Me and Kelsea have an interesting history. I was originally introduced to her by other Taylor Swift fans claiming she was, in fact, the new country Taylor. While I will argue this is no Taylor Swift, she has good songs in her own right. She has been a mixed bag for me though. Her debut was okay, mostly safe and somewhat catchy. Unapologetically is amazing and I think got my expectations too high for her third album. While Kelsea was okay, it did not have the same wow. The pop she veered into wasn't great, and Hole in the Bottle just annoyed me. I have, however, had a great fondness for the single from this album. I hope it exceeds my expectations.
"Subject to Change" is kind of a corny song lyrically, but it is not a wrong song. We are all entitled to change our minds.
"The Little Things" was such a cute love song for a single. Country does two things well: angry females that will use your shotgun against you and love songs. The love songs are good so the breakup songs are even better.
"I Can't Help Myself" veers into how that one thing that irritates me is almost every country album has that one song that's clearly about getting too drunk.
"If You Go Down (I'm Goin Too)" impresses me. Honestly, this is probably the most country any of Kelsea's albums have ever sounded. I never imagined someone after going as pop as she did on Kelsea, would revert back harder to the original genre. I love her on this track.
"Love is a Cowboy" is on par with the greatness I heard on Unapologetically.
"Muscle Memory" is another very sweet track. It would be forgettable on its own, but it fits right in.
"I Guess They Call It Fallin" is a different sound for her but I really like it. They took quite a spin on it, you'd think it was a song about being in love but instead is about losing it.
"Weather" is the first song that I feel like doesn't work. Fitting in weirdly in the melody. Sounds very choppy.
"Universe" is a beautiful love ballad, makes it more sad to realize she's getting a divorce.
It is really interesting that "Walk in the Park" seems like a response to everything in "Weather". Kind of cool how direct it is actually.
"Heartfirst" is such a traditional country upbeat love song of today. Regardless of being blatantly generic for the genre, I do like it.
"You're Drunk, Go Home" includes...KELLY CLARKSON? and Carly Pearce. It has a Shania Twain vibe? I absolutely love this? Also that it is trashing a drunk dude getting too annoyingly flirty.
"Doin My Best" is terribly personal. I appreciate the autobiographical track despite a lack of relatability due to just how direct it is to her own life.
"Marilyn" reminds me a bit of an after of Homecoming Queen, and is a song that can make you think.
The album closes with "What I Have", which is a sober closing to the album. It is a solid closer to the chaos.
LYRICS: 9/10 - I really like the album lyrically, even if some parts did not grab me musically.
MUSIC: 8/10 - For the most part, it is a Kelsea Ballerini album with some extremely country tracks and a couple oddballs.
OVERALL: 8/10 - A million times better than Kelsea, makes her debut almost entirely forgettable beyond Peter Pan, and the only competition to Unapologetically in her catalog. If you like modern country, give this a go.
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