Mercury Records Nashville release Chris Stapleton's new LP, Starting Over, completed in late February 2020 only days before the Covid-19 lockdown began. Across its fourteen tracks (53 min, 40 sec) are songs that examine life’s simplest joys and most serious struggles...

Of Starting Over's 14 songs, 11 are written by Stapleton with both longtime friends and new collaborators, while 3 are carefully chosen covers: John Fogerty’s 'Joy Of My Life' and Guy Clark’s 'Worry B Gone' and 'Old Friends'.

The album finds Stapleton back in his second home, Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional work done at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio), surrounded by his trusted collaborators as well as some new faces. Produced by Dave Cobb (who also plays acoustic guitar), the record features his beloved wife, Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with longtime bandmates J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include legendary musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) as well as the Nashville Urban Choir who are featured on 'Watch You Burn', written by Stapleton and Campbell.

Fans of Stapleton will have had this on pre-order for months and will be pleased, but not surprised, to discover that it doesn't disappoint. There's a good mix of styles (mainly country as you'd expect) but it doesn't get stuck in a rut.

8

Nick Smithson