Columbia Records
Release Date: October 27th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Alana Springsteen– TWENTY SOMETHING (Deluxe) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- You Don’t Deserve A Country Song
- If You Love Me Now
- Caught Up To Me
- Goodbye Looks Good On You (feat. Mitchell Tenpenny)
- Tennessee Is Mine
- Shoulder To Cry On
- Twenty Something
- Chameleon
- Here’s To All My Exes
- Hypocrite
- When We Were Friends
- Ghost In My Guitar (feat. Chris Stapleton)
- Taylor Did
- Different Kinda Country
- Cowboys And Tequila
- Thinkin’ Straight
- Look I Like
- Amen
- Just A House
- Goodbye Looks Good On You (Acoustic)
- Amen (The One Take)
Ever since 2019 and our ever-on-going blog series (which we’re still in the middle of- I assure you, despite our lengthy 1 year absence so far!), I’ve been branching out and listening to music that I wouldn’t normally in the past. And I’ve found that ‘mainstream’ music, which was marketed to me as ‘bad’ and ‘evil’, actually isn’t. These people who are singing songs for the mainstream media, are just people, and ordinary people like you and me. They’re going through life, writing honest music from the heart, from their perspective and their point of view. What other thing is there for these ordinary people to do, than write and sing honestly? Anyway, I’ve since determined that country music is the genre (apart from CCM), which I have been most hard-hit by in a good away, and I’ve found that I’ve resonated greatly with artists like Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Shania Twain, Lindsay Ell, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Runaway June, Little Big Town, Rascal Flatts, Lady A, Tenille Townes, Tenille Arts, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Walker Hayes, Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Gabby Barrett and even Taylor Swift. Even though I’m not American, it is these artists above (and plenty, plenty more!), who have helped place this genre in a special place in my heart. And as we’ve reviewed country albums over the years and seem God move in ways beyond imagination and comprehension with these artists, and as we’ve seen God be praised and given the glory in the marketplace; here we are in 2023 with another ‘new-ish’ artist and her heartfelt, honest, inspiring, vulnerable, and poignant music. Alana Springsteen (no relation to Bruce! Go figure… do we really believe they’re not related somehow? Is Bruce a long-lost uncle or something like that?), has released her brand-new debut full length album, titled TWENTY SOMETHING in August a few months ago. And boy, let me tell you, Alana’s release in super deep and meaningful, and inspiring to the max as well. We reviewed the impressive 18-track debut album here, and now Alana is back with 3 extra tracks to release TWENTY SOMETHING (Deluxe).
I’ve mentioned before that it’s hard for a name to be the only thing people see when they judge you. But Alana faces this every day, yet in this particular release (and I’m sure with other releases!), she lets the music do the talking. Usually with country albums and songs, we are treated with a slew of vulnerable and thought-provoking tracks, and it’s no different with Alana’s music. But the fact that Alana has done this- been this vulnerable, honest, and emotional with her debut album no less, makes this project all the more impacting and relevant to today’s generation. Songs like “You Don’t Deserve A Country Song”, “If You Love Me Now”, “Tennessee Is Mine”, “Twenty Something”, “Here’s To All My Exes”, “When We Were Friends”, “Ghost In My Guitar”, “Taylor Did”, “Different Kinda Country’, “Look I Like”, and “Amen” are all impacting and resonating; and these ‘new’ 3 tracks are impressive also. the acoustic guitar led ballad “Just A House” speaks about the semi-disconnect Alana feels to her former house after moving out and acquiring a place of her own. The melody speaks about growing up and doing something on your own, and still feeling sentimentality and nostalgia when looking back on your childhood years. The melody also reminds us all that we all go through phases of life, which doesn’t necessarily mean that one phase is better than the other; and “Just A House” speaks to the core of us who is afraid of change, and inspires us to take that risk and take that step of faith, because going into the great unknown isn’t as scary as once thought or believed. With the last two new melodies being an acoustic version of “Goodbye Looks Good On You” and a one take new recording of “Amen”; TWENTY SOMETHING (Deluxe) is a more complete version of an already impressive debut. Alana’s second album may disappoint and might be part of a ‘sophomore slump’; but if it’s half as good as TWENTY SOMETHING (Deluxe); then Alana is sure to have a stellar career that hopefully carries on for many more years to come.
I’ve mentioned this again and again- I’m a single white male, so Alana Springsteen’s music shouldn’t resonate with me that much. But it does! Who would’ve thought. But anyway, Alana’s vocals are crazy awesome, and you all need to listen to this debut album so that you can get into the mind of a 20-something year old and into the mind of someone from this generation. TWENTY SOMETHING (Deluxe) reminds us that it’s ok to fail at things when you are young (or at any age, actually!), because you can then get back up and start again. Alana has a brilliant career ahead of her, and I can’t wait to hear what is next. Well done, Alana, you deserve all the praise and then some more!
7 songs to listen to: If You Love Me Now, Twenty Something, When We Were Friends, Ghost In My Guitar, Different Kinda Country, Amen, Just A House
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Lindsay Ell, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Runaway June, Little Big Town