Thomas Rhett: ‘Where We Started’ – Album Review

Thomas Rhett gives fans even more new music with his brand new album, Where We Started, out now, April 1st, on all streaming platforms. Check out our full review and listen to the new album below.

For Thomas Rhett, Where We Started, out today, April 1, is the follow up to 2021’s Country Again: Side A. Yet, despite what one would think, Rhett promises that this new collection isn’t Side B. Ahead of the release, we chatted with Rhett to learn about what to expect from the project. Check out 5 things he shared here. 

After writing somewhere between 150 to 200 songs in the last few years, the singer admits that things didn’t go quite as he had originally intended when it came to his new release. Rhett recalls that after going into the studio with Jon Bellion, Jesse Frasure, and Ashley Gorley, things changed as they wrote the title track. “It kinda started becoming a different project,” he admitted in a recent interview. “It started becoming not what I thought Country Again: Side B…not what I wanted it to be.”

Instead, he says, the album became a versatile collection with something for every listener, every mood, and every feeling. There are funky up-tempos, dreamy love songs, and unexpected collaborations. One of those collaborations is with Katy Perry on the LP’s title track, which serves as the album’s closing moment. The beat-laden song is perfect for a pop crossover, as the starry-eyed lovers trade verses about the early days of a relationship at its crossroads.

“Those days when you’re brokenhearted // And you get knocked down and you say you don’t know // How far we’re going to go // Just look at that road // And think about where we started // Keep your eyes on me // ‘Cause talk is cheap // We’re all we need // Darling I know // How far we’re gonna go // Just look about that road // And think about where we started.”

Other collaborations include “Half of Me” with Riley Green, and the previously-released “Death Row,” featuring Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson. The latter was inspired by the trio’s visit to a men’s prison, where they played songs for prisoners on death row. Written by Rhett, Zach Crowell, and Ashley Gorley, the song deals with the trio reflecting on their perspective-altering visit, remarking “I learned a lot about living // From those men out on death row.”

Meanwhile, “Half of Me” is easily one of the collection’s purest country tracks, a simple ode to wanting a cold beer that has hints of early Joe Nichols or Blake Shelton. Of his decision to enlist Green, Rhett admits that the pair have become great friends, and that “he was the perfect dude for the song.” Rhett first began teasing the song out on tour last summer, watch a video below of an early performance of the song.

The album’s opener is the introspective “The Hill,” interestingly the only song on Where We Started that wasn’t co-penned by Rhett. Written by Lori McKenna, Jordan Reynolds, and Emily Weisband, it deals with the proverbial hill that we sometimes choose to die on. Rhett has conviction here, and although he can be stubborn sometimes, he realizes what’s important and that’s the love of his wife. “Not every battle’s worth it // I’ll admit where I’ve gone wrong,” He sings. “But fighting for your love // That’s the hill I want to die on.”

Rhett celebrates the simpler things in life on songs like “Bass Pro Hat,” “Anything Cold,” “Paradise,” and “Slow Down Summer.” “Anything Cold” is the perfect track for hitting the beach this summer, as Rhett doesn’t care what he’s drinking as long as it’s cold with alcohol. Meanwhile, “Slow Down Summer” is an appreciation for summer love and the desire to hold on to it for as long as possible. 

“Church Boots” has hints of “Fancy Like” that make it ripe for a TikTok dance, and a perfect earworm for radio. The click-clack of a track celebrates a pair of boots that are perfect for any occasion. More than just simple footwear, these boots are truly a part of his story. “They’re all scuffed up just like me // Tell a little story ‘bout my history,” he sings. “Go straight from the farm to the bar to the back row pew // Yeah my work boots // Are my church boots.” 

On songs like “Angels,” “Paradise,” “Simple as a Song,” and “Mama’s Front Door,” Rhett celebrates the special love he shares with his wife, Lauren. On “Paradise,” he recalls that being with her is equivalent to paradise, while “Mama’s Front Door” talks about all of the pivotal moments in a relationship that have happened on her mama’s porch. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to ballads, “Angels” is a clear highlight of the album, building through the powerful chorus as Rhett recalls all the mistakes he’s made, wondering how an angel of a woman stayed by his side. “You shoulda slammed the door // Changed the lock //And said, adios to my selfish heart // Tore it apart and left me alone // Don’t know why you were patient // And wasted good savin’ on me // Maybe angels don’t always have wings.” Check out the video below of Rhett performing the swoon-worthy track. 

For Thomas Rhett, Where We Started may not have been the album he originally intended to make, but perhaps, turned out the way it was always meant to. Despite its name, Where We Started is less about where it began, and more about the journey to where it ended up. With a versatile collection of tracks, there truly is something for every listener here. 

Where We Started Tracklist:

1. The Hill
2. Church Boots
3. Bass Pro Hat
4. Anything Cold
5. Angels
6. Half Of Me ft. Riley Green
7. Bring The Bar
8. Paradise
9. Death Row ft. Tyler Hubbard & Russell Dickerson
10. Mama’s Front Door
11. Slow Down Summer
12. Simple As A Song
13. Us Someday
14. Somebody Like Me
15. Where We Started (Thomas Rhett & Katy Perry)

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