Album Review – Josh Ward’s “More Than I Deserve”
The State of Texas and its independent music scene is so big that you can break down the separate influences and styles to certain regions if you’re so interested. From Oklahoma and central Texas you have many of your pure songwriters. Flatland performers out of Lubbock love to mix a little more rock in their style, yet still focus earnestly on songwriting. In north Texas it’s more an alt-country sound with the Old 97’s and Quaker City Night Hawks.
In Houston and surrounding areas, it’s all a bit more straight laced and traditional. The jeans and collars are starched. The duds are branded Wrangler western wear. You won’t see many baseball caps turned backwards. It’s wide brimmed cowboy hats with the same “team roper” cut on top of close cropped haircuts. It’s from this realm where acts like Cody Johnson, Kyle Park, and Josh Ward emanate, playing dance halls and honky tonks with a decidedly different flair than you’ll see in Austin or the prairies of West Texas. Josh Ward from just north of Houston is as good example as any of what makes the east Texas sound and style unique from the rest of the state.
There’s no mistaking Josh Ward as anything but country. We’re not talking about close approximations or the blending of styles in some way. When you think traditional country in the style of classic George Strait, this is Josh Ward. It’s steel guitar, it’s fiddle, it’s twangy lead guitar overlapping lyrics of heartache, sin, and redemption. If country music was a skills competition in keeping it between the lines and sticking the landing, Josh Ward would score a 10.0.
Josh Ward also embodies the music in more ways than one. Escaping a troubled adolescence, he worked the rodeos and oil fields of Texas while plotting a country music career. Just as much as the music itself, the fans from east Texas want to know their favorite artists are the real deal, and live what they sing about, and look the part like Josh Ward does.
More Than I Deserve is a collection of 11 new songs recorded in the east Texas town of Tyler. Josh Ward wrote three of the album’s songs with Wyatt McCubbin, but like many hard-nosed traditional country artists of the past and present, songs from others make up the majority of the track list. This includes the album’s first regional radio single “All About Lovin'” that boasts Chris Stapleton as a co-writer. George Strait’s son Bubba makes a songwriting appearance on “Loving Right.” Songwriters Terry McBride and William Brice Long also factor quite heavily in the list of contributors.
With all that songwriting muscle, you would think Josh Ward’s More Than I Deserve would be a songwriting feast du jour, but that’s the one dimension where an otherwise solid traditional country record suffers. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but there aren’t any great ones either. Each song settles in the middle of the pack with well-worn themes and sometimes cliche turns. And aside from the last song and title track—which was one of the three Josh Ward co-penned—the songs lack a sense of personalization that a good song needs to resonate deeper with an audience.
Granted, fans of artists like Josh Ward aren’t looking for a lot of heady material. They’re looking for songs that are easy to get into and sing along with, and swing their troubles away on a Saturday night. In that application, More Than I Deserve delivers, and greater than some of its competition from more rock style country or Americana circles. Many of the more earnest songwriters from Austin or Oklahoma would bomb in front of crowds for Josh Ward and Cody Johnson, even though a performer like Josh Ward would still blow away most mainstream competition when it comes to substance and songwriting.
The reason many of the east Texas artists like Josh Ward have earned such dedicated fans is because they give crowds what they want, and don’t waver like you see artists in Americana often do under the pretense of creative exploration. Still, this is the age of the song, even for straight-laced traditional country artists. And if you’re going to resonate beyond your fan base, you have to write or find songs with a greater impact.
Josh Ward’s effort here is solid, quality, and most certainly country. If you’re looking for traditional country music that keeps it right down the middle, and if you’re wondering where the true sound of country music has gone, then you get everything you want with More Than I Deserve.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7/10)
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June 13, 2018 @ 6:43 pm
I’m gonna check this album out. Been hearing his name a fair amount lately, so this is a nice remind.
I’ve got a question for anyone and everyone who’d feel interested enough to respond on SCM… Obviously you’re here ’cause you love country music, but just wondering, what other style of music are you equally (or almost) as into, and what artists and bands do you absolutely love?
If this isn’t the right place to ask this question, i apologize, but i’m fairly new here, and i love it so far. A “General discussion” thread every week might be a good idea so people can just chat about all things country, and anything else, maybe besides politics. Haha.
