Chase Matthew: ‘CHASE’ – Album Review

Chase Matthew releases his third studio album, CHASE, out now, February 21st, on all streaming platforms. Listen to the brand new project here.

With a unique sound and an incredible story, Chase Matthew has quickly become one of Nashville’s fastest rising stars. On his third album, the simply titled CHASE, Matthew continues to perfect his own brand of country music.

For the Nashville native and Warner Music artist, CHASE represents the next logical step in his career, showing his growth as both a singer and songwriter. The album features thirteen new songs, nine of which Matthew wrote or co-wrote. Other writers on the album include some of the genre’s biggest names, including Brock Berryhill, Ashley Gorley, Michael Tyler, Parker Welling, and more.

Throughout CHASE, Matthew samples hip hop beats, rock guitars, country riffs, and radio-ready pop in a way that somehow works perfectly. Much like megastars Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, and Jason Aldean, Chase Matthew has crafted a uniquely single-ready sound.

The album opens with the earwormy “Drives My Truck,” a catchy and roaring ode to a girl who looks even more attractive behind the wheel of his favorite truck. It’s the perfect opening track, immediately grabbing a listener and setting up what’s to come.

“She’s burning that gas, smoking those tires // Setting this old boy’s heart on fire // She gets me just like it, all jacked up // My baby drives me crazy when she drives my truck”

“Waiting On You” and “No Name Roads” follow similar suit, catchy lyrics over radio-ready melodies that are sure to make Matthew a huge star. “Missin’ Me Missin’ You” is also pop-country perfection, finding him committed to being someone’s ex and not turning back to the relationship.

One of the album’s immediate standouts is “Heart Half Empty,” featuring Lauren Alaina. On the gorgeous breakup ballad, the pair channel some of the greatest duets of all time, trading verses over their broken hearts.

“Need you after one too many // Three shots to try forgetting // All the reasons we didn’t work out//  Getting lost in the whiskey cloud//  I’m sure I’ll be back tomorrow // Still drinking about what we used to be //  With a glass half full // But a heart half empty “

Breakups are definitely a prevalent theme on CHASE, weaving through songs like “Backroads of my Mind,” “You Turn,” and “I Don’t Wanna Know.” While the latter is a hip-hop inspired dedication to ignorance being bliss, “Backroads” is a driving and catchy country-rock anthem.

“You’re tearing up the backroads of my mind //  Your memory’s driving me crazy //  And ever since the night we said goodbye //  It’s all I think about baby //  I see you at every turn, every light,  Every inch of outskirt, red dirt, we’d ride // You cross my heart like a county line // You’re tearin’ up the backroads of my mind.”

While Matthew is definitely a superstar on uptempo tracks, his heart and talent are on full display on some of the album’s slower and more introspective moments. “Driving Through My Hometown” is a gorgeous piece of nostalgia that finds the young songwriter traveling through his hometown and musing over the memories there. Likewise, “If I Had Wings” finds him longing for wings to pay a special visit to Heaven.

Likewise, “Sunday Clothes” finds him sitting in a pew, heartbreakingly mourning the unexpected loss of a friend. Lyrically, it’s stunning, evoking images of a young man lost and filled with loss. “Here sitting in a front row pew, Tears raining on these old boots, Suffocating in a collared shirt,  While I’m waiting to carry you out of this church,” He sings. “Man, we shouldn’t be here today, You got me cussing in and out of this place, You’ve been saying this is where I need to go, But Saturdays ain’t made for Sunday clothes.“

The album ends with “No Way Around It,” a driving uptempo about the struggle that comes with trying to move on after a breakup. “If there was a you fix, I woulda found it,” He growls, unable to find closure. “But I’m going through it, cause there ain’t no way around it.“ It’s the perfect bookend to “Drives My Truck,” ending the album on a high note similar to the way it began.

Country Swag Picks:

1. Heart Half Empty featuring Lauren Alaina
2. No Way Around It
3. No Name Roads
4. Drives My Truck

CHASE Tracklist:

1. Drives My Truck (Chase Matthew, Brock Berryhill, Taylor Phillips)
2. Missin’ Me Missin’ You (Chase Matthew, Brock Berryhill, Taylor Phillips, Lydia Vaughan)
3. Heart Half Empty (feat. Lauren Alaina) (Chase Matthew, Austin Shawn, Matt McVaney, Bailey Manns, Noah West, Shaylen Carroll)
4. No Name Roads (Chase Matthew, Casey Brown, Taylor Phillips, Ashley Gorley, Travis Wood)
5. I Don’t Wanna Know (Victor Williams, Fraser Churchill, Danny Majić, Willie Morrison)
6. Fire In Her Eyes (Chase Matthew, Gabe Foust, Graham Barham, Beau Bailey, Jacob Hackworth)
7. Driving Through My Hometown (Jacob Hackworth, Chris Tompkins, Michael Tyler, Blake Bollinger)
8. If I Had Wings (Chase Matthew, Alexander Palmer)
9. You Turn (Chase Matthew, Rotundo, Rose Falcon, Brian Bunn)
10. Waiting On You To Call (Chase Matthew)
11. Backroads Of My Mind (Parker Welling, Casey Brown, Garrett Nichols, Colton Pack, Zach Beeken)
12. Sunday Clothes (Chase Matthew, Taylor Phillips, Josh Phillips, Brock Berryhill, Kim Penz, Rotundo)
13. No Way Around It (Jacob Hackworth, Will Bundy, Michael Tyler)

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Chase Matthew releases.

To keep up with Chase Matthew, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

CHASE is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.