Leather

by Cody Johnson

Overview

Concentrating on the basics after indulging in the sprawl of Human: The Double Album, Cody Johnson doubles down on the Lone Star State, whiskey, and work boots on Leather, a sturdy and streamlined collection of meat-and-potatoes country. Johnson is sharp enough to nod at the present by inviting nu-country sensation Jelly Roll into the studio, but he also makes way for Brooks & Dunn, whose presence helps underscore how the Texan crooner is rooted in the 1990s. In a sense, Leather is a record that follows the blueprint initially sketched out at the height of arena country: it's melodic, varied, and friendly, so indebted to the needs of a song that Johnson doesn't even attempt to pen a single tune here. His plainspoken vocals seem humble and kind, a quality that gives his ballads a palpable earnestness, yet his true gift is how he seems light and lively when he picks up the tempo. The heart of the record lies in the affable "Work Boots," the slow-grooving "Double Down," and the rollicking barroom rocker "That's Texas," songs that give this straight-ahead country a needed dose of good cheer. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/03/2023
Label:	Warner Music / Warner Nashville
UPC:	0093624853275
Rank:	1115

Tracks

1. Work Boots
2. Double Down
3. Watching My Old Flame
4. That's Texas
5. Dirt Cheap
6. Jesus Loves You
7. Whiskey Bent
8. Leather
9. People in the Back
10. Long Live Country Music
11. The Painter
12. Make Me a Mop

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cody Johnson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Jessi Alexander   Vocals (Background)
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass
Mike Brignardello   Bass
Brooks & Dunn   Vocals
Jerry Roe   Drums
Tim Galloway   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Resonator)
Jenee Fleenor   Fiddle,Strings,Vocals (Background)
Angela Primm   Vocals (Background)
Joanna Janet   Vocals (Background)
Trey Keller   Vocals (Background)
Gary Nichols   Vocals (Background)
Josh Swift   Dobro
Kat Higgins   Vocals (Background)
James Mitchell   Guitar (Electric)
Bobby Hamrick   Vocals (Background)
Joey Pruski   Bass
Justin Ostrander   Guitar (Electric)
Sol Littlefield   Guitar (Electric)
Gale Mayes   Vocals (Background)
Jelly Roll   Vocals
Harrison Yount   Dobro
Jake Mears   Guitar (Electric)
Jody Bartula   Piano,Fiddle
Miles Stone   Drums
Trent Willmon   Vocals (Background)
Jim "Moose" Brown   Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Connie Harrington   Composer
Benjy Davis   Composer
Clint Daniels   Composer
Josh Phillips   Composer
Wade Kirby   Composer
Jelly Roll   Featured Artist,Featured Artist
Jessi Alexander   Composer
Rivers Rutherford   Composer
Brooks & Dunn   Featured Artist
Jack Clarke   Mixing,Recording
Brett Beavers   Composer
Chris Ashburn   Recording Assistant
Andrew Mendelson   Mastering
Adam James   Composer
Jeff Hyde   Composer
Mark Trussell   Composer
Jeremy Spillman   Composer
Kat Higgins   Composer
Scott Johnson   Production Manager,Production Coordination
Wynn Varble   Composer
Mark Holman   Composer
Canaan Smith   Composer
Chris Small   Digital Editing
Wyatt McCubbin   Composer
Andy Sheridan   Composer
Erik Dylan   Composer
Chase McGill   Composer
Mikey Reaves   Composer
Jason Afable   Composer
Devin Dawson   Composer
Ian Munsick   Composer
Michael Hardy   Composer
Austin Taylor Smith   Composer
Rocky Block   Composer
Alan Shamblin   Composer
Ryan Larkins   Composer
Rose Hutcheson   Production Coordination
Phil O'Donnell   Composer
Trent Willmon   Composer,Producer