Craig Morgan: ‘Enlisted’ – EP Review

Craig Morgan shares his new EP, Enlisted, out now, October 20th, on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new music below.

For U.S. Army Veteran, Craig Morgan, the word enlisted holds a lot of meanings. However, in the context of his new EP, out now, it has to do with the famous friends he enlisted to join him on his new project. On the six song project, simply titled Enlisted, Morgan has re-recorded four of his biggest hits and added two new songs along with famous friends like Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Gary LeVox, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, and Lainey Wilson.

“Making this record has been so much fun because I got to get in the studio with some of my friends and also re-create some of my catalog in a way that feels like brand-new music,” shared the Broken Bow Records artist.

The new tracks on the EP include its anthemic opener, “Raise the Bar,” which pairs him with Combs and its closing song with Adkins, “This Ain’t Gonna Be Me.” On the single-ready “Raise the Bar,” the pair trade vocals about a stop at a local bar to raise a toast to the hard-working men and women of the country. Meanwhile, “This Ain’t Gonna Be Me” allows Morgan to proclaim his values and what’s important to him. “For me, it’s about God and family and country,” Morgan says. “I am so blessed, and I recognize the blessings of the freedoms we celebrate in this nation.”   

The reimagined tracks are just as special, with an especially poignant moment taking place on the new version of “Almost Home,” which pairs Morgan with the golden-voiced Jelly Roll. For Jelly, the song provided a beacon of hope when he was incarcerated and inspired his artistry. “This song is full circle for me. It’s about situations you are sometimes in that you just mentally want to be somewhere else — ‘Almost Home’ — it’s something that I listened to in jail,” he shares. “Me and my cellmates could really relate to it. When I got out, I spent what little money I had and went to see Craig Morgan at the Grand Ole Opry and cried when he sang it.”    

Morgan’s duet with LeVox is another standout moment, as the pair take the classic, “That’s What I Love About Sunday” to new heights. Together, Morgan’s powerful baritone perfectly compliments LeVox’s falsetto and they turn the well-known track into a stunning, Gospel-tinged track that’s sure to induce chills as it’s mixed with “Amazing Grace.”

Shelton joins his longtime friend on an almost tropical version of “Redneck Yacht Club,” for which he appeared in the original video back in 2005. “Craig and I have been friends for many years. I’m a fan of his music and admire him as a human,” shares Shelton. “After all of these years, I still don’t understand why he still feels the need to wear that toupee, but I’m thrilled he asked me to sing with him on ‘Redneck Yacht Club.’”  

Lainey Wilson is the sole female duet partner on the album, adding her gorgeous vocals to “International Harvester,” a song she grew up on. “It’s an absolute honor to be a part of this record,” she admits. “I remember the first time I ever heard ‘International Harvester’ and the feeling I got knowing that there was music being written that felt like it was made just for me. I come from a family of farmers, so it’s really a full circle moment to be on this track alongside my good friend Craig.”  

With a mix of old and new, Craig Morgan continues to shine on his new EP, and we’re so grateful.

Enlisted Tracklist:

1. Raise The Bar ft. Luke Combs
2. Almost Home ft. Jelly Roll
3. Redneck Yacht Club ft. Blake Shelton
4. That’s What I Love About Sunday ft. Gary LeVox
5. International Harvester ft. Lainey Wilson
6. That Ain’t Gonna Be Me ft. Trace Adkins

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