As good as this year has already been for country music, Chris Stapleton’s triumphant return may be its biggest moment yet. Though it’s been nearly three years since his fourth album Starting Over, Stapleton hasn’t lost a bit of momentum along the way. Continuing his never-ending “All-American Roadshow” tour, performing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, and always being top-of-mind on country radio, it feels like the Kentucky singer-songwriter’s star is still rising. As such, the expectations for his new music have never been higher, though with his pedigree, there was never a question of whether he would meet them or not. To put it simply, Higher is a great album, and in fact, it may be his best yet.
The 14-track album showcases a little bit of everything that Stapleton has to offer; decades into his career, he is still one of the best vocalists country music has ever seen, and continues to prove it. There are brash, high-strung songs here that are more focused on Chris’s talents as a guitar player as he jams with his band, but there are also more subtle moments where his gravelly vocals get to shine with more emotional gravitas.
For many country music fans, there’s often a sense of trepidation that comes when an artist leans into loud, densely-layered production. Too often, big drums and guitars dissolve into a vacuous “wall of sound” that swallows an artist’s personality in a swamp of blandness. For the most upbeat songs on this album, this couldn’t be less true. “White Horse” was the lead single of the album; it may be the most heavily-produced song Stapleton has ever put out, but hearing the soulful balladeer cut loose and rock on this hook is a shot of adrenaline to the veins. “White Horse” mixes a bit of blues and a bit of hard rock for a kind of bombast and intensity that’s just as awesome as it is unique.
Every song on Higher was written by Stapleton with a few trusted co-writers; most notably, the opening track “What Am I Gonna Do” includes a writing credit from Miranda Lambert. This song carries a bit of her lonesome flow circa The Weight of These Wings and immediately sets the tone for this album as a record. Chris Stapleton has always had a knack for making a lyric sound like his own, but the fact that he co-produced and wrote all of these songs gives listeners a greater appreciation for his sheer creativity. Stapleton knows his strengths as an artist, and crafts songs that show off his best that sound strikingly unique from one another.
To the surprise of no one, Chris Stapleton reunited with super-producer Dave Cobb, and their affinity for the bluesy side of country music is on full display once again. The track “I Think I’m In Love With You” is wholly exemplary of this sound with a smooth beat and a groovy bassline. Even simpler songs like “Trust” and “The Bottom” capture the best of his soulful side
It’s no wonder that over the last decade, Chris Stapleton has been a massive gateway drug for fans of other formats to give country music a second look. While there isn’t an overall story being told on Higher, there’s absolutely a sense of musical cohesion. These tunes are all different, but they all go hand-in-hand together. This is not merely a playlist of Chris Stapleton songs, but a diversely complete body of work. Now more than ever, it feels like Stapleton is in his bag with some of the freshest music of his career so far. While some songs are stronger than others, there isn’t a skip on the entire 14-track record. Even after listening through the entire thing multiple times, there doesn’t seem to be any early fatigue and the songs continue to hit the same way as the first time through. After a quiet three years, Chris Stapleton came out swinging with a record worthy of Album of the Year consideration. Let’s all hope we don’t have to wait until 2026 for the next one.
9.6/10
