Sad country songs just make me so dang happy.
And Riley Green delivered some pure country heartbreakers on his recently released third studio album Don’t Mind If I Do, which dropped this past Friday.
And if there’s one thing I’m sure you’ve noticed about me by now, it’s that I always tend to gravitate towards a sad, simple ballad that will rip my heart out, rather than a song that’s more upbeat and happy. I mean, it really doesn’t matter what kind of mood you’re in. Happy? Sad country song. Sad? Sad country song. Drunk? Sad country song. Hungover? Sad country song.
It’s a cure-all for me, and like I’ve said many times, it’s so much cheaper than therapy, and so much more enjoyable…
Riley has said before that he, too, gravitates towards sad songs in general, and those are the kinds that he likes writing a lot as well. For someone who is a fan of classic country and the tear-in-your beer music that made it so popular, I don’t think there’s a better, more universal kind of song and I think he’s really good at it.
And actually, I felt like in terms of the whole album, Don’t Mind If I Do was actually a lot lighter and more humorous than any of his others. There’s also a few more love songs than usual, but the heartbreakers that hit, hit hard and I’ve had them on repeat.
I’ve always felt like Riley has the pretty rare ability to elevate his sound and writing with each release, while managing to stay true to himself and his more traditional country sound at the same time, which is nothing short of impressive.
He includes a lot of subject matter about rural life and love that can often be viewed as cliché or overdone, but because it’s so authentic to who he is, it simply works for him in a different way that I think has brought him a lot of his success.
Riley’s had a few radio hits here and there, and his career has clearly grown and reached the more mainstream country fans, but he never strays too far from that pure country sound and that is so hard to do in this day and age with so many making music for TikTok virality rather than long-lasting timelessness.
And because I’ve been stuck on his classic, sad country songs that are on this new record in particular, that truly sound like they could’ve been recorded in the 70’s or 80’s when these kinds of songs were so popular (thanks to icons like Willie Nelson), I wanted to share them with all of you in case you love them as much as I do… and I have no doubt you will.
If I had to pick a favorite, “Jesus Saves” is still at the top of my list for the entire year of music and his entire catalog, honestly. A solo write by Riley, it’s a stunner that in a perfect world, would win a CMA or Grammy… it’s nearly impossible to listen to without crying and is a perfect country song.
Pour a glass of whiskey, turn the lights down, and turn these all the way up:
“That’s A Mistake”
“Too Early To Drink”
“Jesus Saves”
“Don’t Mind If I Do”
