The Speed of Now, Vol. 1

by Keith Urban

Overview

As a title, The Speed of Now, Vol. 1 suggests Keith Urban is thoroughly inhabiting the present moment -- a tricky task at any time but one that was particularly fraught in September 2020, when the world was still in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with some unexpected downtime, Urban polished off his sequel to 2018's Graffiti U, completing about a third of the record after the world went into lockdown. Unlike, say, Taylor Swift's folklore, The Speed of Now, Vol. 1 (as of its release, no second volume was planned; shades of Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1), does not feel contemplative or introspective. Even at its slowest moments, it's a bright, cheerful affair, one anchored with lite R&B rhythms and bearing a sunny disposition. All this means that The Speed of Now rarely feels like a country album, at least in the conventional sense. Some of the themes and some of the melodies carry a distinctly country imprint and when Eric Church stops by to sing a couple of verses on "We Were" (added as a bonus track here, directly following Urban's solo version), he sounds welcome but when P!nk duets on "One Too Many," she sounds at home. Urban feels very comfortable navigating the territory that separates pop, country, and soul, happy to emphasize the softer side of each. He winds up with a modern sound -- it's a busy digital production, filled with skittering drum tracks and thick overdubs -- but The Speed of Now, Vol. 1 almost feels old-fashioned in how it turns 2010s sounds into adult contemporary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2020
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602507383220

Tracks

1. Out the Cage
2. One Too Many
3. Live With
4. Superman
5. Change Your Mind
6. Forever
7. Say Something
8. Soul Food
9. Ain't It Like a Woman
10. With You
11. Tumbleweed
12. God Whispered Your Name
13. Polaroid
14. Better Than I Am
15. We Were

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Keith Urban   Primary Artist,Banjo,E-Bow,Guitar,Vocals,Soloist,Keyboards,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),12-String Bass Guitar,Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
P!nk   Primary Artist,Vocals
Eric Church   Primary Artist,Vocals
Nile Rodgers   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guitar (Electric)
Breland   Primary Artist,Vocals,Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Oliver Ciwik   Guitar (Electric)
Benny Christiansen   Bass
Sam Sumser   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Keyboards
Cleo Tighe   Vocals (Background)
Jamareo Artis   Bass
Benni Christiansen   Bass
Ryan Rabin   Bass,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Charlie Judge   Synthesizer
Mich Hansen   Percussion
Sean Small   Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Jonny Fung   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Boy Matthews   Clapping,Vocals (Background)
Nate Cyphert   Vocals (Background)
Jeppe London Bilsby   Keyboards
Alex Wright   Piano,Keyboards,Pedal Steel
Chris August   Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Vocals (Background)
Wendy Melvoin   Bass
Evan Hutchings   Drums
Ilya Toshinsky   Guitar (Acoustic)
Peter Wallevik   Piano,Keyboards
Dave Cohen   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Luke Niccoli   Keyboards,Guitar (Electric)
Matthew Koma   Banjo,Drums,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Benjamin Berger   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Benmont Tench   Piano,Wurlitzer
Jamie Muhoberac   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Jerry Flowers   Vocal Group,Vocals (Background)
Zach Kale   Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Nathan Barlowe   Keyboards,Vocal Group,Vocals (Background)
Lewis Burns   Didjeridu
Scott Quinn   Vocals (Background)
Jaren Johnston   Percussion,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Ryan McMahon   Bass,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Daniel Davidsen   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Eg White   Keyboards,Bass,Drums,Piano
Russell Terrell   Vocals (Background)
Pino Palladino   Bass,Guitar,Bass (Vocal)
Matt Chamberlain   Drums,Percussion
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass,Bass (Vocal)
Mitch Hansen   Percussion
Jerry Roe   Drums,Percussion
Dann Huff   Percussion,Guitar (Electric)
Nathan Chapman   Bass,Bass (Vocal),Guitar (Bass)

Technical Credits

Sam Sumser   Programming,Vocal Producer,Drum Programming,Engineer,Producer,Composer
Josh Ditty   Engineer,Recording,Programming
Eivind Nordland   Editing
Cleo Tighe   Composer
Geoffrey Warburton   Composer
Micah Carter   Composer
Griffen Palmer   Composer
Ryan Rabin   Composer,Recording,Programming
Charlie Judge   Programming
Mich Hansen   Composer
Joey Moi   Mixing,Producer,Programming
Sean Small   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer,Drum Programming
Jeff Hyde   Composer
Brent Cobb   Composer
Zach Kale   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Jonny Fung   Programming
Nate Cyphert   Composer
Megan McInerney   Composer
James McNair   Composer
Celine Svanbaeck   Composer
Jeppe London Bilsby   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Spencer Clarke   Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Sarah Marie Burke   A&R
Michelle Freetly   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Matt Wolach   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Kera Jackson   Art Producer
Joel McKenney   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Daniel Breland   Composer
Ally Gecewicz   Editing,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Rochel Treliving   Design,Art Direction
Zach Kuhlman   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
PhD   Producer
Dan Huff   Producer
Elthon Mendoza   Engineer
Nicolas Weilmann   Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Eg White   Programming,Engineer,Producer,Composer
David Huff   Programming
John Hanes   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing,Engineer
Jeff Balding   Engineer,Recording
Mark Dobson   Engineer,Recording,Digital Editing
Ryan Tyndell   Composer
Russell Graham   Engineer
Peter Wallevik   Composer,Programming
Matthew Bair   Composer,Engineer
Jon Nite   Composer
Luke Niccoli   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Chris Small   Editing
Matthew Koma   Producer
Kam Luchterhand   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Captain Cuts   Engineer,Producer,Recording
Brandyn Burnette   Composer
Benjamin Berger   Composer,Engineer,Recording,Programming
Justin Ebach   Composer
Marco Sonzini   Engineer,Recording
Fransisca Hall   Composer
Rich Costey   Mixing,Engineer
Spike Stent   Mixing
John Shearer   Cover Photo
Jordan Schmidt   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Tremaine "Six7" Williams   Engineer
Steph Jones   Composer
Jamie Muhoberac   Engineer
James Norton   Composer
Mark Trussell   Composer,Programming
Scott Quinn   Composer
Jaren Johnston   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Ryan McMahon   Composer,Engineer,Recording,Programming
Sam Fischer   Composer
Russ Harrington   Photography
Shy Carter   Composer
Scott Johnson   Production Coordination
Randy Merrill   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
P!nk   Duet
Scott Cooke   Editing
James T. Slater   Composer
Daniel Davidsen   Composer,Programming
Chris August   Composer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Ted Jensen   Mastering Engineer
Keith Urban   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Chris Gehringer   Mastering Engineer
Cutfather   Producer
Craig Wiseman   Composer
Joe Baldridge   Engineer
Ed Cherney   Engineer,Recording
Justin Niebank   Mixing,Engineer
Lindy Robbins   Composer
Darin Murphy   Booking
Dann Huff   Producer,Programming
Bobby Pinson   Composer
Eric Church   Composer
Drew Bollman   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Dan McCarroll   Producer,Executive Producer
Neil Mason   Composer
Brendan Dekora   Assistant,Assistant Engineer