are hard to understand. It was more because I think a lot of the songs can mean more than one thing. Depending how where you are in your life at the moment is going to be how you interpret the song on this album. “Has Been” was that way for me. I think you can look at this song in all different ways depending on what part of your life you in. I love songs that are written that way. “Way Too Long” was another song I had to listen to a couple times to really get what it meant to me. I’m so glad that he writes his music in a way where it is fun to figure out what it means to each person and you aren’t sitting there thinking none of this even making sense. I’m just so impressed by the writing on this album.
The album ends with the current single “Velvet” and an acoustic version of “Travelin’ Kind.” I am a big fan of another acoustic, so I loved the way the album ended.
Overall this album is amazing. Everything about it is good. Musically and lyrically the album is on point. How lucky is Stoney that he has such loyal fans that stuck by him this many years to hear new music? He is true a talent! The album is well worth the wait. It’s a great album for old school Stoney fans and for the new fans. There is really something in there for all fans of this music. Congrats to Stoney on releasing an album that won’t make the wait seem so long.
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