Lead single "How Can You Love Him (You Don't Even Like Him)" kicks things off on the country side, and Willy Braun's penchant for witty, backhanded lyrics takes center stage on this funny but oh-so-relatable song. Most of us have been there before, either with a friend who won't remove the rose-colored glasses or with a romantic interest that simply isn't going to pan out (and we all seem to need to learn the hard way). Call it what you will, but "How Can You Love Him (You Don't Even Like Him)" is certainly representative of human experience, and that is something that has always made Reckless Kelly stand out among similar artists.
On the rock side of things, Sunset Motel features two very important protest songs in "Radio" and "Volcano." The former is Reckless Kelly laying waste to the way Nashville neuters artistic integrity in order to produce their precious pop stars. "You gotta get on the radio/It doesn't take a lot of talent, but nobody knows" Braun sings during the second chorus. Protest songs over the state of modern mainstream country aren't exactly unprecedented, but I thought Reckless Kelly's perspective on the matter was quite interesting. On the other side of things, "Volcano" is an environmental protest song. "Well, we can't save the whales/we've got some bigger fish to fry/Can't waste no money growing trees/With this election to buy," says it all. It's Reckless Kelly's way of telling us to start focusing on the right things.
Once listeners digest the surprises on Sunset Motel, they'll be happy to find songs that fit right into the band's wheelhouse. "Sad Songs About You" could have come from any Reckless Kelly album and is just as cuttingly emotional as standards like "Wicked Twisted Road." Willy Braun has always displayed an ability to convey complex emotions with simple, witty lyrics that, for lack of a better description, tell it like it is. "I don't know why I write all these sad songs about you/'Cause I'll have to sing 'em somehow, for the rest of my life/I don't know why I write all these sad songs about you/I guess they just hurt a lot less than another goodbye," Braun sings during the chorus, describing an all-too-real feeling for anybody who's had to stop themselves from revisiting a relationship that just doesn't work.
Other highlights include "One More One Last Time" and "Forever Today." Like many artists, Reckless Kelly are at their best when they tone it down and let the lyrics take center stage. Overall, Sunset Motel is another great addition to Reckless Kelly's discography, and has plenty of important things to say. 9/10
Standout Tracks:
"How Can You Love Him (You Don't Even Like Him)"
"Sunset Motel"
"One More One Last Time"
"Forever Today"
"Volcano"
"Sad Songs About You"
Once listeners digest the surprises on Sunset Motel, they'll be happy to find songs that fit right into the band's wheelhouse. "Sad Songs About You" could have come from any Reckless Kelly album and is just as cuttingly emotional as standards like "Wicked Twisted Road." Willy Braun has always displayed an ability to convey complex emotions with simple, witty lyrics that, for lack of a better description, tell it like it is. "I don't know why I write all these sad songs about you/'Cause I'll have to sing 'em somehow, for the rest of my life/I don't know why I write all these sad songs about you/I guess they just hurt a lot less than another goodbye," Braun sings during the chorus, describing an all-too-real feeling for anybody who's had to stop themselves from revisiting a relationship that just doesn't work.
Other highlights include "One More One Last Time" and "Forever Today." Like many artists, Reckless Kelly are at their best when they tone it down and let the lyrics take center stage. Overall, Sunset Motel is another great addition to Reckless Kelly's discography, and has plenty of important things to say. 9/10
Standout Tracks:
"How Can You Love Him (You Don't Even Like Him)"
"Sunset Motel"
"One More One Last Time"
"Forever Today"
"Volcano"
"Sad Songs About You"
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