Album Review – Cody Johnson’s “Leather (Deluxe Edition)”

#510 (Traditional Country) and some #530.2 (Country Pop) on the Country DDS

It’s not entirely intuitive why 13 new tracks from Cody Johnson are being released as part of a “deluxe edition” to his 12-song album Leather from 2023 as opposed to an autonomous new release. Certainly someone smarter about these things than the rest of us feels this is the more advantageous avenue, perhaps hoping to sell the same songs twice to some people. But the upshot is that it’s new Cody Johnson music, and it’s worthy of more than the passing glance of a few bonus tracks.

Just like the original Leather album, Cody Johnson does a devil of a job selecting strong songwriting material and performing it with passion. Producer Trent Willmon puts forth an admirable effort taking different approaches to each individual song to make the experience interesting throughout. And most importantly, the 2nd half of Leather is a solid country music release into the mainstream market, maintaining Cody Johnson as one of the most traditional and reliable performers in that universe.

Leather (Deluxe Edition) comes with ample ’90s-influenced traditional country songs that sit right with your sensibilities, including the opening song “Overdue,” the up-tempo and enjoyable “Damn Good Life,” and the tried-and-true “Take It Like a Man.” There’s a bluegrass track in “Georgia Peaches.” There a totally acoustic song in “Over Missin’ You.” There’s a bluesy tune with “Country Boy Singin’ The Blues.” And the entire time, Cody exudes confidence in showcasing this variety of sounds that all still fit snugly under the “country” umbrella.

There are also a few country pop moments, which should be expected. Cody’s duet with Carrie Underwood on “I’m Gonna Love You” has already become a radio smash, and not one traditional fans will tune out if it comes on. “C’mon Cowgirl” fits into the common “girl dad” theme that’s a hot commodity these days, but steers clear of the most obvious clichés of the subject. Similarly, “Made in the USA” could’ve turned cringe real quick, but avoids the well-worn grooves of most pro-America material.

One song whose writing and arrangement stands out is the second one on the album, “The Fall.” Similar to his first #1 hit “‘Til You Can’t,” you could see Johnson making a timeless anthem out of this one. It’s Johnson’s knack of taking simple, but powerful sentiments, and driving them home with impassioned performances that have put him near the top in country music.

Something that distinctly separates this second installment of Leather songs from the first one is the participation of Cody Johnson himself as a songwriter. The first dozen songs didn’t feature even one Johnson co-write. Though this isn’t essential for a country project—and people love to point out how many albums from Cody’s mentor George Strait are similar—it’s always nice to see at least some participation in the songwriting credits by the performer.

On Leather (Deluxe Edition), Cody Johnson has three co-writes, which happens to include the final song “The Mustang” that he co-wrote with Wes Bayliss of The Steel Woods. Though this might be more symbolic than substantive, it does help sell you on the idea that Johnson is more personally invested in the songs and stories. Another notable songwriting contributor is Jake Worthington on the opening song “Overdue.”

For some listeners, there might be an “always, good, never great” aspect to this Cody Johnson album, similar to all of his albums. The super clean, nearing processed-sounding vocals might also be a distraction. But Cody’s consistency isn’t something to sneeze at. Another way to look at his music could be “always good, never bad.” In an environment where the temptation is to release that big radio single, Johnson has resisted, and you see that with his continued struggles on the format. He only has two #1s in his career so far.

But what Cody also has that many of the performers with a half dozen/dozen #1’s don’t is his integrity still in tact, a strong grassroots fan base that has been with him since his early days in Texas, and an established, mostly traditional sound not subject to the wild trend waves most mainstream stars must follow. This has translated into arena crowds for Cody irrespective of his radio presence, and even acceptance for major awards as a critically-acclaimed artist.

Leather (Deluxe Edition) doesn’t just add 13 tracks to his current album. It continues to add to Cody Johnson’s solid legacy as a consistent and trusted traditional-leaning performer, impervious to the temptation to sell out, and committed to keeping country music country.

7.9/10

– – – – – – – – – – –

Purchase Cody Johnson’s Leather (Deluxe Edition)