There are many reasons why Kenny Chesney is one of country’s modern day greats, most of which have conspired to make ‘Cosmic Hallelujah’ a life-affirming chunk of feelgood music.
This beach-loving Tennessee cowboy always takes a delightfully old school approach to crafting albums, sculpting them around a strong narrative theme. Duly, ‘Cosmic Hallelujah’ begins with Trip Around The Sun’s infectiously upbeat banjo-spring and introduces the record’s core message: cherish all you hold dear and treasure the small moments, because we’re all transitory specks of dust in this uncontrollable, unexplainable universe.
It may not be the most revelatory idea and seems easy for a multi, multi-millionaire to say, but Chesney’s creosote vocals, down home sincerity and spiritual aura sells the beer-glass-half-full philosophy, and heart-on-sleeve emoting, that informs his mixture of modern and traditional country.
That said, where 2014’s ‘The Big Revival’ veered further towards the rockier end of his repertoire, ‘Cosmic Hallelujah’ is a balanced blend of both styles that, as a result, feels like a ‘Best of…’ album.
There are big stadium anthems that ride a sea of rock ‘n’ roll guitars and deliver juicy pop hooks, with both emancipated party song All The Pretty Girls and the fist-pumping Bar At The End Of The World throwing off the shackles to revel in joyous, carefree escapism.
The most uplifting moment, though, is Setting The World On Fire. An exceptional duet with Pink, it was a last minute addition that delayed the record’s release date as Chesney wisely wanted to include it. Capturing the passion of love’s inextinguishable flame, the song’s atmospheric synths recall Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Tunnel of Love’ period and its soaring chorus will be adored by mainstream audiences.
The more vintage country moments are equally relevant to the record’s thematic heartbeat. Coach is a classic Chesney co-write that – like The Boys of Fall - captures his misty-eyed nostalgia for college football, paying tribute to a mentor who shaped his formative years. Some Town Somewhere, meanwhile, finds poetry in our shared everyday experience, while Jesus and Elvis is a sparse confessional about reconvening at a beloved local bar with a bittersweet history. Johnny Cash would have killed to record it.
This wouldn’t be a great country record without a bit of wit, which arrives in the form of Bucket’s juke-jiving honky tonk. Its descending, limbo dancing riff echoes the wordplay of a wonderfully tongue in cheek chorus: ‘I made a bucket list, changed the B to an F.’ That’s carpe diem, Nashville style.
If you’re preaching the value of seizing the day, though, it’s sage to reinforce the notion by offering a counterpoint. Both Noise and Rich and Miserable are surprising lyrical moments that show another side of Chesney. The former observes meaningful connections being swept away by technology and the speed of this modern world, while the latter is uncharacteristically dark as it bemoans a goal-obsessed, selfish society that has suffocated the American dream.
‘Comic Hallelujah’ is a wonderfully warm sounding, all-killer-no-filler effort that’s as vital and energised as anything Chesney has done. When the dust settles, it may go down as his finest album to date thanks to the stylistic diversity and lyrical light and shade woven into its fabric.
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