I’m fairly convinced at this point that I am the only person in the world that hasn’t appeared on American Idol. Every week some country star or other releases an album when they’ve been on the show.
Chayce Beckham is the latest, but CB isn’t just on the radio (see what I did there?) Chayce has a voice that Katy Perry reckons is “the heart of America”, and I’d never disagree with Katy, she kissed a girl and liked it.
To be serious, though, she’s not wrong. You can pick any of the lads from the heartland, from Jason Aldean to Luke Bryan to Chace Rice and anyone else in your country bingo card and your boy Beckham bends it with the best of them.
From the first line, this is a blue collar anthem. “Got another 45 hour week behind me, got a boss on my back trying to nickel and dime me” he sings as the opener to “When The River Goes”. And good grief its idyllic. Sun dappled, and whatever else you want to call it.
It’s catchy as hell, too by the way. Beckham co-writes it, and you sense there’s a lot of himself in these six songs.
He’s polished and has a pop sensibility. The title track is basically a list of things you should do to make yourself feel better, but with a chorus that shakes arenas – or will in future. Indeed, everything here screams “gold disc, now!” not least “Tell Me Twice”, which is a belter of a mid-paced thing.
“I’ll Take The Bar” is a break up song with a twist, and a hook so large that you have to applaud the chutzpah, frankly. The blues tinged “Talk To Me” gets bonus points for being co-written by Will Hoge, while the almost perfect country pop of “Love To Burn” ticks all the boxes, but for all that you’ve heard it before, that doesn’t stop it being superb.
In truth, there’s an element of that about the whole thing. You’ve heard it before, but does that matter? No, not really. This follows the formula as well as anything. “Doin’ It Right” is the birth of a brand new star – and if Katy Perry wants my number so we can compare notes on Chayce Beckham, then that’s just fine too.
Rating 8/10