Russell Dickerson ‘Famous Back Home’ – Album Review

Russell Dickerson’s new project, Famous Back Home is out now, August 22nd on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

On his fourth studio album, Famous Back Home, Russell Dickerson continues to do what he does best: blend buoyant country pop with romantic swooning ballads. The 12 track collection includes 10 songs co-written by the Tennessee native, along with Nashville’s biggest names including Josh Kerr, Chase McGill, Parker Welling, and more.

“To go from ‘Yours’ to where we are now—it’s opened up a whole new side of me and my personality,” says the Triple Tigers artist. “What you see on stage is directly connected to these songs. This is who I am.” 

Nowhere is that more evident than on the album’s titular track, which finds him lost in the realization that the best moments in life happen at home, and not on stage. “Growing up in a small town, I had this idea ‘I’m going to make it out of here. I’m going to make it big. Everybody is going to know my name,’” shares Dickerson. “But then you have a family and it’s like, ‘Actually, all I want to do is be famous at home.’  The further down this road I get, the more I realize the only thing that matters is my family.”

Dickerson leans into the kind of driving uptempos he’s known for, like the previously released “Happen to Me.” Then there’s ‘Sippin’ On Top of the World,’ a rousing anthem that celebrates life’s simple things.” Meanwhile, “Love That I Love You” is a staccato and rhythmic track that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Jonas Brothers album, in the best way.

“And it’s funny to look around—there’s a lot of whiskey and darkness in today’s country music, and honestly, I’m just not that guy. People come to me to be lifted up, to have some happiness dropped into their life and I like being that guy.”  

“Sunrise in a Silverado” is a warm, Laurel Canyon-esque breezer that allows Dickerson to flex his voice, while “For a Truck” is your less-than-typical truck song. Here, he’s trading his savings for a ring instead of the truck that he had planned for, choosing one special lady over the four wheels he’s been eyeing. “There I was,” he muses, “Thought I was just, saving up for a truck.”

Dickerson’s love for his influences runs through the album. There’s a wink to “Dust on the Bottle” in the nostalgic opener “Dust,” playful name-drops of Travis Tritt and Crazytown in “Worth Your Wild,” and perhaps most notably, “Heard It In a Country Song,” where he strings together wisdom borrowed straight from country classics.

“So if I get a little loud, drinking Tennessee whiskey // Take starry nights over lights in the city //  Get a little proud of this little bitty town that I call home //  There’s a three chord truth on an FM station // And a neon jukebox you could probably blame it on // Yeah, I heard it in a country song”

“Never Leave,” “16 Me,” and “Bones” show off his more introspective side, with “Leave” a sparse and vulnerable plea of desperation that features harmonies from Vince GIll, while “16 Me” reads like an encouraging letter to his younger self. Likewise, “Bones” has him promising eternal love to someone, outlasting even his lifetime.

“I’ll love ya till the stars above you // Ain’t shining in the sky no more //  Long as I’m livin’, baby, I ain’t quittin’ // That’s a love you can bet your life on // Yeah, I’ll love ya till I’m six feet down in the ground // And the gold on my finger’s wrapped around // Nothin’ but bones”

When it comes to Famous Back Home, Dickerson is truly at his best. “I’ve hit a point in my career where I’ve got the confidence to do what feels right to me,” he says. “No more following the rules, no more fitting in a box. And I’m going to make music that’s nothing like what I’ve done before.”  

Here, he doesn’t just stick to the formula that made him a star. Instead, he refines it, stretches it, and proves there’s more depth beneath the feel-good anthems. 

Famous Back Home Track List: