Fresh off the release of “Back in the Saddle” on July 25th, it’s become more than apparent that Luke Combs is officially locking in on his sixth studio album. After multiple interviews pointing to a return to his old sound that fans have grown to love, the “Beautiful Crazy” singer dropped a bombshell post on X Tuesday afternoon.
Instead of taking the traditional route of creating the album, Combs revealed that he’s toying with the idea of “crowdsourcing” the new record, which basically means calling on fans to help figure out the tracklist.
“Seriously considering “Crowd Sourcing” my next record. Like just put up a bunch of demos and worktapes to see what y’all like best.”
And he brought that idea to life by posting a plethora of demos online. Flashforward to Thursday and the North Carolina native fulfilled his promise, posting 14 different demos on his secret Instagram account, @lcombs77.
Given that the entire point of this project is to hear feedback, I thought I’d give my two cents on each song. Without further ado, here’s my ranking of all 14 demos on the account.
#1 “Stay”
You want to talk about a stunner? “Stay” has all the makings to be Combs’ versions of Eric Church’s “Wrecking Ball” and Riley Green’s “Worst Way.” Through and through, the track is just doused in sex appeal. Whenever this gets released (and it undoubtedly will), “Stay” will find its way onto each and every “baby makin'” playlist.
#2 “Shouldn’t Miss You Here”
All I can say is, “What a relatable song.” There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone at some point in their life has missed an ex when their mind keeps telling them not to. He perfectly captures the frustration present when you simply cannot get your mind off their memory, and for that, I have to rank it this high.
#3 “Let Your Heart Have a Mind of Its Own”
The very first song posted on the account is a certified banger. You can feel a little bluegrass influence here. Hell, I can almost hear the mandolin licks that are begging to be added. It’s also very likely none other than Hailey Whitters will be on it, given that Combs confirmed it was co-written with her in the comments. Needless to say, I cannot wait.
#4 “I Used to Pray”
Feeling like a direct follow-up to the maturity displayed on his latest project, Fathers & Sons, “I Used to Pray” is easily one of the lyrical standouts among the demos. The central message of Combs having different hopes and prayers now given his role as a father and husband is an incredibly powerful one.
#5 “Hearts On the Window”
You want to talk about melodic choruses? “Hearts On the Window” is one of those songs that simply beg you to roll your windows down and sing along. Though it doesn’t contain any ground-breaking lyrics, it’s simply too fun not to love. I also got to give a big shoutout to Luke for name-dropping a Honda CR-V in a song. Talk about a reliable car.
#6 “What Did You Do to Me?”
Feeling even more bluegrass-inspired than “Let Your Heart Have a Mind of Its Own,” “What Did You Do to Me” is an absolute delight to listen to. From the lovely inclusion of banjos to Combs’ vocal runs, the demo kept getting better with each subsequent listen. Incredibly melodic, incredibly fun and incredibly breezy, it’s a must-release to me.
#7 “Last Thing She Tried On”
Feeling reminiscent of something from the late ’90s or early 2000s, “Last Thing She Tried On” is just begging for some slick electric guitar work to complete it for its official release. Like many of the songs present here, Combs is in a sweet spot penning infectious melodies.
#8 “Heaven, Tennessee”
Undoubtedly the most heartfelt track in the collection, “Heaven, Tennessee” is sure to hit home to a lot of people. Simultaneously being a tribute to both Tennessee and those Combs have left behind, the demo feels like it could be the emotional anchor to the forthcoming album.
#9 “Always Gonna Be”
Following in the footsteps of Fathers & Son, I really enjoy this one from a lyrical standpoint. The central idea of telling your wife that the kids are going to grow up, time will change things but you’ll always have each other is a sweet one.
#10 “Set the Record Straight”
Though I don’t think the word play present is bad per se, I don’t think the double entendre of “setting the record straight” is as clever as the song makes it out to be. I’ve definitely heard worse before, but I don’t believe it’s a strong enough song to make the record.
#11 “A Man was Born”
“A Man was Born” ultimately feels like a song that is better suited for a record like Growin’ Up. Overall, it’s a solid song that would have had a better home on the aforementioned record compared to this upcoming one.
#12 “Fastback”
“Fastback” simply feels like familiar territory for Combs. Feeling very reminiscent of both “Better Back When” and “Be Careful What You Wish For,” I don’t think that the track truly does anything to stand out from the rest of his discography.
#13 “Wild You Were”
Easily the shortest demo present, there’s really not much to latch on to here. While Combs’ vocals and the melody sound rock solid, there’s just not enough teased to truly judge the song by.
#14 “Some Bar”
Out of the 14 songs, “Some Bar” easily feels the laziest. Though I wouldn’t say it’s awful by any stretch of the imagination, it feels the most generic. I could see any copy-and-pasted singer who’s currently occupying the Top 40 on country radio singing this one, and for that, I have to put it last.
