California Gold
is the follow-up to
Nate Smith
's eponymous 2023 debut, a rangy, pop-indebted country record that went gold, thanks in part to its breakout single "Whiskey on You." A year later
Smith
brought his warm rasp and yearning tone to another lengthy 16-track set that takes inspiration from his youth growing up in Paradise, California. Working again with collaborator
Lindsay Rimes
,
is in his element, singing heartfelt, relatable country songs over slick, contemporary production that sometimes harkens back to late-'90s/Y2K-era rock. Reinforcing those influences, Canadian pop-punk hero
Avril Lavigne
joins him on the power ballad "Can You Die from a Broken Heart." On the funkier pop end, the closing track, "I Like It," features Swedish DJ and producer
Alesso
. ~ Timothy Monger