On album number five (or four, depending on how you choose to classify the two-volume
From a Room
),
Chris Stapleton
has settled into a comfort zone predicated not on burly outlaw machismo but country-soul. Not that
Higher
doesn't have moments where
Stapleton
indulges in a bit of bluesy swagger: "White Horse," a lead single co-written with
Dan Wilson
, is an anthem designed for dusty backroads, while the swampy grind of "South Dakota" seems designed for the dead of night. Still, the heart of
resides in stark, intimate ballads and, especially, simmering soul numbers that rely as much on a supple groove as they do on
's gruff testifying. Indeed, there are moments on the album where
is in danger of belaboring the point by leaning into his rasp a bit too hard; it feels like he's singing from the gut, not the heart. Still, those passages are balanced by his dexterous phrasing -- he's riding and playing with the rhythms, letting them build and burn. On the numbers that don't rely on an R&B backbeat,
can seem earnest and candid, particularly since he keeps returning to confessional themes loosely tied together by recovery motifs. Serious subjects all, but
doesn't feel heavy, largely thanks to the record's pervasive warmth. Once again working with co-producer
Dave Cobb
,
also has his wife
Morgane
behind the boards in addition to singing harmony and playing keyboards, a tight, familial group of collaborators that gives
a relaxed, familiar feel that keeps things buoyant even in its darkest moments. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine