Album Review – Josh Turner’s “This Country Music Thing”
#510 (Traditional Country) on the Country DDS.
When rounding out the list of the greatest country music singers of our era, you better make sure Josh Turner is at or near the top of your survey or you’re rendering the entire exercise irrelevant and ill-informed. It’s not just the way he can reach down and grab those bass notes with authority. It’s the woody, earthen tone they come with, and the conviction behind his voice that makes him elite.
One of the biggest sins of country music in the last dozen years or so has been letting some of the greatest years of Josh Turner’s career slip away with little productivity. Similar to Joe Nichols, Gary Allan, and a slew of women performers like Sunny Sweeney, the onset of the Bro-Country era put these great country stars in the “artist protection program” where they were virtually ignored by their labels or got twisted and turned around trying to chase the hot sound of the day.
Josh Turner perhaps got the worst of it. There was a full five-year hiatus between Turner’s 2012 album Punching Bag, and 2017’s Deep South as MCA Nashville tried to figure out what to do with a traditionalist holdover from the ’00s. Even after that five year wait, few were impressed with the results of Deep South as pop and Bro-Country sensibilities crept into both the writing and production. It wasn’t terrible, but it was a far cry from Turner’s great classic country cuts like “Your Man” or “Would You Go With Me.”
The good news is that Josh Turner moving beyond radio relevancy allowed MCA Nashville to loosen the reins and gave Turner the opportunity to finally do what he wanted, which resulted in the 2018 Gospel album I Serve A Savior, a country classics cover album Country State of Mind, and a Christmas record in 2021, King Size Manger.
This Country Music Thing is Turner’s first real original album in five years, and luckily, it doesn’t try to be anything that it shouldn’t. It’s just Josh Turner singing eleven country songs with a voice that makes everything sound better, and showcases a performer doing things other country singers just simply can’t. You hear him go low as he sings the title of the opening song “Down In Georgia,” and you’re immediately sent high into country music heaven.
It’s certainly country, and probably more traditional than contemporary. But This Country Music Thing is also not indicative of the hot ’90s classic country sound right now that artists young and old are tapping into. Josh Turner is not a ’90s guy, he’s a 00’s guy. But you do worry this puts him in sort of a country music no man’s land where neither mainstream radio, nor the younger generation will get into what he’s doing here.
A performer like Josh Turner may also no longer have his pick of the litter when it comes to songs. There’s an “always good, never great” aspect to the tracks of the new album, though it still allows for some bright spots. “Somewhere With Her” really works for Turner, while it’s the few songs he wrote himself that also stand out, namely the autobiographical title track, as well as the final song “Unsung Hero” that comes across as very personal to Turner, and carries forward the “support the troops” sentiment the right way.
It kind of doesn’t matter what Josh Turner is singing though, as long as he’s singing something. Gospel and Christmas music, cover songs, or the selections from This Country Music Thing—it’s all a showcase for one of the greatest voices to ever grace country music, and it’s better to be hearing it than wondering where it’s gone.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7.4/10)
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August 21, 2024 @ 8:02 am
I think it a tragedy for country music that Joe Nichols and Josh Turner amongst others have not have more recognition and success. They have great voices and are always country. It is always good to hear new music from Josh Turner. He has a wonderful voice and sounds better than ever on this album. Overall, maybe more good than great but Unseen Hero is a great song. It is a good country album.
August 21, 2024 @ 9:05 am
I always liked his voice and his songs, but was really bothered by an episode that occurred many years ago. He had just had a couple of hits from the “Your Man” album. He performed a song called “Your Smile” on the David Letterman show. Letterman raved about what a great song it was.
Then, silence. The Letterman show website pulled the video off the site, even though you could find clips for just about every other musical performance going back years and years. Then, the label and everyone else just pretended that song didn’t exist.
Today, you can go to Wikipedia and see the track listing and “Your Smile” isn’t listed there.
August 21, 2024 @ 9:44 am
If the song was for sure called “Your Smile”, he does have a track by that name on his Haywire album which was two albums later.
Not sure if it’s the same song or if some rights clearance thing happened where they had to change something up in order to release it commercially. Or it could be a completely unrelated song with the same name.
August 21, 2024 @ 12:47 pm
Wow! I had been looking in the wrong place. Thanks for catching this.
That said, the rest of my story is on target. It appeared Turner was going to release that song as a single, but then everything got weird, including the removal of the video of the Letterman performance.
August 24, 2024 @ 2:10 am
Interesting. What was it that bothered you about the situation?
August 21, 2024 @ 9:13 am
“Artist protection program” – love it!
August 21, 2024 @ 10:01 am
…underwhelming material grotesquely oversung in parts.
August 21, 2024 @ 10:32 am
Like your comments.
August 22, 2024 @ 4:06 am
…guess, that “like” was more of a comparative one. i could be wrong, but wouldn’t “just” in “i just wanna kiss you” ask for a little more vocal urgency and more accentuated expression of desire? perhaps you wanna listen to it again from that angle. “heatin’ things up” is – from an emotional point of view – even more out of sync. the title track is mostly substance lacking baritone-posing like the opener “down in georgia”. the rest? a steady flow of more or less pleasantly flowing boredom. comparing turner to nicols is almost an insult when it comes to interpretation skills.
