Hunter Hayes newest album, Storyline, was released on May 6, with a number of new songs showing off the young artist’s vocals. This is Hayes’s second album and it shows just as well as his first why he has been Grammy nominated in the past.
While the album incorporates the country sounds and feel, it is not completely consumed in the typical country ideals of beer, tractors and cowboys. “Storyline” is mainly focused on love and life journeys, which are relatable themes to music fans of any genre.
The album starts off with the song “Wild Card” which is an upbeat track with a pop feel to it, but the twang in Hayes’s voice brings it back to having a country undertone. The song starts off the album with a positive feel as the song talks about being in love and being happy while accompanied by a happily swinging beat. Later in the album the song “Tattoo” is brought in with the similar feel and idea of being upbeat and discussing love.
“Invisible” is one of the most popular tracks on the album as it talks about how pain is only temporary and will one day be “invisible.” It is relatable as it reminds listeners that hard times are temporary and will fade as we grow. Along with having a meaningful message, the song highlights Hayes’s ranges in singing. He goes from singing short quick lines to holding long high notes, which he makes seem like a breeze. He has a similar range of sound in the song “Still Fallin,” which describes how everyday with his love is like a new adventure and how he is “still falling” for them.
“You Think You Know Somebody” is one of the songs on the album that seems to most go back to country roots and sounds. Hayes’s singing is accompanied by the sound of an electric guitar for a while throughout the song, which brings in the feeling of a country song and loses the pop stigma that many of his other songs on the album bring in. This is one of the more popular songs on the album–possibly because his country voice is highlighted while this song brings back an entirely country feel. “Nothing Like Starting Over” has a similar feel, but it is slowed down a bit.
Hayes’s new album has many of the similar aspects to it that enchanted listeners in his first album. It has some similar sounds to those heard in previous songs such as “Wanted” and “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” but this album seems to have even more of a country pop feel to it, whereas the last one seems more like original country.
