Restless Road Rides High With Electrifying Debut Album 'Last Rodeo'
The country music trio is turning heads with their debut album.
Photo credit: Gus Black
With dynamic harmonies and universal stories, rising country trio Restless Road made up of Colton Pack, Garrett Nichols and Zach Beeken showcases their top tier talent in their debut album Last Rodeo.
Known for their high energy shows, and heartwarming love songs, Restless Road takes fans through the highs and lows of life in the eighteen track album. The high octane project includes perviously released fan favorites like the tender viral hit Roll Tide Roll, their #1 Sirius XM hit Growing Old With You and happy hour anthem Bar Friends.
Setting the tone for the album is the high-voltage title track. Even though the at first glance the song alludes to an end, the trio told All Country News that it really symbolizes their start.
"It's kind of our big launch, our big intro. I know we've given people a taste of Restless Road over the last couple of years. You know, we've been dropping singles, we've done an EP, but this is really our first big project where people are really going to get a whole picture of who Restless Road is. 18 songs, and we put everything we had into these songs and I think people are gonna learn a lot more about us and we just love with how the album turned out," member Zach Beeken told All Country News.
Continuing their tradition of tapping into acute moments that their fans go through, new song 10 Things, cleverly sitting at number 10 in the 18 track project was a song that Zach really fought for. Out of the dozens of songs the trio said they have written this year, the mid tempo twang filled track showcases the trio's clever point of view. Penned by Zach, Garrett, Devin Dawson and Jared Keim the catchy two step beat tells the story of all the things that the narrator hates about his old flame. Hating that love went wasted on loving on his true crime loving, lying ex the guys are going near mad trying to grapple with loss. The trio's infectious harmonies weave in and out of each verse, making this track one that was worth fighting for.
Full of western fiddle and clever instrumentation, the boys branch out a bit in the catchy Leave Your Boots On. A haunting cautionary tale, highlights the trios craveable harmonies and well as tastefully showcasing each member's vocal range. "Leave your boots on cowboy," the trio sings as they look back at a love lost. Grappling with the incoming heartache the boys make the choice to pack up and leave. The track highlights what makes the trio a standout, killer vocals that paint a ubiquitous tale.
"We were sitting down and talking we waned to say with this album. How are we going to show who Restless Road is," Garrett told All Country News. "We've been together for a long time, and we really wanted to show people that after all these years we've never given up. We're were determined to put this album out. We really wanted to show people that don't let anybody or anything get in your way, believe in yourself, keep going, get back up, whether it's a breakup, or whether it's just something you're going through in life."
Rounding out the project is the introspective On My Way, a track that Garrett says encapsulates that bands values of try try again, and was almost the name of the album. The band's career making harmonies and soul bearing lyrics find a home in the tender track. Reflecting on hold habits and a goal of growth, each member lends their voice to the painfully relatable song. Not afraid to love or to change, the trio rattles off all the things they are looking to improve upon, holding on to the hope that they are on their way to better days. Highlighted through powerful lyricism and brilliant melodies, the song is a brilliant bookend and testament to the rising trio.
Most Nights a track that Colton admitted he fought hard for and the oldest song on the project features the sweet harmonies of fellow riser Erin Kinsey. While the guys admit they have always loved the song, it never felt like the right time to put it out. The boys humbly admitted that the track was not written with a girl in the room, but that the second verse was begging for a female voice and Erin's name came up in conversation.
The refreshing take on the often mundane love origin story, Most Nights is a creative addition to the project. Full of life, the emotional push and pull between the trio and Erin aids in the romance of finding your love under the neon lights. Relishing in the fact that they don't have to spend most nights alone, the narrators list off things they use to do without each other now thankful for their relationship.
The musical tapestry at the trio has created is nothing short of magical. Honing in on the most acute parts of our lives, the trio's hard hitting harmonies, and encapsulating stories truly put them at the forefront of the genre. From verse to verse the trio proudly stands their creative ground offering up some of the most dynamic songs of 2023. Ambitious and imaginative, Last Rodeo proves that Restless Road is anything but restless.