EP Review: Cole Swindell “Down Home Sessions II – EP”

One year after releasing Down Home Sessions I , Cole Swindell has given fans new music to jam out two. Down Home Sessions EP – II features five incredibly catchy new songs, any of which could potentially be his fourth #1 single!

The first track ‘Dangerous After Dark’, is a great opener for the EP. A mixture of mellow acoustic guitars with hints of electric guitars throughout the song, create a haunting sound that will be difficult to forget. Lyrically, the song goes on to talk about a girl who is one way during the day and then a ‘dangerous after dark’.

‘My First Radio’ is a bit more innocent and light sounding. This track is about being able to tell a lot more about a girl than she thinks you do. For a lot of people, music is one way to create a connection. When guys do something that completely take a girl off guard, it makes them feel at ease, and want to open up a little more. Cole does a great job of illustrating the way a girl lights up when a guy plays her favorite song on the radio.

The third track, which is definitely my favorite, is called ‘Should’ve Ran After You’. This track shows a different side of Cole that we haven’t really heard, lyrically and musically. The song is about being heartbroken after ending things with someone, and not knowing what to do when you see them with another person. There’s a lot of ‘what if’s’ in this kind of situation, and Cole beautifully depicts every aspect of the thought process one goes through when this happens. As far as the music goes, it’s a bit more uptempo, but it has it’s breakdowns. This is also the song that you can hear different aspects of Cole’s voice in.

‘Shuttin’ It Down’ is the jam-out, have fun, night out on the town, song. The references to Broadway in downtown Nashville, just getting to the bar around 11:30pm, and closing the bars down gives us a little insight into what partying with Cole would be like!

Down Home Sessions II ends with an incredible song called, ‘Blue Lights’. Just imagine, you’re out with your friends at a party having a great time, and then you see a flash of blue lights. Your mind and your body are on two different wavelengths, and before you know it, you’re as far away from the situation as you can be. The same kind of sensation takes over your body when you lay eyes on the one person you weren’t even thinking about seeing. The comparison between the alarming sight of blue flashing lights and unexpectedly seeing a pair of very familiar blue eyes and is what makes this song so relatable.

This EP was the perfect way to show us a different side of Cole not only as a songwriter, but as an artist. Even If you are not a fan of Cole Swindell, you’ll find yourself obsessed with the sound of Down Home Sessions II.