Florida Georgia Line, one of the biggest names in country music, released their 6-Pack EP last week. Paul Sammon had a listen to it for us, here’s what he had to say…
Love ‘em or loathe ‘em they’re back with their latest offering. What currently seems to be the norm, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, known better as Florida Georgia Line, have released an EP. This way their fans get something now, rather than making them wait for a full album. Here’s my take on the 6 track 6-Pack.
Beer:30 is the opener. It doesn’t take a genius to guess the theme. Yep, it’s totally redneck and totally party. It’s got beer bongs and keg-stands, all performed with their catchy Southern drawl and heavy, reverbed banjo. Half spoken, half sung, it will go down well with anyone that remembers college parties. It’s so damn catchy and you know you’ll be letting ‘beer:30’ into your everyday vocabulary.
Track two has a heavy bassline under it from the beginning. Ain’t Worried ‘Bout It is such a simple, repetitive song. It’s that simplicity, I feel, that makes it a great tune. It’s a true country song about hard times that we can all relate to but ‘long as I got you, I ain’t worried ‘bout it.’ The song is kind of typical but done their way. Once again, part rap, part sung but the hook’ll get you, guaranteed.
I suppose Second Guessing is the EP’s “sexy” song. They write love songs as well as anything else they pen, though. It’s a song from him to her, telling how he is devoted to her with so much love and trust. It does what I personally love with any clever song; the double meaning of the title is great and I’m a sucker for that. Oh, there’s no rapping on this track by the way.
Another Urban / Country crossover, Countryside is gonna get turned up in my car, I just know it. It sounds like they’re paying homage to the New York Clubs but then they want to take us to the countryside. How do they get away with this? How do they make it work? I don’t know and I don’t care. I just know I love it.
U.S. Stronger is a salute to the Land of the Free and I get it, I do. If there’s something they do well in America, it’s patriotism and this song definitely tugs on those strings. It reminds the American listener that ‘It’s in our blood’ to get back up. Perfect song for what’s going on right now. Some folk will definitely be thankful for this reminder to be resolute and lean on one another.
They’ve left the rockiest track ‘til last. It’s an anthem for sure and if we ever have concerts like we used to I can’t wait to be in a stadium screaming this one. They’ve thrown it all into this one. Rapping, banjo, rock guitar riffs, a heavy bassline and a killer chorus. It epitomises everything that FGL built their career on and I Love My Country shows they’ve still got plenty in them yet.
I don’t know how they do it, they just do. These guys seem to be able to take elements that shouldn’t work together yet they make them work. They’re not afraid to push the boundaries and blur the lines. Is it traditional? Of course not. But while there’s still a market for the front porch sound, the world has changed and this Florida Georgia Line EP really hits the spot for me. It may be only 6 tracks long but there’s a little bit of everything sewn together with drawl and banjo and love and beer. See? Country….