John Morgan: ‘Remember Us?’ – Debut EP Review

John Morgan releases his brand new debut EP, Remember Us?, out now on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new project here.

For BBR Music Group recording artist and acclaimed songwriter John Morgan, Remember Us? marks his debut EP as an artist. Featuring six new songs co-written by Morgan, the collection features a wide range of anthemic country and heartbreak tunes.

The North Carolina native is best known for writing Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s chart-topping duet, “If I Didn’t Love You,” and partnered with Aldean and his bandmates Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy to co-write and co-produce select tracks. Other contributors on the project include Rodney Clawson, Will Bundy, Justin Wilson, Ben Hayslip, and David Lee Murphy, but at the end of the day, it’s pure Morgan.

“I’m proud to put out this project, so people can really see what I’ve been doing the last couple of years,” says Morgan in a statement. “I haven’t just been writing songs for other people. I hope they see the time that’s put into the details. A lot of these songs are two or three years old. They’ve stood the test of time and are still some of my favorites. They are special to me in different ways. I hope the EP really gives people an opportunity to see me establishing myself as an artist and not just a songwriter. These songs are true to me, and I hope people connect with them.”

Heartbreak and longing are common themes on Remember Us?, weaving their way through the nostalgic title track, as well as songs like “Cold Summer in San Antone” and “Ain’t the Leaving.” “Remember Us” finds him forgetting the bad and reminiscing about only the good parts of a past love, as he’s a man “stuck here in the could’ve been, caught up in the used to be.” 

“Cold Summer in San Antone” is an immediate standout, a stirring country ballad that finds him dealing with the ice around a broken heart.

“It’s been a cold summer in San Antone // Well, that Texas sun don’t even feel like it’s on // It’s a hundred and somethin’, damn near record high //  But it’s minus one in this bedroom tonight // I wonder if she even knows // That it’s been a cold, cold summer in San Antone”

Meanwhile, “Ain’t the Leaving” may also be about a broken relationship, but it’s a blistering and stadium-ready anthem that finds him grappling with goodbye. “It ain’t the goodbye, it ain’t two taillights that keep me up all night, with a half empty glass, girl it’s the knowing, you won’t stop going, it’s starting to sink in,” He proclaims. “It ain’t the leaving, it’s the not coming back.”

Clever lyrics are commonplace on Remember Us?, especially noticeable on “Friends Like That” and “Won’t Be As Good.” The latter is a gritty and almost swampy stomp about how someone special makes life a whole lot better, while “Friends Like That” finds him seeking solace in friends like Willie and Jack.

“I’m doing alright for the shape I’m in //  Sitting by a fire with some damn good friends //  Willie on my left, Jack on my right //  Blowin’ that smoke on a Friday night // Waylon turned up on the JBL //  Girl, you probably think I’m going through hell //  But I don’t care, if you never come back  ‘Cause who needs you when I got friends like that”

The final song on the EP is “Ain’t Been There Yet,” starting with a Sam Hunt-esque spoken word intro that segues into a full out mid-tempo country tune as Morgan looks for somewhere to forget an ex. “There’s gotta be somewhere I can go…Where I can just go to forget, Wherever it is, I ain’t been there yet.”

For John Morgan, Remember Us? may mark his debut EP, but it’s certainly one that won’t be forgotten.

Remember Us? EP Tracklist:

1. Won’t Be As Good (John Morgan, Will Bundy, Rodney Clawson, Justin Wilson)
2. Remember Us (John Morgan, Kyle Fishman, Rodney Clawson, Justin Wilson)
3. Friends Like That (John Morgan, Brent Anderson, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)
4. Cold Summer In San Antone (John Morgan, Ben Hayslip, Will Bundy)
5. It Ain’t the Leavin’ (John Morgan, Kyle Fishman, Casey Beathard, Josh Thompson, Rocky Block)
6. Ain’t Been There Yet (John Morgan, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, David Lee Murphy)

Country Swag Picks:

1. Cold Summer in San Antone
2. Won’t Be As Good
3. Friends Like That

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