Eli Young Band: ‘Love Talking’ – Album Review

Eli Young Band’s brand new album, Love Talking, is out now, June 3rd on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

For me, Eli Young Band has always been a bit of a “headphones band.” While they sound great on the radio and even better live, there’s just something magical about the band’s sound when listening to them through a good pair of headphones. It’s there that you can truly hear the ways the band stands out in a sea of sameness, blending uniquely Texas instrumentation and tight harmonies with Mike Eli’s trademark twang.

With its first new album in five years, EYB is back with Love Talking, the follow-up to 2017’s Fingerprints. The sixth studio album features “Love Ain’t,” which first appeared on 2019’s This Is Eli Young Band: Greatest Hits, as well as tracks co-written by the likes of Ashley Gorley, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne, Jimmy Robbins, and Shane McAnally. 

“We really wanted to find the positivity in what we got out of the last two years, so that was one of the main goals for this album,” notes lead singer Eli in a statement. “There was a lot of unknown that was written into some of the music we created during that time, but we all lived it so deeply; we wanted to offer something uplifting with our music.”

On Love Talking, they do just that. The album opens with its breezy title track, a perfect summer single, lyrically putting a twist on the idea of speaking without thinking. “When I let it slip that I // Wanted you for my whole life,” he muses. “And you and me turned into us // That was just the love talking.”

The clearest indicator of the album being a pandemic byproduct is “A Good Thing,” which speaks to love pulling them through the tough times. It can easily be applied to any of life’s trials and tribulations, without being cheesy or too cliche. 

“When it all goes south, it all hits the fan // The sky falls down, that’s a real good chance // To get a little stronger, work a little harder on you and me // Maybe that’s a good thing // When we’ve had about enough, can’t take it anymore // If we don’t give up we’ll be better than before // When life gets rough baby that’s when love’s all you really need // Maybe that’s a good thing.”

One of the album’s clear standouts is “Break Up In a Bar,” co-written by Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, and Hunter Phelps. “Right away, you could just hear the melody in the song from the top and know, ‘okay, this is a special one.’ And the spin – it’s one of those songs lyrically you just wish you would have thought of,” reflects Eli. “We know that that’s always the first rule – if you hear something that you wish you would have thought of, it’s worth that second listen. We just started playing it in our live show, and it’s funny to see the audience because they want to know it so bad… That’s a good sign.”

While breaking up is never easy, there are definitely things to make goodbye a little more palatable, including whiskey, beer, and all the good things found in a bar. “Yeah, girl you know I’m gonna miss you // And the way you felt here in my arms // But when somebody breaks your heart,” Eli sings. “Movin’ on ain’t half as hard // When you break up in a bar.”

While most of the album is the mid-to-up-tempo Texas twang that EYB has become known for, the foursome still shine on the slower songs including “Chances Are” and “Live With It.” On the former, which has a stunning guitar solo, Eli admits that chances are high that he’s missing her too. Yet, while “Chances Are” is about lost love, “Live With It” is about the potential of something new, Eli inviting someone seemingly special into his life. “If you live with it for a minute you might,” he muses. “Wanna live with it for the rest of your life.”

For Eli Young Band, Love Talking was about providing an uplifting collection of new music to fans and it does just that. Give it a listen with your headphones, you’ll thank us later.

Love Talking 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.