Following a cross country trek on a soul searching journey, Brett Eldredge is back with his highly anticipated and long awaited fifth studio release Sunday Drive, a moving, organic album fitted with the most stripped down, raw tunes that’ll hit every fan in the chest.
After taking the time to reflect on his quest to get back to basics, Eldredge hunkered down near his home town of Paris, Illinois and began a heavily involved writing session. While fans eagerly waited for new music, Eldredge released the first single “Gabrielle” on April 17 – a tenderhearted reflective look on a past relationship whose name and information remains mum. And while the single allowed Eldredge to opened up his heart, Sunday Drive is a window into the singer’s soul.
Released on July 10, Sunday Drive is soulful, rich in sentimentality, and steeped in emotion with a simple production in that some of the tunes are recorded with very few instruments. Take the title track “Sunday Drive,” the only track Eldredge didn’t write but one that’s been in his sights for 10 years. As a piano gently plays with strings softly singing in the background, Eldredge’s vocals are crisp and strong, singing about life as a child on a weekly ride with his parents, only to end with the roles reversed.
Eldredge has always had a soulful, Sinatra-esq sound in his vocals that enables him to sing anything and pull it off. One stand out on a soulful aspect is “Crowd My Mind,” a romantic tune reminiscing of an old love. Again, the small instrumentation, including piano and some steel, perfectly surrounds his vocals creating a perfect picture. Rounding out the soft and subtle standouts, is “The One You Need,” which begins with the sound of a church organ that blends nicely to sweet strumming of a guitar, while touting that if there’s a need, there’s someone out there you can call on.
Although remaining true to this organic nature, Sunday Drive has a few mid tempo numbers like “Good Day,” which centers on positivity in regards to the day ahead and “Magnolia,” a descriptive tune of courtship set to a bluesy number with a bit of drums, piano, and a bit of fiddle.
This 12 track album is a breath of fresh air. Eldredge is back in the game with a well produced, well written album that could be enjoyed in full concert or acoustic show, neither should disappoint.
For more information on Brett Eldredge, visit his website www.bretteldredge.com
SUNDAY DRIVE TRACK LISTING
1. Where the Heart Is – Brett Eldredge, Jessie Jo Dillon, Tyler Johnson
2. The One You Need – Brett Eldredge, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt Rogers
3. Magnolia – Brett Eldredge, Scooter Carusoe
4. Crowd My Mind – Brett Eldredge, Ross Copperman
5. Good Day – Brett Eldredge, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk
6. Fall For Me – Brett Eldredge, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk
7. Sunday Drive – Barry Dean, Don Mescall, Steve Robson
8. When I Die – Brett Eldredge, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk
9. Gabrielle – Brett Eldredge, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk
10. Fix A Heart – Brett Eldredge, Scooter Carusoe
11. Then You Do – Brett Eldredge, Scooter Carusoe
12. Paris Illinois – Brett Eldredge, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk