Higher

by Chris Stapleton

Overview

On album number five (or four, depending on how you choose to classify the two-volume From a Room), Chris Stapleton has settled into a comfort zone predicated not on burly outlaw machismo but country-soul. Not that Higher doesn't have moments where Stapleton indulges in a bit of bluesy swagger: "White Horse," a lead single co-written with Dan Wilson, is an anthem designed for dusty backroads, while the swampy grind of "South Dakota" seems designed for the dead of night. Still, the heart of Higher resides in stark, intimate ballads and, especially, simmering soul numbers that rely as much on a supple groove as they do on Stapleton's gruff testifying. Indeed, there are moments on the album where Stapleton is in danger of belaboring the point by leaning into his rasp a bit too hard; it feels like he's singing from the gut, not the heart. Still, those passages are balanced by his dexterous phrasing -- he's riding and playing with the rhythms, letting them build and burn. On the numbers that don't rely on an R&B backbeat, Stapleton can seem earnest and candid, particularly since he keeps returning to confessional themes loosely tied together by recovery motifs. Serious subjects all, but Higher doesn't feel heavy, largely thanks to the record's pervasive warmth. Once again working with co-producer Dave Cobb, Stapleton also has his wife Morgane behind the boards in addition to singing harmony and playing keyboards, a tight, familial group of collaborators that gives Higher a relaxed, familiar feel that keeps things buoyant even in its darkest moments. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/10/2023
Label:	Emi / Emi Records / Mercury Nashville
UPC:	0602455073204

Tracks

1. What Am I Gonna Do
2. South Dakota
3. Trust
4. It Takes a Woman
5. The Fire
6. Think I'm in Love With You
7. Loving You on My Mind
8. White Horse
9. Higher
10. The Bottom
11. The Day I Die
12. Crosswind
13. Weight of Your World
14. Mountains of My Mind

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chris Stapleton   Primary Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
David Davidson   Violin
Mary Kathryn Van Osdale   Violin
David Angell   Violin
Dave Cobb   Shaker,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Nylon String),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Sari Reist   Cello
Janet Darnall   Violin
Jenny Bifano   Violin
Austin Hoke   Cello
Kevin Bate   Cello
J.T. Cure   Guitar (Bass)
Derek Mixon   Drums,Bongos,Shaker,Triangle
Paul Franklin   Pedal Steel
Lee Pardini   Piano,Synthesizer
Morgane Stapleton   Tambourine,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Alicia Enstrom   Violin
Jung-Min Shin   Violin
JT Cure   Bass

Technical Credits

Steve McEwan   Composer
Kristin Wilkinson   Arranger,String Arrangements
Carolyn Dawn Johnson   Composer
Ronnie Bowman   Composer
Vance Powell   Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Pete Lyman   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Jerry Salley   Composer
Miranda Lambert   Composer
Clay Hunt   Art Direction,Production Coordination
Dan Wilson   Composer
Dave Cobb   Arranger,Composer,Producer,String Arrangements
Tim James   Composer
Tim Larsson   Composer
Daniel Bacigalupi   Mastering Assistant,Assistant Mastering Engineer
Chris Stapleton   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Art Direction,String Arrangements
Johan Fransson   Composer
Stephen Lamb   Arranger,String Arrangements
J.T. Cure   Composer
Tobias Lundgren   Composer
Derek Mixon   Composer,Production Coordination
Kendell Marvel   Composer
Lee Miller   Composer
Becky Fluke   Photography
Aaron Draplin   Design
Morgane Stapleton   Composer,Producer
Gena Johnson   Editing,Engineer,Recording,Mixing Assistant,Production Coordination
Koehn Terry   Engineer,Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Michael Fahey   Engineer,Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Philip Smith   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
JT Cure   Composer
Zach Peters   Production Coordination