Waves On A Sunset by Tucker Wetmore Review

Here I am, trying to plan and write my first full length album review. So, let's see what happens.

Track 1: Silverado Blue

A sweet song to start off the album. The stick clicking intro along with the beautiful sounding acoustic guitar and drums leads straight into the vocals kicking in, which have a beautiful and authentic character to the tone. It sounds as if as minimal production was done as possible, allowing the emotion and heart to come through in a fun party sun that seems like it would be a massive summer hit, being played on long road trips in the beating down sun or at tail gates full of drinking and singing along. The subtle, small instrumentation is very personal and nice to listen to, with the melodic motif played in the smooth sounding twangy guitar being a ear worm that has been stuck in my mind since I first listened to this song. The drums sound incredibly real and smooth, with the cymbals especially having this special shimmer sound to them that only add onto the summer times feel of this song. The kick is quite subdued, and the snare sounds very echoey and full of reverb, but not too much to get lost.

And the content of the lyrics is very nice with some beautiful lines in the lyrics. Personal favorite lines for me are "We put some moonlight miles and memories in it" having such a beautiful and sweet sounding work of art, that is romantic and lovely in various ways to show the love that the singer has for his special partner. That line coming immediately after "Forever on our lips even though it wasn't true" is just another beautifully romantic and poetic line that sounded so bittersweet in the best way possible. A lovely way to start off this album with a song that ticks every box to sound like it would be a major hit in the country scene, which is a great place to be for the young rising star in Mr. Wetmore.

Track 2: Wine Into Whiskey

A bit of a slower song. Some amazing low guitar that sounds slightly distorted, but it has a really nice beginning with some more authentic and honest vocals that have just a tinge of production with some subtle reverb and more noticeable tuning of some form. The drums in this song are much more hip hop style with the electronic and heavily produced kick and snare. I am not one who gets upset with more modern/pop/hip hop elements mixing with country, even if I do prefer the truly soulful songs. This song feels very country pop in a good way, as it is seriously incredible and a song that I love. A great mixture of many different elements all coming together in the best way possible. A casserole of artistic expression and musical ingredients baked all the way to perfection. I will admit that I would probably rank this as perhaps the bottom if I were to rank the songs, but that by no means makes it a BAD song. Just something that isn't up to par with the other, incredible songs this album has to offer.

Track 3: You, Honey

The guitar melody is something I really love so much. An infectous, beautiful melody that catches your ear right away and does it's best to never let go. Mr. Wetmore's vocals are at their best here, having a beautiful sense of emotion that sounds so incredible. An amazing and heart filling song of something that just touches me on a level that I can not explain with just words. A song of pure power and love that hits just right on this beautiful collection of sound, this only another movement in this symphony. It can not really be expressed much more in words. It is a work of auditory art that needs to be experienced yourself. I can only talk so much about nice sounds and how they touch me personally, yet music is such a unique thing. A unique form of art where songs can hold so much meaning in so many different ways. Songs can be tied to personal moments, whether due to immense happiness or sadness. This song is one that I could see having a large amount of importance to me, as the poetic lyrics remind me of my own life and my own experiences with love.

Track 4: Wind Up Missin' You

This song is what I like about country music. From the moment the first slide guitar notes slid across and into my ears, I knew I would love this song. It is perfectly modern and classic at the same time. Not overly produced or electronic, but still with enough polish to fit in with this world. This is a song that I could see being a top hot hit, with every single element being so perfectly blended together into something so special and sweet. Something so original yet inspired once again. A song that feels truly honest and soulful with the ol Southern spirit and character. Something that can make anybody let out a loud yeehaw. I must also give a shout out to something I love, which is the instrumentation. The guitars and very basic drums that are quite subdued, which really lets the vocals shine and take center stage. The perfect way for this talented artist to show off his skills with his incredibly beautiful voice with such an amazing accent that is so silky smooth and sweet. Huge huge fan of this song, and one that I will always come back to.

