Country is a broad church — and Drake Milligan sits squarely in the pew marked “traditional.”
He’s spent the last year sharing stages and playlists with the likes of Lainey Wilson and Blake Shelton, but Tumbleweed isn’t chasing modern country radio trends. Much like his 2022 debut, it nods to the timeless — the Haggards, the Cashes, the Georges — with an old-school warmth and an ear for melody that’s impossible to fake.
“Cryin’ Shoulder” opens the album in classic style — heartbreak, pedal steel, and that voice, rich as aged bourbon. “Hearts Together” keeps the vibe alive, the sort of song that could’ve sat comfortably on Elvis’s Country record, all nostalgia and charm.
The title track “Tumbleweed,” already a single, rolls in with a touch of class — smooth, easy-going and built for the highway. “Turn It Off” feels destined to be first-dance material at weddings across the Midwest and beyond, while “Like The Moon” tackles the old country theme of loving someone who doesn’t love you back — not something MV knows too much about, of course.
If country music is often about escape, then “Good As Gone” nails it perfectly. It’s freedom on four wheels and a full tank. “Slow Dancing To A Fast Song” might be the album’s most clever metaphor — a tune that swings between honky-tonk and rock ’n’ roll, just like the record itself.
“Old Flames, Old Whiskey” is as good as anything Milligan’s done, heartbreak poured over ice, while “Girl Like You” brings a playful, hip-shaking grin to the mix. “Hard Headed Cowboy” digs a little deeper into that Texas soul, rugged and real, before “Lonely:30” reminds everyone that heartache remains the lifeblood of the genre.
“Goodbye Ain’t All That Bad” carries the kind of bittersweet wisdom that defines proper country songwriting, and “Talk Texas” doubles down on Milligan’s affection for the Lone Star way of life. It all wraps up with “How Much Beer,” a rollicking, blue-collar duet with Randall King that perfectly captures the record’s spirit — traditional, good-natured, and built to last.
With Tumbleweed, Drake Milligan proves again that he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel — just keep it spinning the way it’s meant to. Fourteen songs, each one sure of itself, sung with conviction and style. Country music as it should be — honest, classic, and doing what it should.
RATING 8/10
