Atlantic Records
Release Date: September 15th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Breland– Cross Country: The Extra Mile (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Cowboy Don’t
- Thirsty
- Anniversary
- Cracks
- Guilty Pleasure (feat. Brittany Spencer)
- The Extra Mile
- Here For It (feat. Ingrid Andress)
- County Line
- Praise The Lord (feat. Thomas Rhett)
- Natural
- Told You I Could Drink (feat. Lady A)
- For What It’s Worth
- Happy Song
- Growing Pains
- Throw It Back (feat. Keith Urban)
- Thick
- Cross Country (feat. Mickey Guyton)
- Good For You
- Don’t Look At Me
- Alone At The Ranch
- My Truck
- Cross Country
- For What It’s Worth (feat. Alana Springsteen)
- My Truck (feat. Sam Hunt) [Remix]
I think by now you could probably call me a country fan. It was around five years ago when Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty released, and I listened to that entirely, and reviewed the album, when I realised that the artists who are deep and vulnerable and have something worthwhile and inspirational to say, aren’t limited to Christian artists at all. Fast forward until now, and I’ve listened to so much country music. Probably not a lot though if you’re a ‘true’ country fan (because I’m still not that well versed with George Strait, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams, and not much of early Dolly Parton, Reba etc)… but enough for my standards at least. And it’s enough for me to declare that quite possibly some country artists are even more honest and vulnerable than Christian artists. Or maybe I should say artists who record music for CCM and worship… because an artist can be Christian but still recording music for the mainstream, and that’s another discussion all together. God has turned my definition of what He uses on its head, as I am gladly dismantling my preconceptions of music and putting them all back together again. This involves me spending a lot of time listening to country music- the genre I now find the most interesting out of all of the ‘mainstream’ genres.
Nowadays, I’m much more inclined to listen to and resonate with a country album, than with a worship album or a CCM album. Yep, that’s how much I love country music, and this year alone, as a site we’ve reviewed plenty of country albums. You can view them all here, but we’ve reviewed albums and EP’s from Dennis Quaid, Alana Springsteen, Megan Moroney, Ashley Cooke, Caitlyn Shadbolt, King Calaway, Tim & The Glory Boys, Ward Thomas, Dan + Shay, Tyler Hubbard, Cheat Codes, Nate Smith, Walker Hayes, Lauren Alaina, Darius Rucker, Brett Young, Karissa Ella, and Meghan Patrick to name a few; and we’re also planning to review in the future, albums from Alexandra Kay, Tim McGraw, Emily Ann Roberts, Old Dominion, Chris Stapleton, Restless Road, Kylie Morgan, Maggie Baugh, and Sophia Scott. I firmly reckon there’s never been a better time to listen to country music than this year… and this sentiment is confirmed in this next album that I am reviewing. Breland (full name Daniel Gerard Breland) is a multi-genre (inclusive of soul, R&B, pop and gospel… but mainly country) new-ish artist, who has released plenty of hit songs and powerful collaborations. His duet with Mickey Guyton in “Cross Country” was one of the most impacting, moving, poignant and inspiring tracks recently; while he has also sung with Thomas Rhett (“Praise The Lord”) and Keith Urban (“Throw It Back” and “Out The Cage”). If you’re up to date with the country music scene, or even just semi-up to date with the music scene in general… then you probably would have to agree with me that Breland is one of today’s most promising and exciting new talents. His debut album Cross Country released in 2022, and now he’s back with his deluxe album Cross Country: The Extra Mile, with 6 new songs and 4 new versions of songs, bringing the total number to 24. While 24 songs on one album may be tough to swallow, this release is highly welcomes, and we are met with an earnest and powerful album- and one that I have indeed been inspired and impacted by. It’s incredibly on the long-ish side, and obviously not for the faint of hearted, but Breland has immeasurable passion and heart, and the dedication and bravery in these heartfelt and impacting melodies, shows very immensely and incredibly.
No matter which way you slice it, Cross Country is simply just a good album! 24 tracks for this version may be too long for some of you… but for me, I didn’t feel the album drag at all. You can read my review for this release here; but generally speaking, with new additions like “My Truck” from his 2020 EP and the corresponding remix with Sam Hunt, as well as a duet version of “For What It’s Worth” with Alana Springsteen, along with the solo version of “Cross Country”; this deluxe edition of the album really shines with the 6 new tracks, as Breland’s vocals are on point here. The rock/country opener “Cowboy Don’t” speaks about how Breland wants to show a girl a good time, and outlines that he would be a better guy to hang around than the other sleazy men in the bar; while the pop/country melody “Thirsty” describes how affected Breland is by a girl that he likes. “Anniversary” details how Breland hopes his future wife remembers that a particular moment in the past will be their anniversary, and that he’s ready to settle down (although Breland is happily married from what I can tell!); while the reflective and introspective traditional country song “Cracks” (complete with fiddles!), is a melody that is honest, earnest and heartbreaking- Breland questions his partner and asks if they’re ok, but he’s suspecting cracks in their relationship. “Guilty Pleasure”, a haunting duet with Brittany Spencer, speaks about the persona not being over their ex, and the song being sung from two sides of the relationship as we find out that both parties are not ok with the breakup; while the last ‘new’ track on Cross Country: The Extra Mile is the pseudo-title track “The Extra Mile”, an uplifting encourager and inspiring melody where Breland implores us all to keep going in this life, as ‘…there must be a reason why, lately, it ain’t been an easy ride, I’ll keep on fightin’ ’cause trouble may find me, but it only lasts for a while, even though my skies are grey, I see the sun shinin’ anyway, the tiniest shift is the difference in livin’ and honestly bein’ alive, that’s why I keep on runnin’, goin’ the extra mile…’.
Cross Country by Breland is definitely a hybrid album. It’s a country album, but it’s more than that. It’s a brilliant debut, and a project that definitely will be on my playlists on Spotify for many months and years to come. There are a couple of melodies that could have been omitted to make the track list tighter and more cohesive (“Growing Pains” and “Thick” come to mind); but all in all, this is an impressive debut. And when we extend this to the deluxe edition… well, Breland isn’t a household name- not just yet, but this 24 track project is sure to invoke many listeners and casual fans to not sleep on him. He’s bound to receive the recognition that he deserves. Sure, Breland’s songs aren’t totally country, but who these days sticks to one genre for their entire career? One may think that Cross Country: The Extra Mile is a mishmash, the story of someone trying to find out his identity, but I for one see a common thread- Breland collaborating with his friends and creating honest music that people can relate to- the title track is evidence of this fact. On the whole Cross Country (and the deluxe edition!) is one of the few shining lights amongst a sea of sameness in country music (or in music in general!), and believe you me, an energetic and positive album like this is just what we need during this time when war and division is common in the world! So, if you’re feeling down and miserable, why don’t you put on Cross Country and start singing along? I guarantee it, it’ll bring a smile to your face!
6 songs to listen to: The Extra Mile, Here For It, Told You I Could Drink, Throw It Back, Cross Country, For What It’s Worth (with Alana Springsteen)
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line