On May 5, 2017, Colt Ford released his sixth studio album Love Hope Faith on his label Average Joes Entertainment, consisting of 13 tracks with appearances by fellow countrymen Brad Paisley, Charles and Josh Kelley, Toby Keith, and Granger Smith. The album offers not only country, but also focuses on Ford’s Country/Rap style.
That style has afforded him a large loyal fan base, opportunities to tour and write songs for some of country’s biggest names, a successful business including Average Joes (containing a clothing line, film/tv division, and a record label), and a nomination for Academy of Country Music Awards Vocal Event of the Year for “Cold Beer” with Jamey Johnson in 2011, as an independent artist.
These successes have allowed Ford to do what he wanted. He sang songs his way which resulted the in opportunity to write/sing songs about what he believes in, life experiences, and Love Hope and Faith. Such visionary accolades can be heard in the album’s first track “Reload.”
Written by Jared Scillonian, Charley Farley, and Austin Jenkes, “Reloaded” focuses on social angst and those who don’t let negativity pull them down, but helps make one stand stronger and move forward. The song features Taylor Ray Holbrook and contains steady drumbeats that add a subtle backdrop to Holbrook’s husky rocker sound singing of not backing down or taking criticism while remaining positive:
Don’t take my kindness for weakness, oh no
Don’t take my silence for ignorance, oh no
So if you’re into stepping over lives, stopping on my way of life
There’s two things you need to know
We don’t retreat, we reload
Ford’s signature raps speak of helping others, standing tall, while respecting others views: Always into giving a helping hand but never take a hand out / shaking hands to sign a deal, that’s what we’re still about.
“Young Americans” (Jared Sciullo, John Purdue, Renee Myers, and Austin Webb) features Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and his brother Josh Kelley singing about small town living, mudding down back roads, and dreaming about the future. With a little steel guitar, Ford’s rapping about teen lives in a small town blends perfectly with the Kelleys’ vocals reminiscing with a little “Free Bird” and “Free Fallin.”
“No Rest,” written by Walker Hayes, Thomas Archer, and Marshall Altman features the soulful vocals from The Voice’s Javier Colon. The anthem-esq tune focuses on dreaming big and not resting until you get there: Aint no rest for the rock star/ ain’t no sleep for the case of guitars/ you can kill the lights and the amplifiers, the dreams don’t care if you’re tired/ ain’t no turning off the warning cuz we are high and we’re haunted by the music in our blood shot hearts cuz there ain’t no rest no rest…for the rock star. Although their genres are different, the Ford’s & Colon’s voices blend beautifully.
Multi-genres cover this album from start to finish all while Ford’s serious rapping is intertwined in each tune, but one thing remains the same…the theme. The album is a shoot from the hip, tell ‘me like it is masterpiece. Each song’s guests add in flare while blending with Ford just enough to compliment his vocals.
Love Hope Faith is now available for download.
Information on Colt Ford can be found on his website: www.coltford.com
Track List
- Reload feat. Taylor Ray Holbrook
- Dynamite feat. Waterloo Revival
- Young Americans feat. Charles & Josh Kelley
- Dirt Road Disco
- 4 Lane Gone
- My Truck feat. Tyler Farr
- Looking for a Handout feat. Brad Paisley
- Time Flies feat. Toby Keith
- No Rest feat Javier Colon
- I’m Mud feat. Lit
- Bad Day feat. Rizzi Myers
- Drunk Girl
- Keeping it Real feat. Granger Smith