A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Canaan Smith has had a mammoth number of hits including with Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Cole Swindell. Following his break-out single ‘Love You Like That,’ Smith became the first artist signed to Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard‘s new label Round Here Records. Today, he has unleashed his phenomenal new record High Country Sound that roots his sound back in Virginia and swells with pride for his upbringing throughout. Available everywhere here now – we review the record here.
Country artists seem to have looked inside themselves and returned to their roots with their latest records created during the pandemic – there’s every indication that this will be the case with Thomas Rhett’s forthcoming Country Again: Side A – and nowhere is this more evident than in Canaan Smith’s new record – High Country Sound. This shift may have been necessary given the unsteady path that led to his sophomore record, including a label change to Round Here Records. The introspective return to his roots worked. The record is a phenomenal love letter to the heart of country music and Virginia, traditional country music is the core of the record yet it has been elevated for a modern audience – even imbibing some characteristic yodelling touches.
Indeed, there is a real feeling that the music pours directly from Smith’s heart on the record – he produced two-thirds of the record and the rest eliciting the help of the FGL boys. The record kicks off in style with ‘Grounded’ – an important track about remaining ‘rooted’ in his hometown. ‘Y’all made me who I am / From the red dirt on my boots / To the red word Gospel truth / I’m tangled in these roots that keep me grounded.’ It’s a refreshingly humble and honest track that thematically is brought to life and given fire on the follow-up track ‘Mason Jars and Fireflies’ – a majestic, swaggering track about living a country life under the stars.
‘Sweet Virginia’ is the most obvious testament for his love of his roots – backed-up elsewhere on ‘American Dream’ – but it’s a double entendre – it’s also a song for his daughter Virginia Rose. It’s an incredibly sweet and poised track, singing of missing home (and his daughter) now in Tennessee, ‘Sweet Virginia, you are always on my mind / Sweet Virginia, I go there all the time / Yeah, they say that you’re for lovers / And I have to agree / ‘Cause ain’t never been another / Ever loved me like sweet Virginia.’ Later track ‘Highway Blues’ has a similar feel, a swaying track about missing life at home while being on the road.
Smith traverses the entirety of the country genre, with bluegrass swampier sounds also seen here, including on the collaboration with Brent Cobb – ‘Catch Me If You Can’. It’s a teasing track about running from trouble – whether that trouble is the police or a girl. It’s a pacing and driving track that is immensely charming, indeed the idea of Smith’s roots is indistinguishable from his love for the traditional country genre itself. John Denver even gets a nod in ‘Cabin in the Woods’ – a stunning, meandering track reminiscing about the importance of home and the memories rooted back to a particular cabin in the woods, brought to life by a haunting fiddle, reminiscent of an early Zac Brown Band production. ‘On a September night, I’ll always remember / We were sipping ’round the fire, singing old John Denver / Life was feeling good / At that old cabin in the woods.‘ ‘High Country’ is another testament to his love for the genre, singing that it’s ‘hard to be low in high country.’ It’s a boot-stomping track replete with harmonica and fiddle that bring the track to life and you can hear hints of Florida Georgia Line in the production – this one of the tracks co-produced by Kelley and Hubbard.
In true country tradition, heartbreak is still a mainstay of the record. ‘Colder Than You’ is a bittersweet track about moving on, but being happier without a past lover. ‘Ah, ’cause I might’ve finally found something colder than you / Well, I’m happy as hell and hell, it helps me raise it / Took your goodbye and hell, it done erased it / Girl, I ain’t drownin’ your memory.’ More painful still is, ‘Like I Ain’t Missin’ You’ a sweetly heartbreaking track about trying to hide the pain and be fine with moving on, acting ‘like I ain’t missin’ you.’ The stunning fiddle and light-touch background vocal bring the track to life and tug the heartstrings, as does later track ‘Losing Sleep Over a Girl’ that ends the record – a sentimental track looking back at the journey of his relationship, from falling in love to having a child. ‘Wide awake, heart racin’ so hypnotized / Lost in the moment, still lost in her eyes / As the sun made its way ‘cross the dark side of the world / There I was again losing sleep over a girl.’ The track is sweet and lyrical and a perfect sweet note to round out this tremendous project.
There is a true fearlessness in the record – Smith has not removed any of the ‘traditional’ country trappings to make this more palatable for commercial country radio, and it is this that brings the magic to this record. Smith feels more confident, both in production and lyricism – the record is bold, brash and powerful.