Track 5: Break First

A bit of a faster, more upbeat song that has some rock elements to me. A nice drum beat that first made me think of some pop punk from the early 2000s, with the upbeat tone and tempo that sounded so great and fun. The vocals come in fast to keep the energy up but not too fast to distract you or take away. His accent and voice continues to be a work of absolute beautiful art, with the ability to literally hear that Mr. Wetmore is smiling the entire time he is singing this. You can tell he enjoyed making this song and performing it, which is exactly what music is supposed to be. I was a huge fan of this change up in style and tone, as this really was much more bright and energetic in the best way possible. A huge and lovely addition to this album.

Track 6: When I Ain't Lookin'

We go back to the more soulful, classic country tones with this one. Some more incredible slide guitar, a collection of beautiful guitar runs and stabs, and some more very subdued drums that sound like they were played with brushes, which is a personal favorite style of drum playing. Mr. Wetmore's vocals are so nice and smooth, even if I personally think they are not at their top form in this song. For me and my ears, this was the song that seemed to have the largest amount of digital interference, especially when it comes to his vocals. The song is still beautiful though, and something that I hope we can hear more of from him in the future. I am beyond excited to watch the growth of this incredibly talented performer, and want nothing more than success and more lovely sounding music to enjoy.

Track 7: What Would You Do?

Another song that sounds much more in the style of pop, this song was still a great addition to this album. The drums are the most unique and different sounding. While maybe not the most original sound in regards to other music out there in the world, they are a massive and welcome change to this album. Adding something so different and nice to this charcuterie board of sounds and elements all coming together. And of course, a neo-soul sounding guitar solo is always welcome in any song. So smooth and produced to absolute perfection. As for the rest of the music, it comes together so well in the perfect hip hop and country combination, something that I could expect to hear on just about any radio station regardless of what genre they typically specialise in.

Track 8: Mister Miss Her

A song that reminds me of some other great country song such as "Marry Me" by Thomas Rhett or "Going, Going, Gone" by Luke Combs, where it is just full of pure emotion and sombreness. While perhaps not as slow or overly emotional as those other songs, this is still a song that does an excellent job at telling a story with emotion and love at the forefront. I personally love the added touch that the drums are played in such a way that you don't focus on them. The chugging style (at least what I call it, with no real idea if there is a proper name for it) with the brushes keeping the momentum moving forward while not distracting or taking away from the rest of the music. It is soft and gentle, but still with the same energy and care of the rest of the music and lyrics. A perfect song to end this relatively short debut album with a peaceful bang. Of course, I could say that I want more music, but this album is such a breeze to enjoy and every song is perfectly paced and timed to keep you wanting more.

Overall:

The debut studio album of the relatively new artist Tucker Wetmore was exactly what he needed. A perfect debut, as it does everything that it needed to accomplish. Wetmore's voice is a sultry, Southern sweetness of an angel. Coming together in a variety of styles, with the slower ballads like Mister Miss Her to the very upbeat and poppy Break First to the classic country hits of yesteryear with Silverado Blue. Wetmore shows a deep understanding and appreciation over the art form and culture of country music and has shown his diversity and wide range of skill, something that I am very excited to watch grow and blossom. I think this album is up there as a great one, even if I do think that it is not necessarily TRULY perfect.

The album is bookended by incredible songs, while the middle is the lowest point. Meanwhile, there is a battle that can be felt and heard in the vocals especially, where the modernisation is front and center, with a digital smoothness that removes emotion and tone from the powerful voice of Wetmore. Something that is unavoidable in really any music these days, so I do not blame him for it. As for the songs themselves, I think they are all good, with the only ones I have true qualms with being "Wine Into Whiskey" just not feeling fully realized, as if it were a rough draft that just needed a bit more time to fully harness and make into something special, and "When I Ain't Lookin'" where the complaints about digitial smeer is at its most obvious.

As for my highlights, obviously the first song "Silverado Blue" and the end in "Mister Miss Her" are the far and above most well made and created songs. Everything about each song is perfect in a different way, with vastly different vibes and styles that do a great job at showing the versatility on display. Truly, something that I would recommend but also hope that we see improvement on. A perfect first step to take on what is sure to be a long, fruitful journey.

Overall Rating: 7/10