It was a long, hot summer for many people across the country. Culturally, it was one of the most monumental summer seasons for various industries and the United States at large, as the United States celebrated its 250th birthday. In the background were sounds of laughter, barbecues flaring up, and radios blasting. But perhaps one piece of music that didn’t get nearly enough attention this summer was flow state, an album by country music legend Keith Urban.
In the later years of his career, Urban has been flooding his discography with empty, shallow attempts at country-pop tracks he hopes will be as big as anything he’s put out before. The problem? Their sheer lack of interesting qualities. While vibes can be high and lighthearted, his tendency to fill his singles with boring stories and melodies dilutes the good stuff, leaving you with uninspired, over-processed vocals and guitar riffs you swear you’ve heard on his last five albums.
Urban has already proven his mastery of the guitar, his vocal ability, and his stage presence over his 20+ year career. We can all find a deep cut from one of his earlier albums that remains a road-trip staple to this day. We can all respect his impact on the country music scene to some extent, which calls not for a continuation of the artist’s new releases, but for a celebration of what he’s done.
That’s why flow state remains an exceptionally welcome change of pace. At first glance, it seems like Urban just got bored and decided to sing some yacht rock songs one day, which is vaguely true (he started the project by recording covers in a new studio to test the equipment before going all in on a full album). But dig a bit deeper, and you’ll see something any Urban fan can appreciate: a return to soulful songs that accentuate his talents unlike much of his recent output.
It’s almost hard to describe how well Urban fits on tracks like “Steal Away,” “Just the Two of Us,” and especially “Guitar Man” with John Mayer. Between his vocals, slick guitar work, and Dann Huff’s airy production, you get a sense that Keith was probably one too many Pina Coladas deep and recorded every song floating on a sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic.
It’s graceful, effortless, and utterly fitting for a country music veteran of his status. While his latest original music hasn’t lived up to the hype of what made him famous years ago, flow state somehow does. It gives him a chance to attach his name to a collection of timeless hits while adding his own flair and artistic touch.
It results in an album that sets the perfect tone for both lazy summer days and blisteringly cold winter nights when you need to drift away from it all. Urban already has a knack for making summertime songs, and for flow state to double down on that in one of the most beloved subgenres in music history is the cherry on top. If you didn’t give this album enough love over the past three months, it’s time to tap in and let the warm waves of yacht rock fill your mind with visions of seagulls, salt air, and a summer breeze.
