Already one of my favorite albums released this year.
Today, Carly Pearce put out her fourth studio album hummingbird, which she co-produced for the first time with frequent collaborators Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
It follows her 2021 critically acclaimed 29: Written in Stone record that was a self-proclaimed “divorce album,” and certainly had a different feel and tone to it. On this new project, Carly still talks about heartbreak, but there’s a lighter, sassier more fun element to it that I love hearing from her.
A master with the pen, each song is very well-written and with co-writers like Nicolle Galyon and the aforementioned Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, it’s some of Carly’s strongest work to date in terms of the lyricism and sharp storytelling.
Carly says that the album is a very personal project, full of heartbreak, soul and humor (and honestly, what more could you really ask for?):
“‘hummingbird’ is a deeply personal journey filled with heart, soul, and a good dose of humor. The process of creating this album was me reconstructing the way I see love and the way I see myself.
From facing heartbreak, falling in love again, and gaining confidence, I’ve learned to embrace every part of my story. I hope this record resonates with anyone on a healing journey, showing that through vulnerability, self-discovery, and therapy, things can truly get better.
It’s okay not to have everything figured out; happiness can be found in the process. I hope hummingbird resonates with everyone who listens and inspires you to find strength in your own journey.”
As a whole, hummingbird has a lot of 90’s country elements reminiscent of artists like Deana Carter and Jo Dee Messina, and Carly also incorporates a lot of traditional country elements like fiddle and steel while still making it all feel modern and relevant in a way that will still connect with country music fans in 2024.
To do that without sacrificing the quality and meaning of the music is no easy feat, and I really appreciate her approach to what is a truly incredible record.
Songs like “heels over head” and “truck on fire” are funny, witty and full of honesty about the tricky parts of love and relationships. When it comes to some of her biting quips, the term “all is fair in love and war” certainly comes to mind and I laughed out loud more than once.
On “things I don’t chase,” Carly is open about wanting more for herself and not chasing things that ultimately aren’t good for her. I think it’s a really mature, and refreshing take, that many women will relate to and probably need to hear (myself included).
I could honestly go through every single song and talk about what makes it so good, because there really isn’t a single skip. The Kentucky native has delivered a complete, high-quality album that touches on so many facets of life and love in creative, fresh way, and I will have it on repeat for the foreseeable future.
If you didn’t already have your eye on Carly after 29: Written in Stone, I think this album further proves her talent and respect for country music, and that she is here to stay as one of the all-around, absolute best in the mainstream part of the genre.
I’ve listed a few of my favorite songs from hummingbird below, but I can’t recommend highly enough that you check out the entire album.
“truck on fire”
“rock paper scissors”
“woman to woman”
“pretty please”
hummingbird tracklist:
1. “country music made me do it”| Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
2. “truck on fire”| Written by Carly Pearce, Justin Ebach, Charles Kelley
3. “still blue”| Written by Carly Pearce, Natalie Hemby, Josh Osborne
4. “heels over head” | Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
5. “we don’t fight anymore” featuring Chris Stapleton | Written by Carly Pearce, Pete Good, Shane McAnally
6. “rock paper scissors”| Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
7. “oklahoma”| Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds
8. “my place”| Written by Carly Pearce, Lauren Hungate, Jordan Reynolds
9. “things I don’t chase”| Written by Robyn Dell’Unto, Kat Higgins, Ava Supplesa
10. “woman to woman”| Written by Carly Pearce, Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate
11. “fault line”| Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds
12. “pretty please”| Written by Carly Pearce, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
13. “trust issues”| Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds
14. “hummingbird”| Written by Carly Pearce, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, Jordan Reynolds
