Tim Montana: ‘Reno’ – EP Review

Tim Montana’s brand new EP, Reno, is out now, May 6th on all streaming platforms. Listen to the brand new music below and check out our full review.

For country rocker Tim Montana, his new EP, Reno, is something he’s truly proud of. “When I die, this will be the music I’ll be most proud of making,” he says. “We lit the rule book on fire and just went for it, focusing on creating music that was true to me— and that’s exactly what you’re getting—pure Tim Montana.”

With the six track collection, the gravel-voiced Montana is authentically himself. On the follow up to his 2021 major label debut, Long Shots, the singer-songwriter flexes his musical muscles while remaining true to his roots. The EP combines the guitar-driven country rock stylings that Montana is known for with more experimental rap and hip hop sounds, as well as a delightful duet with Colbie Caillat.

The duet is one of the collection’s finest moments, the pair trading verses on “Real Good People,” which shows off Montana’s softer side. On the breezy collab, Caillat is the perfect compliment, her twangy angelic voice supporting the grit and gravel of her counterpart. They’re both walking contradictions, musing about the fact that, “We love to get drunk // But we show up at church // Raised on 4-letter words // But we’re salt of the Earth.” 

For the Montana native, “A Guy Like Me” may be the truest representation of the singer as he growls through the driving declaration of who he is. Over heavy guitars, the singer is no holds barred, his rock side on full display. “I’m a fist full of bourbon// A freight train smokin’ // Ain’t slowing down // ‘Til the pine box closes // When hell needs raising // I’ma raising up whiskey // That’s what you get with a guy like me.”

He shows his softer side on “Stoned On You,” a love song that finds him admitting that he may be out drinking, but he’d prefer to be home “getting stoned on you.” Meanwhile, the EP’s opening track shows him dabbling with a more hip-hop sound. Here, he proclaims that he’s living his “American dream,” even if it looks a little different than one might expect.

On the EP’s title track, he finds himself alone, and at the end of his rope, in Reno. Over harmonica and guitar, he reflects on a life that’s different than what he expected. “I just wanna be lonely all alone // Messed up in Reno // Trashed in this casino // Living my life like a roll of the dice // Running on empty with nobody with me // If I’m all in tonight // And I play my cards right // I’ll be messed up in Reno.”

The EP’s final track, “California Love,” features frequent collaborator, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons as well as Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum. The song is an unexpected mix of hip-hop, rap, and rock, punctuated with a catchy chorus, as Montana revels in the fact that “California knows how to party.”

As unexpected as “California Love” may be, it also may be the best representative of Tim Montana. You may think you know what you’re getting here, but you have no idea, and that’s a good thing.

Reno Tracklist:

  1. “American Dream” – (Tim Montana, Adam Sanders, Micah Wilshire)
  2. “Guy Like Me” – (Tim Montana, Erik Dylan, Rob Snyder, Micah Wilshire)
  3. “Reno” – (Tim Montana, Jessica Cayne, Micah Wilshire)
  4. “Stoned On You” – (Tim Montana, Jeremy Bussey, Mike Florentino)
  5. “Real Good People (feat. Colbie Caillat)” – (Tim Montana, Jessica Cayne, Tina Parol, Micah Wilshire)
  6. “California Love (feat. Billy F Gibbons and Matt Sorum)” – (Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman, Ronnie Hudson, Mikel Hooks, Chris Stainton, Joe Cocker)
tim-montana-reno-ep

Tim Montana’s new EP, ‘Reno’ is out now.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Tim Montana releases.

In support of Koe Wetzel, Tim Montana will take the stage at New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom on May 11. Tickets are available here.

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Reno EP is now 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.