Brett Eldredge – ‘Illinois’ Album Review

The new album being released next week by Brett Eldredge called Illinois is very different than most of the country music you hear on the radio today. Somehow, he ties different vibes of music back to the kind of country music we all know and love.

The first track Fire the perfect way to introduce fans to Eldredge’s new album. The song starts off with a heavy country/rock sound that has a really cool groove to it. Heading into the chorus, a combination of the fluctuating rhythm and Brett’s incredible tone will have you pumped for the rest of the album.

You Can’t Stop Me is the next track, and it’s automatically one of our favorites because it’s a collaboration with his soon-to-be tour mate and his best friend, Thomas Rhett. The song has a really cool 70’s groove, that you won’t be able to stop listening too.

The third track is one that has caused me to Lose My Mind. (haha, get it?! okay, I’ll stick to writing.) Brett’s lyrics and vocal abilities are truly highlighted in this song, with his incredible falsetto’s and runs that you’ll probably swoon over. And let’s face it, it’s a song about a girl driving him absolutely insane… (that’s already something to swoon over.)

Time Well Spent is a chilled-out track that encourages kicking back, lounging around, and wasting time, which is something we all love doing. The island vibes will not only relax you, but they may or may not make you want to call into work and say “hey, wasted time is time well spent”.

Track number 5 catches your attention with a simple piano and guitar combo before the familiar rasp from Brett’s voice kicks in. The lyrics ‘You light up every streetlight/ You stop every heart when you start that smile/ But somehow you’re still lonely’ create a sense of emptiness for both the girl and Brett. The only thing he wants in this world, is to make this broken girl feel whole again.

Illinois takes you on a journey through Brett’s eyes of the place he calls home. You can tell this song is very personal to Brett because he walks you through memories from his childhood, teen years, and more. It gives you a different perspective of Brett as an artist, and it’s definitely one of my favorites.

When Just A Taste comes on, musically it will remind you a little bit of Beat Of The Music and Don’t Ya mixed together. The track seamlessly guides you through the emotions one experiences when they want nothing more than to be with another person after their first kiss.

The track, Drunk On Your Love, picks up the pace a little, but still is still relatively laid back. This is because the full band doesn’t truly kick in until just about the middle of the track. But, even when that occurs, you still feel the same full-hearted happiness that you felt from the beginning.

Lose It All is a completely different track than anything else you’ll hear on Illinois. Brett reaffirmed one fact that all of mankind knows — men can make mistakes when it comes to the heart. Not many guys can own up to their mistakes, but the fact that he put this song on the album, really says a lot.

Shadow is the perfect way to end this already unbelievable album. It’s upbeat, outlaw-like sound reminds of us the old-school country music we all love. The heavy guitars and strong drum beats along with Brett’s signature husky vocals have you thinking this boy next door can have a little bit of a bad boy side too.