Another impressive outing.
In an industry that truly never rests, Colby Acuff has proven time and time again that he’s not only one of the most talented songwriters flying out of the independent scene today but also one of the most proficient. Since his debut in 2020 with Life of a Rolling Stone, the “If I Were the Devil” singer has proceeded to drop an album each and every year since then. Despite the incredibly high volume of musical output, much like his contemporaries, Zach Bryan and Charley Crockett, it seems as if the Idaho native has simply gotten better with every release.
Today, he’s back once again with another killer album, HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, which continues his hot streak and once again proves why he’s one of the most underrated artists in the genre today.
Marking his seventh studio album since his debut in 2020, Acuff had the seemingly impossible task of following up 2023’s Western White Pines, 2024’s American Son, arguably his best work to date and 2025’s brilliant concept album, Enjoy The Ride, which was born from conversations with over 40 people all over the country.
Spoiler alert: he may have outdone himself here.
Upon your first listen to HANDMADE HORSEPOWER, you get a tangible feeling of frustration with the current state of the music industry. Of course, you truly can’t blame the Idaho native for this feeling, and he holds zero punches throughout the album.
Tracks like “LONG WAY FROM THE BOTTOM,” “LIPSTICK ON A PIG,” “MATTER OF TIME,” “PLAY FOR KEEPS” and “WHITE FLAG” all serve as biting critiques of various issues plaguing the industry. In particular, the prereleased “LIPSTICK ON A PIG” takes aim at the homogeneity of modern country music. As the title suggests, the Idaho native likens the glossy, overproduced nature of so many middling songs occupying the Top 40 to putting lipstick on a pig while simultaneously providing commentary on how much proverbial ass you have to kiss to make it big in the genre.
“So pucker them lips
For an ass to kiss
Hoping that the next one hits”
In a similar vein, “MATTER OF TIME” is an arguably more poignant commentary on the industry. Noting how there are “outlaws in the Hall of Fame and in-laws that control the game,” Acuff laments about how the modern music landscape has become nothing short of a dog-and-pony show lately, underscored by the fact that so many artists now have to be content creators on top of being songwriters and musicians.
In the second verse, he hilariously ponders whether he should start an OnlyFans or a podcast, given that the songs themselves simply aren’t paying the bills. While it’s quite funny to hear him ponder “shaking my ass online” as being his last chance, it creates an actual conversation surrounding the discrepancy in the industry between independent artists and the superstars of the world in a way that only Acuff can.
“Should I start a podcast or an OnlyFans
These songs can’t pay for a tank of gas
Shaking my ass online
Is my last chance
And I guess you could call it growing pains
My cleanest shirt has mustard stains
I really don’t think it’s that hard to say my last name”
Though there is a heavy emphasis on the current, dreadful state of the music industry, there’s more to HANDMADE HORSEPOWER than that. Tracks like “GONE AS GONE GETS,” “LONG HAULING BLUES” and “LET YOU GO” give the album some additional depth and a needed break from the commentary.
In particular, “LET YOU GO” is an early standout. Filled to the brim with some gorgeous steel guitar and hints of an organ towards the end, the “Dying Breed” singer laments a lost love, poignantly wondering why it’s so hard to let go when everything is lost and broken.
“And I’ve been walking after midnight
And I’ve been looking for the signs
Why is all that’s lost and broken
So hard to recognize
And I wanted you to know
I never could let you go”
It would also be remiss not to talk about the production and overall sound of this album. Throughout a majority of his career, Acuff stuck to a tried and true Americana-inspired sound. And while it paid dividends for him, leaning into a more southern rock-inspired style here, helmed by producer Eddie Spear, was ultimately the right decision. Not only does it hammer home the album’s thesis of going against the grain of today’s current trends, but it also gives the project an edge that wasn’t quite there in his earlier work.
Acuff has gone on record saying that he hopes that HANDMADE HORSEPOWER is the album that he’s remembered for, and I truly think it will be. While it’s still a bit early to crown this as his magnum opus, especially given the fact that his last three albums have been so good, HANDMADE HORSEPOWER is truly a must-listen and a serious contender for Album of the Year.
“LONG WAY FROM THE BOTTOM”
“LET YOU GO”
“WHITE FLAG”
