We review the sophomore album by Josh Kerr – 12 of 12 – the culmination of a year’s worth of single releases every month. The follow up to his phenomenal debut record – How Do You Remember Me.
Josh Kerr is an integral part of the Nashville sonic landscape, having penned hits for the likes of Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Abby Anderson and Thomas Rhett. Following his flawless debut record How Do You Remember Me, Kerr has now released his sophomore record that has perfected his sound yet further. For the project, Kerr released a single every month for the last year, resulting in a project where there is no deadweight or forgettable tracks.
The project is a stunning close look at all the nuances of heartbreak and nostalgia – a far cry from Kerr’s current state (happily married to Taylor Dye). Produced and written by Kerr, the record is sonically cohesive where Kerr has managed to carve a place for himself in the genre that is both utterly unique and current – combining the best of the Nashville sonic landscape but still remaining palatable for those who veer away from the traditional country sound. On ’12 of 12′ he explores the nostalgia of looking back on love in the two opening tracks – ‘Fall in Love’ and ‘Arizona’ that are rammed full of nostalgia, as he looks back on the memories shared with a past lover. ‘We spent the fall in love / My sweater slipping off your shoulders / You were smiling and holding me closer.’
Elsewhere on the project, Kerr explores the moment of heartbreak with a relationship gone wrong – most astutely on the formidable duet with Shelby Darrall – ‘If This Is The End’ where he sings, ‘If this is the end / Don’t say it yet / Just drop your keys and kiss me again / If this is goodbye / Lie to me tonight / Tomorrow we don’t have to pretend / If this is the end.’ Darrall’s vocal here is the perfect accompaniment, with both singers pouring their hearts into the emotional track. So on ‘You Are This Town,’ Kerr sings about not being able to escape a lover and seeing her memories everywhere and on ‘Make You Stay,’ he sings about wishing he could make her stay.
Going back to a relationship and the intoxicating nature of love on ‘Thought This Through’ – a duet with Emily Falvey about thinking they were over an ex before seeing them again. ‘I thought that I could act like I don’t want us back / Turns out that after all this time it’s still too soon.’ Falvey’s light vocal is here creates a stunning additional layer, lifting the track. It’s an idea amplified on ‘Pick Up Where We Left Off,’ where Kerr explores whether he’d be able to reignite a flame with a past lover. The pain of heartbreak is real on the two final tracks on the record, ‘I Go Back To You’ that explores the inability to move on after heartbreak – ‘Every time I swear I’m going to let go I go back to you’ – and on the sonically lighter ‘Still Getting Drunk’ where he sings about drowning his sorrows.
Kerr’s debut was a stunning project, but on his sophomore record he delves emotionally and sonically deeper – pushing his production and sound into new territory and carving a more unique path for himself in the genre. Kerr is without a doubt the most underrated artist in Nashville right now, and is one worthy of more attention.
