Brantley Gilbert: ‘Tattoos’ – Album Review

Brantley Gilbert’s new album, Tattoos is out now, September 13th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

Known for his unique rasp, bad-boy-meets-balladeer image and righteous redneck swagger, Brantley Gilbert is taking it back to the basics on his new album, Tattoos, out now. Featuring ten new tracks, all of which he co-wrote, the album shows the Georgia native stripping himself bare to reveal everything that he stands for.

“All my albums, they capture a chapter of my life,” Gilbert explained in a statement. “If somebody wants to know who I am, what I’ve been through and where I stand, they can start at the beginning and listen through, and that’s why it was undeniable that Tattoos should be the title – because my tattoos do the same thing.”

Featuring Gilbert shirtless and on full display, the album cover is eye-catching yet mysterious, the music found within capturing that same vibe. Throughout the collection, Gilbert explores various tropes of the country genre, dabbling in patriotism, faith, drinking, small towns, and the merits of hard work. Yet, he avoids being trite as he meshes driving guitars, hip-hop-laced verses, and powerful duets to tell a carefully crafted story.

The album opens with a one-two punch of collaborations, kicking off with the roaring “Dirty Money,” featuring Justin Moore. Sonically, it’s an immediate ear-grabber, a growling celebration of the value of getting your hands dirty in the name of sweat equity. “I was like, man, we’re just going to let the guns loose on this one,” Gilbert says of the track. “Let all the dogs off the leashes and get after it.”

“Over When We’re Sober” is a clear standout of the Valory Music artist’s LP, finding Gilbert trading mournful verses with Ashley Cooke. The singers grapple with a toxic relationship on the power ballad, finding them falling into old habits when they’re under the influence, while realizing the truth the next morning. “They say it’s over when it’s over, but they don’t know us,” They heart-achingly harmonize. “It’s only over when we’re sober.”

Other collabs on the album span the gamut, ranging from the immediately recognizable falsetto of Rascal Flatts’ frontman, Gary Levox, on “God Isn’t Country” to the lesser known hip hop stylings of Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones on “Me and My House.” Both songs tackle similar themes with the LeVox duet celebrating the evidence of a higher power, while “Me and My House” is a statement of traditional values and patriotism.

“A lot of times I see folks trying to pull me into a political battle, but this song is not political at all, and it’s not preachy,” Gilbert says. “I believe that all of us are the kings and queens of our own castle, and I would never in a million years tell somebody how to run their home. It’s just about sharing how we run ours, what home is to us. I think it’s a song people won’t just relate to, I think it’s a song we need.”

The album’s title track is another standout, a slow burn that tells Gilbert’s story through his body art. “I knew I had one that really captured who I am,” he shares. “It doesn’t sound like anything else you’ve heard before, and it really gives you the long and short of my life, which is what my tattoos do.”

“My body is a temple // But my temple is a canvas // These ain’t just some tattoos // This is who I am // This is what I’ve been through // This is where I stand // This is where I came from, what I fight for, what I love // What made a man out of that old boy that I was // And I ain’t going back to, I didn’t get ‘em ‘cause I had to // These ain’t just some tattoos”

“Gone By Now” is a prayer of thanksgiving for his wife, Amber, a romantic and powerful ballad that finds him in celebration of her virtues and fidelity. “If I was you, I would’ve been gone by now,” He admits. “It takes a special kind of woman to put up with a boy like me.”

Both “Off the Rails” and “The Hell That Raised Us” are classic Gilbert hellraisers, singalong vocals mixed with riffing guitars in an anthemic manner. Meanwhile, “Out Here” and “Miss These Towns” are celebrations of small town life, with the former lifting up the lifestyle of getting off the grid. Finally, “Miss These Towns” closes the album on a poignant note, inviting listeners to enjoy the moment. On the sparse and nostalgic piano ballad, he waxes poetic about the decline and replacement of small town USA, including the one in which he was raised.

For Brantley Gilbert, the album represents where he’s been, who he is, and what he’s overcome.  “People get ’em for a lot of reasons, but for most of us, tattoos talk about our victories and losses, our struggles and the whole nine,” he says of his body art. “I was one of those kids who had to learn the hard way. But if I would’ve listened to the advice of others, I don’t know I would have ended up where I’m at.” 

Tattoos Track List: