Dropping a mere week after being officially announced, the reigning American Idol Chayce Beckham’s debut EP, Doin’ It Right, is a nice little surprise release. Cait Watters reviews…
Consisting of just six songs, this feels like a teaser and a perfect introduction to Chayce. Certainly, this is my first time listening to him (I, somehow, missed his duet with the fabulous Lindsay Ell) and I definitely feel as though I’ve missed out. I grew up watching American Idol but, admittedly, have never watched the reboot. Artists like Chayce are not only joining an illustrious lineage, but also reminding folk that there’s still tremendous value in these shows.
Doin’ It Right feels familiar, tinged with throwback vibes to the 90s, yet still fresh. Chayce’s gravelly voice is as charming as it is powerful – he puts a lot into his vocals, yet it feels so effortless.
The first two songs pack that metaphorical punch…though, if you’re not Chayce then you may indeed feel winded trying to keep up with him. ‘Where The River Goes’ and ‘Doin’ It Right’ are vocally intense, lines running on and into each other. ‘A day like this is well overdue, I ain’t taking no worries I ain’t taking no shoes, just taking my shades and my old dog Blue, taking in that million dollar view’, Chayce sings on the former and there’s something just so satisfying about the way the lyrics run on, the Californian’s pipes strong and steady, unwavering. It’s the same on the latter too, an anthem about life’s simple pleasures that has that perfect crank-it-up vibe for a car ride on a sunny day.
‘Tell Me Twice’ marks the start of what seems a slightly more chilled out side, Chayce actually starting to take the occasional breather on, ironically, a song about how listening to sage advice and taking it easy is the key to life – from taking a needed day off to having a cold beer, and everything in between.
The break-up song (it’s country music, after all) comes in the form of ‘I’ll Take The Bar’, a tale of two people splitting things up as they themselves split. Once the chorus hits, each line is a different thing they take. A simple premise, yes, but it works so well, heartbreak explored in a structure that little bit different from the usual songs of sorrow – it’s probably my favorite on this EP. ‘Talk To Me’ is the complete opposite, a sultry slow dance-esque number about when love does prevail, with a gorgeous guitar line accompanying similarly rich vocals.
‘Love To Burn’ closes us out, continuing the theme of love, and about how overwhelming and exhilarating it is to feel it – it’s a suitably high tempo jam. It’s a nice running order of tracks, to go from heartbreak to happy and to end the EP on a lighter, positive note. Admittedly, this does make the EP feel like one of two halves, with one half about life in general and the other about love but, hey, it works and, at only six songs, this is merely a taste of what Chayce Beckham has in store.
America found its Idol, and country music may just have found its new star.
Chayce Beckham releases Doin’ It Right on April 15, available wherever you find good music.
Chayce Beckham – Doin’ It Right – Track Listing
1. Where The River Goes (Chayce Beckham, Brice Long, Ben Hayslip, Jacob Rice)
2. Doin’ It Right (Beckham, Andy Albert, Lindsay Rimes)
3. Tell Me Twice (Beckham, Isley Juber, Ross Copperman)
4. I’ll Take The Bar (Jordan Walker)
5. Talk To Me (Hillary Lindsey, Will Hoge, Tom Douglas)
6. Love To Burn (Beckham, Copperman, Josh Osborne)