Luke Bryan: ‘Mind of a Country Boy’ – Album Review

Luke Bryan’s new album, Mind of a Country Boy is out now, September 27th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

There’s just something comfortable and familiar about Luke Bryan. Whether he’s singing about how “Rain is a Good Thing,” asking someone to “Play It Again,” or letting us know that “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” his voice and style are immediately recognizable. Now, seventeen years into his storied career, the Georgia native is back with his newest album, Mind Of a Country Boy.

The fourteen track collection marks his first full-length LP since 2020’s Born Here Live Here Die Here, and truly finds him returning to his roots. Produced by the father-son team of Jeff and Jody Stevens, the album also includes tracks from frequent collaborators including Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Rodney Clawson, Ben Hayslip, and more.

“I’ve been able to take my time and really compile songs,” Bryan says of the new release. “If it’s a song that I cut two or three years ago, and I still love it, and it still sounds fresh, then I feel like it’ll stand the test of time. I think this album, as I’ve tried to do with all my albums, has a little bit of everything.” 

While the album does find the hitmaker exploring a range of songs and emotions, it’s truly Luke Bryan at his finest. On Mind of a Country Boy, the superstar is both bigger than life yet approachable, down to earth yet extraordinary, and remorseful yet romantic.

Opening with the twangy, banjo-laden title track, the Georgia native immediately launches into a catchy mid tempo celebration of all of the great sides of country living. “There are a lot of references in there that your common person might be like, ‘What’s he talking about,” Bryan says of the song. “I think when I can start talking about these really specific phrases and references in the song, it validates me being a country boy…It sounds like truly what goes on in the mind of a country boy.”  

Similarly, songs like “But I Got a Beer In My Hand” and “Country On” are pure Bryan. While “County On” marks his 30th #1 hit, finds him raising a glass to patriotism, hometowns, and the blue collar workers that are the backbone of society, “Beer in My Hand” also finds him raising a glass, this time to a liquid mood enhancer that can’t be dulled.

“But I got a beer in my hand, and I got it raised up high // I ain’t got a give in my damn right, I can do this all night // Country done came to town, this town don’t stand a chance // I’ll holler at the ladies, dancin’ like crazy, new Luccheses, fresh up out the deer stand // Feelin’ this high, wasn’t part of my plan // Wasn’t even gonna try // But I got a beer in my hand”

While he can party with the best of them, Bryan has always set himself apart on ballads, as is the case with the stunning “Kansas,” which finds him pledging to make all of a woman’s dreams come true.  “I don’t know what love is, don’t understand it,” He admits. “But if it’s a wheat field, I’ll give you Kansas.”

Meanwhile, “Love You Miss You Mean It” has become one of the biggest songs of his career, mixing powerhouse vocals with personal connection. “This one feels like one of the bigger up-tempo things I’ve had,” he reveals. “I look back on my career of 30 No. 1 songs, and I know that not every song is everyone’s favorite. As an artist, I think you have got to try new things and veer off the common path. Then you go back to the roots and what got you there, and I certainly think ‘Love You, Miss You, Mean It’ is a classic song for me my fans respond to.”  

The country superstar shines in his vulnerability, embracing it on tracks like “Pair of Boots” and the album’s final track, “Jesus ‘Bout My Kids.” On the former, which is the quintessential country ballad, he embraces fatherhood and the impact that a simple pair of cowboy boots can have on a young man, while the latter is a gorgeous and prayerful love letter that finds him pleading with God to protect his children as they grow and move on. “I used to talk to my kids about Jesus, The same way that my mom and daddy did,” He sings, voice laced with emotion. “I used to talk to my kids about Jesus, Now I talk to Jesus ‘bout my kids.”

“Slow and Southern” provides a moment of clever lyrical-to-melodic juxtaposition, as he desires to slow things down over driving guitars and a roaring uptempo. Likewise, “I’m On a Tractor” returns him to his roots, finding him alone with God as he overlooks the field from a unique vantage point.

“Country Song Came On,” “She’s Still Got It” and “Closing Time in California” allow Bryan to stretch himself vocally and sonically, with “Closing Time” finding him sliding into his rarely utilized falsetto as he implores someone to come back or let him go. Likewise, “For the Kids” is a heartbreaking reminder of the changes that often come in relationships as a couple grapples with the desperation of reaching a pivotal point in their relationship.

“For the kids I go to work // You stay at home // Do what we do just to get through and watch them grow // We fill this house with love // But somehow lose it between us // We swore we’d never end up like this // Married for the kids“

“I think as you grow older and mature, subject matters change, and things that you can sing about change,” Bryan says of the fourteen track collection. “But the love of trying to find the right song and a song that moves people is still at the forefront of what I want to do as an artist. It’s trying not to be overly redundant with songs. I think that’s why I’ve been blessed to have a long career and what I feel like this album’s going to do.” 

With a goal of moving people with his music, Luke Bryan carefully curated the tracks on Mind Of a Country Boy, and with songs like “Kansas,” “Closing Time in California,” and “For the Kids,” it’s easy to declare that musical mission accomplished.

Mind of a Country Boy Track List: