Thomas Rhett – Where We Started (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 46:30 minutes | 603 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © The Valory Music Co.

You can count on a few things from a new Thomas Rhett record: You’ll hear about his love of his wife and his love of alcohol. And, lately, he’s also guaranteed to stress his country bona fides. After 2019’s Center Point Road—which found him trying on Bruno Mars-style pop—it’s like Rhett has been atoning. Country Again: Side A found the genial singer declaring how good it felt to be huntin’, fishin’ and blasting Eric Church after spending “way less time in Nashville and more time in LA.” Rhett was supposed to release Country Again: Side B next, but got sidetracked after writing the song “Where We Started,” which led to an album of the same name. It’s unclear why these songs wouldn’t fit the original concept, but one thing’s for sure: This is the ultimate, feel-good summer record. “Anything Cold” is an absolute earworm with its island-lite guitar, as fizzy and refreshing as the beverages Rhett namechecks: Zima, margarita in a can, Rolling Rock, Corona—if it’s “cold with alcohol,” he wants it. (The track also finds him rhyming “empty Koozie,” “I ain’t bougie” and “I ain’t choosy.”) “Half of Me” is a love song, Rhett and singer Riley Green running through a laundry list of chores that need to be done before the cute dad joke of a chorus: “Half of me wants a cold beer/ Yeah, the other half does too.” “Church Boots” is also super catchy, as Rhett turns up the twang to declare his authenticity. “My coffee cup looks like my whiskey glass … My T-shirt is my good shirt … My work boots are my church boots” (and his party boots, and he might wear them to the beach, too). He applies sentimental country symbolism for “Mama’s Front Door,” recalling walking up to his mother-in-law’s front door over the years, from kissing his future wife goodnight there to asking her dad’s permission to marry her, to now dropping off his four kids to see their grandparents. As always, there are obvious tributes to his high-school sweetheart turned wife, including romantic ballads “The Hill” and “Angels”—the chorus on that ’90s-ish track builds with emotion, giving Rhett room to hit the high notes and remind you he’s a strong singer despite his usual laid-back delivery. “Death Row,” featuring Russell Dickerson and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, stresses that, no matter who you are or the crimes you’ve committed, we’re all human—complete with a “whoooooa!” chorus, like the sound of a mind blown from chatting about Jesus and fishing with a man awaiting execution. Rhett may be a little cheesy, but he is never generic in his songwriting, folding in sincerity, clever humor and melodic twists that make a song so clearly his. And yeah, he’s still embracing Top 40 touches, like the smooth, almost Latin pop of “Bring The Bar,” though he saves the most for last. The busy title track pairs Rhett with Katy Perry, and he matches her high note for high note as trap-style drums jitter. – Shelly Ridenour
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