Ryan Bingham’s new album They Call Us The Lucky Ones honestly feels like the most natural record he’s made in a long time. Nothing about it sounds forced or overthought. It just sounds like a group of guys getting in a room and making music they actually want to make. That’s probably what I liked most about it.
A lot of artists in the Americana/country world try way too hard to sound natural or traditional now. Everything’s either overproduced or written to sound intentionally rugged. This album avoids all of that. It feels so loose and natural. You can hear the band playing together instead of everything being cleaned up and polished to death.
The Texas Gentlemen bring a lot to this record too. The chemistry feels some wholesome the entire time. Some songs lean country, some lean bluesy, some feel more like old-school barroom rock, but none of it sounds like they’re trying to check boxes. It all flows naturally.
Bingham’s voice still sounds exactly how you want it to sound, rough, worn down, and incredibly raw. He’s never been a technically perfect singer, but that’s kind of what makes him who he is. His voice works because it sounds honest. You believe him when he sings these songs.
Lyrically, this album feels more reflective than some of his older stuff. There’s still heartbreak and loneliness throughout the record because that’s always been part of his songwriting, but this one feels less heavy overall. More like somebody looking back on life instead of getting buried by it.
The title track was probably one of the standouts for me because it says a lot without trying too hard. That’s usually when Bingham is at his best. He doesn’t oversell emotions or try to write huge dramatic lyrics. He keeps things simple and lets the songs do the work.
Honestly, after waiting this long for a new studio album, I was worried this would feel like one of those records where an artist tries too hard to make a statement or a callback to their old self. Instead it feels relaxed in the best possible way. Like he stopped worrying about expectations and just made the kind of record he wanted to make.
It may not end up being his most iconic album, but it’s probably one of his easiest to come back to. The whole thing feels genuine, and that’s a big reason why it works so well.
