Elle King ‘Come Get Your Wife’ – Album Review

Elle King’s new album, Come Get Your Wife is out now, January 27th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

“I was born a little wrong, but that’s alright,” Elle King sings unapologetically on “Bonafide,” a track off her debut country album, Come Get Your Wife. Although the project marks her third full-length record, it’s the first where she feels truly herself, exploring the banjo-picking, rural-Ohio-loving side of her over-the-top personality.

While the accomplished singer-songwriter achieved success and accolades for her previous offerings, including GRAMMY nominations in the rock category, she admits that it wasn’t until she duetted with Dierks Bentley in 2016 that she felt she had truly found her way. While her first duet with Bentley, “Different for Girls,” scored a CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year in 2017, it took until today for the singer to release her debut country project.

Come Get Your Wife features thirteen tracks, eight of which were co-written by the woman with superstar parents, comedian Rob Schneider and model London King. She also served as co-producer on the rootsy offering, joining forces with songwriter Ross Copperman to put together an album that truly introduces the world to Elle King.

From the opening strains of “Ohio” through the tongue-in-cheek “Bonafide” to the Tyler Childers’ cover of “Jersey Giant,” it’s clear that this ain’t a pop country debut, but instead a dig-in-your heels-and-get-in-the-dirt country album of the best kind.

There are more hits than misses on Come Get Your Wife, including duets with country superstars, Miranda Lambert on “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” and another offering with Bentley. On the latter, aptly titled “Worth a Shot,” the pair are a couple at odds, struggling to stay together, and seemingly desperate to reconnect. “Don’t know if the whiskey can fix it or not,” The pair harmonize. “But baby it’s worth a shot.”

“Before You Love Me” is another standout, a gritty rocker of a track, where King revels in the woman she was before she met her partner, and the fact that he just may not have been thrilled with who she used to be.

“I was a train wreck, hot mess // Too many cigarettes // Bangin’ with some drug store lipstick // I was a weeknight drinker // Karaoke singer // Top of every preacher’s prayer list // The way I used to be I can guarantee // Two weeks in, you would’ve left me // Looking at the old me // Anything but holy // Glad you didn’t know // Before you met me”

Throughout the album, King’s devil may care attitude is on full display, as she twangs her way through the tracks like “Tulsa,” the twangy “Crawin’ Mood,” the stomping “Blacked Out,” and the endlessly amusing “Out Yonder,” which deals with the gossip mills that exist in small town USA.

While the album is full of stand-out moments, a few shine through on early listens, including “Before You Met Me,” “Try Jesus,” “Lucky,” and the album’s final track, “Love Go By.” Both “Jesus” and “Love” include a Gospel-tinged revival flair, even enlisting a choir on the latter, which closes the album on a powerful note, the singer-songwriter’s voice echoing with emotion and the haunting choir riffs.

Likewise, “Lucky” finds her at her most vulnerable and introspective on the song inspired by her young son and the outlook he brought to her life. “My son Lucky is this beautiful ball of light and energy,” said King. “Parenthood will bring you to your knees, but it has made me grow in gratitude and empathy.”

“There’s something about how you put the pieces together,” King says of her newest release, which may have doubters changing their tunes. “This whole album is a crazy quilt of all sorts of moments and things that might not seem to go together, but because they’re me, they do.”

While Elle King may not fit into a stereotypical mold or seem like just another crossover act, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, on Come Get Your Wife, she’s country at its finest.

Come Get Your Wife Track List: