Band Cave Records
Release Date: June 2nd 2023
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Lonestar – TEN to 1 (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing
- No News (2023 Version)
- Come Cryin’ To Me (2023 Version)
- Everything’s Changed (2023 Version)
- Amazed (2023 Version)
- Smile (2023 Version)
- What About Now (2023 Version)
- Tell Her (2023 Version)
- I’m Already There (2023 Version)
- My Front Porch Lookin’ In (2023 Version)
- Mr. Mom (2023 Version)
Everyone knows Lonestar…no. Correct that one. Everyone knows the song ‘Amazed’ by Lonestar, and I guess that’s about it? ‘Amazed’ charted very high during the heyday of Lonestar, a country band that was big in the 1990s and the 2000s…and then as the years went by, their relevance in modern country music culture began to wane and lessen until…well, until they didn’t update their socials no more. Until you could be forgiven that this chart-topping band retired (even though there was no official statement), because…well, there was no updates, so I guess they ought to have retired, right? Lonestar was popular throughout the last couple of decades, and while even now, their most popular song in terms of current mainstream media is (and will always be) ‘Amazed’, the band have indeed reminded us that Lonestar is much more than ‘Amazed’, with the unveiling of their new album 10 to 1, an album comprising of 10 tracks- re-recorded versions of their radio hits, ‘Amazed’ included. With each song on the ten-track album re-recorded to deliver a crisper and fresher sound, this is a must-have for any Lonestar fan, or even an album to purchase to start listening to the band and begin your Lonestar-listening journey.
Lonestar’s 10 to 1 releaesd this year to…no promotion whatsoever? No seriously, this album wasn’t promoted at all, it was only by fluke and chance that I checked out this album on apple and youtube. Would I have found it if I didn’t ‘stumble’ upon this release? Maybe not. Nevertheless, this is an album that is indeed a little foreign to me- I didn’t grow up with Lonestar, and all I heard (countless times) to date, has been ‘Amazed’. So all these songs felt like new songs…and they were…fine? This album is ok, but frankly, this 10 track album didn’t make me go ‘WOW, I must listen to Lonestar after this’. Maybe it’s because this band feels so Rascal Flatts-like that I feel as though I’m just going to compare Lonestar to Rascal Flatts, even though I know they probably aren’t that close, musically, lyrically, and every other way? Regardless, this album is a homage to fans and first time listeners alike, and this album is a great reminder that music from the 1990s and 2000s can still be redone, delivered with great quality and enthusiasm. ‘Amazed’ is powerful as usual and I’m sure the rest of the other 9 tracks are just as emotive, compelling, and challenging as their original recordings back in the day. In such a time as this, people are longing for songs of their youth to remind them about times gone by where life wasn’t all that bad, compared to now. Lonestar’s 10 to 1 has hopefully answered the call for many listeners around the world. Well done Lonestar for these re-recordings. Maybe, just maybe, after another listen-through for this album, I can delve into their discography for once and for all? Here’s hoping!
3 songs to listen to: Amazed, I’m Already There, What About Now
Score: 4.5/5
RIYL: Rascal Flatts, John Michael Montgomery, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins