Randy Houser’s “How Country Feels” Delivers 15 tracks of Stellar Singer/Songwriter Skills – Album Review

Randy Houser and his new record label, Stoney Creek Records, are set to release Randy’s first studio album “How Country Feels” under the SCR imprint to retailers and digital outlets on January 22.

The question is : are you ready !

How Country Feels, Houser’s first single and title cut off his upcoming album, has wowed fans and whet the appetite for a voice Vince Gill has called “one of the best in the new crop of country singer-songwriters”.

Houser’s fastest rising release thus far, How Country Feels, is a No. 2 and rising Billboard single, already has over two and a half million (2.5 + million) Vevo hits and captivates the No. 10 and rising spot on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown.

“I don’t know how it happened,” Houser claims, “but everything in my life has started lining up. I must have done somebody right in the past.”

Well, Houser’s got a new wife, new baby, new record label, new album and a rising first release. I’d say that’s indeed a full country sky of stars lining up just right in Houser’s constellation.

Cheers to a Good Blend
“How Country Feels” is a good blend of rock-solid lyric and vocal talent delivering a dynamic mix of comfort, party and pain.

Produced by Derek George, the first person Houser ever met when he first moved to Nashville, the album opens up with a lyrically rich and visually playful uptempo Runnin Outta Moonlight. It’s a catchy, toe-tapping, sing-a-long that sets the stage for 15 tracks of awesome.

Randy will have you frolicking in the frisky twist in Growin Younger, feeling good all over without knowing why in Top of the World and two-stepping to the gaiety of Absolutely Nothing.

Houser’s powerhouse vocals tenderly dance a delicate duet with Kristy Lee Cook in Wherever Love Goes expressing the beauty of love. This is a powerful track that plays like the soundtrack to a movie.

And if loving a cowboy means more time apart than not, Randy’s explosive vocal delivery of the heartfelt sentiment in Like a Cowboy makes it all bearable.

The singer drops it down in Along for the Ride tenderly reminding you to ride the breath of life and enjoy the moments you’re in. And if he’s successfully convinced you to lay back and take life in, he’s there to share how in Sunshine on the Line suggesting “sometimes it don’t matter if ya don’t catch nothing but a good time”.

Shine opens up sounding like a western showdown and is just simply…fun!

And Let’s Not Let It takes you on a positive ride through the trials and tribulations of love that every relationship experiences. But it’s Houser’s vocals that deliver a lyrically unique remedy of reality begging “let’s not let some thing we’ll probably laugh about tomorrow // take us to that place where so many who give up go”. This is a thought-provoking track that just might leave you with a lump in your throat so …

Go freshen up your whiskey. In fact, make it a double ‘cos last call’s got some heavy hitters.

The Sting of Heavy Shots
Emotions are loaded in “How Country Feels” and Houser’s picked and penned a few shots that sting like your great granddaddy’s moonshine.

Goodnight Kiss is a slinky, mood-enhancing melody that makes you feel good and you don’t know or really care much why. We need these in our life. A keeper.

The Singer is multi-faceted. Paying tribute to the desperate memory of love forlorn, listen a little deeper and you’ll hear the sentiment stand testament to someone in your life. It’s a beautifully crafted and tenderly delivered message that’ll have you choked up on your own memories. “She loved the man without the mask when no one was around” is just a teaser of the lyric captivating you in this tale. And if the verses don’t shed a tear on your memory bank, the chorus is sure to have you on your metaphoric knees reminiscing someone that’s still got your heart. I wore the grooves out on The Singer. It’s a hit and I hope it makes it to radio.

But – and no pun intended – that’s the Power of a Song. Brought to you through the precision of a Steinway, the Power of a Song speaks for itself and music. “That’s the miracle of music // love’s the only thing that strong // that can move you when you hear it // that’s the power of a song.” The Power of a Song IS what music, what a song, is all about. Pure and simple. I’m just wondering why it’s taken so long for someone to lay this sentiment on a track.  A stellar showcase of skills.

But before parting ways, Houser revisits his past in the biographical album closing Route 3 Box 250 D and comes to as optimistic an acceptance as he can at this stage of reflection. In an interview with Taste of Country, Randy shared “this ain’t a hit but … “

Well, I beg to differ.

It’s a chilling story with a poignant message showcasing the power of a song because it’s tales like Route 3 Box 250 D that are indeed “How Country Feels”. The acoustic opening blends serendipitously with the chill of harmonica permeating the air. You’re immediately drawn to the realization something haunting is up ahead as Randy returns to a morbid memory, acknowledgement, acceptance, forgiveness and the right to not let it all paralyze him. And when Houser delivers the last line to this “everything in there is true” tale, you’ll wonder if there’s a blanket warm enough to ward off the chills you’re covered in.

I’d love to hear this touch radio.

It’s a Wrap
“How Country Feels” is an eclectic mix of melodies, messages, poignancy and pick-you-uppers. Houser’s either got you frolicking through life or supporting your right to feel jaded, even damaged. He delivers song after song through earth-shattering vocals with instrumentation as a complement. His uptempos are uplifting but his ballads are an experience.

If this is “How Country Feels” then it sure feels good. The album is available at retail and digital outlets everywhere on January 22, 2013. Be sure to grab your copy.

Randy Houser – How Country Feels – The Song

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