August 23, 2024 @ 8:39 pm
Oversung is the right word. I’m a big fan of his early albums. His singing was more relaxed. Not always pushing the boundaries of his (great) vocal range. Sometimes it’s good to sing from the nose…although that’s what got Waylon busted…
August 21, 2024 @ 10:16 am
“Unsung Hero” is a Song of the Year candidate.
I can’t think of a song that more perfectly encapsulates how an entire generation went off to war and then returned to obscurity working important roles that only their families appreciated.
It didn’t kill off a character or act mawkish; it recorded how most heroes toil unrecognized.
August 21, 2024 @ 10:32 am
I know the plight of women got all the headlines during the Bro-Country reign, but Turner’s commercial standing was the biggest victim. He went from a steady radio presence to radio silence after “Find Me a Baby” (a delightful little tune) bombed. His previous single “Time is Love” was the most-played song in 2011. One single released in the wrong climate killed his career. “Whatcha Reckon” should have been the choice. It was a fun, driving song without Bro-Country’s sleaziness.
I enjoy this album much more than “Deep South.” South wasn’t terrible, “Wonder” and “Lay Low” were great songs but the whole setlist smacked of calculated compromise.
“Whirlwind” is a fun romp that should have made the Twisters soundtrack. “Down in Georgia” and “Heatin’ Things Up” are entertaining tunes. “This Country Music Thing” pays tasteful homage to his heroes. Josh has never been stereotypical in his name-dropping. When most “country” artists repeatedly only mention Cash, Waylon, Willie, etc, he talks about John Anderson (which made his omission from the tribute album unacceptable) and Randy Travis.
The SCM crowd probably won’t love this album. It is not edgy, doesn’t rock hard, Turner isn’t a tortured soul trying to find relief in a bottle, etc. It is modern Charley Pride country music and there’s always room in country music for that. I’m OK with not every country song moaning meth and whiskey.
I noticed few reviews of this album, so I appreciate the time, Trigger. In any other decade, Nashville would have made Nichols and Turner superstars.
August 21, 2024 @ 10:48 am
You know, I never thought to compare this to Charley Pride’s output, but it makes perfect sense. And absolutely, there is a well-earned place in country music for Josh Turner, because there is a great level of authenticity in everything he sings.
August 21, 2024 @ 11:37 am
Yes, this album is CLASSIC Josh Turner. Reminds me of his classic sound from the 2000s. Which makes it not for me, since i’m a classic and ’90s guy, but lots of respect for doing what he wants rather than what mainstream wants.
August 21, 2024 @ 11:39 am
Bro country.
August 21, 2024 @ 1:08 pm
Thanks for reviewing this. Every time there’s a new Josh Turner album I feel obligated to listen to it. Very likable guy and that voice.. Truly an under appreciated talent who’s best work I feel is still to come.
August 21, 2024 @ 3:55 pm
Solid album. No strange reverb in his voice. Just good country music. Josh Turner has been missed.
August 21, 2024 @ 3:57 pm
I surely do agree with you, Trigger, that Josh Turner has one of the greatest voices. I am thinking that if Josh Turner sought out his Opry brothers … Don Schlitz, Bill Anderson and Vince Gill and they wrote songs together, I’m positive Josh would have many well written songs to record. When I think of all the songs Don Schlitz alone has written, just like wow … I think that pairing could go a long way; there’s an extra depth to Don’s writing that matches Josh’s choice of songs and is singing. Just depends upon if the singer wants to do that.
August 21, 2024 @ 7:05 pm
He’s one of the good guys for sure.
August 22, 2024 @ 8:27 am
A decent mainstream album, but a few of these songs have a generic sound to them that makes me think “Hmmm, I don’t think I’d like this at all if Brett Young or Mitchell Tenpenny were singing it.” It’s only Josh’s remarkable voice that makes them listenable.
Outside of “Unsung Hero,” there’s nothing here that moves the needle the way “Long Black Train” and “Would You Go With Me” did. If I were a country radio programmer, my station would be the first one on “Two Steppin’ on the Moon,” first because it just sounds like a catchy, non-gimmicky mainstream hit, and second because I wouldn’t get tired of it midway through its six-month crawl to No. 1. It’s the sort of solid ’90s-influenced ’20s country that I wish Chris Young (the “I Can Take It From There” Young, not the “Young Love and Saturday Nights” Young) would go back to recording.
August 22, 2024 @ 8:58 am
Speaking of Joe Nichols his most recent album Good Day For Living is very, very solid and would have been a big hit in the same alternate universe this album would be a hit in.
August 22, 2024 @ 12:02 pm
Weak ass songs on this album except maybe 2 or 3.
Seriously liked more on Post Malone record maybe Turner is just declining.
August 23, 2024 @ 8:31 pm
Josh’s theme is upbeat, traditional-leaning country. I hate to say it, but recent albums from him have been lacking in terms of songwriting.
I think Josh ought to consider redoing some older songs previously released by his influences. Not their signature songs, mind you, but ones that could plausibly be recycled for a new generation. “Stranger in My Mirror” by Randy Travis and “Right on the Money” by Alan Jackson come to mind.
August 24, 2024 @ 1:24 pm
So just a tiny bit better than I Had Some Help then 😉
August 25, 2024 @ 9:43 am
That Bro-Country helped silence Nichols and Turner was a crime against Country music,and it’s GREAT to hear Josh’s unmistakable sound again on “This Country Music Thing.”Welcome back,Cowboy Josh !!!!!!!