June 13, 2018 @ 8:12 pm
Outside of straight up country I listen to the Old 97’s. And Jason Isbell. Which are both kinda country in their own ways, but still very, very different. That’s pretty much as far as I go anymore. At this point, I know what I like.
Though I have heard some Immortal Technique songs that are very bad ass. And Lil Dickey’s pillow talking shit’s pretty hilarious.
June 14, 2018 @ 6:21 am
I liked Rhett’s first solo album, but never checked out any others. Worth checking out?
June 13, 2018 @ 9:19 pm
The majority of the music I like can be classified as country, mostly independent with some quality mainstream. I also dig southern rock, especially Blackberry Smoke and The Steel Woods. There are other various Americana acts that I love, such as Goodnight Texas, The Infamous Stringdusters, Railroad Earth, and Aaron Lee Tasjan. The new Goodnight, Texas album “Conductor” is one of my favorite albums of the year. Those guys are so underrated.
June 13, 2018 @ 9:36 pm
I ran across the Goodnight, Texas album the other day and it caught my ear enough that I created a new Spotify playlist of songs that I liked but wasn’t in a proper frame of mind to truly evaluate.
June 13, 2018 @ 9:37 pm
Meaning that I liked their stuff enough to bookmark it for later. They’re the only band on that playlist right now.
June 14, 2018 @ 6:19 am
Who’s been on it in the past?
June 13, 2018 @ 9:31 pm
Solid question. Grew up listening to what’s now classic rock as well as the popular music of most genres of the time (90s-00s). In high school and college I got into (pop)punk/emo/ska, then slowly into I guess you’d say indie rock, then a buddy put me on to Jason Isbell and American Aquarium and I’ve been down the rabbit hole ever since.
I haven’t really got too far into the classic country stuff, but I really like Marty Robbins. Throw “Trail Songs and Gunfighter Ballads” on the record player every so often. Of course the popular Cash, Haggard, Waylon, and Willie songs are all right with me, but I’m admittedly lacking in my knowledge.
For my old stuff, I still keep up with the Dropkick Murphys and to a lesser extent, Rise Against.
June 14, 2018 @ 6:20 am
This doesn’t sound too dissimilar to me, actually. I still love a lot of the indie and punk i grew up on, but a lot of it seems silly to me now. I mostly like the bay area lookout records style punk.
June 14, 2018 @ 6:25 am
most everything i listen to falls under the Americana/Alt-Country banner in some form or fashion but other than some obligatory classic rock or some 90s rock that i listened to in college (i guess that’s probably ‘classic’ now?), i find myself listening to a lot of Butch Walker and The Gaslight Anthem
June 14, 2018 @ 6:42 am
Butch Walker, eh? Cool. So you’re into power pop type stuff a little? Fountains Of Wayne are worth checking out if you haven’t. After-all, they penned this masterpiece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xf-_CXMqMk
June 14, 2018 @ 7:43 am
yea i think kinda dug the Stay Gold album and then went backwards exploring some of his stuff.. lyrically he’s pretty interesting when he wants to be and always so hooky – my wife isn’t a fan but i’ll always catch her humming a song because it gets stuck in her head.
I’d heard OF Fountains of Wayne but never really looked into them much – thanks for sharing that link, i really dig that one – i’ll explore more
June 14, 2018 @ 7:45 am
You’re very welcome, but that’s the only straight up country song they’ve got. Most of their songs are sorta in the vein of The Raspberries, Cheap Trick, Beatles, power pop kinda stuff… but they’re fantastic. Especially their first 3 albums.
June 14, 2018 @ 8:32 am
I loved Stay Gold, and most of Butch’s stuff.
Favorite power pop band from the last decade was the underappreciated Chicago band Office…ran out of gas a while back, but like Beach Boys mixed with Deadeye Dick.
June 14, 2018 @ 8:03 am
All the varieties of punk…Brit, NYC, DC, hardcore, garage, rawk, etc. Classic everything at this point (rock, metal, rap, Motown, power pop, country)
June 14, 2018 @ 9:36 am
You should check out The Exploding Hearts
June 14, 2018 @ 10:08 am
The car accident band, yeah I remember them.
Loud bands that can do no wrong for me are like Thee Oh Sees, anything with Rick Froberg/John Reis (Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt, Obits, etc), McLusky/Future Of The Left, The Men, Pissed Jeans, Mutoid Man, QOTSA, Golden Pelicans, Dillinger Escape Plan, the many faces of Mike Patton, old stuff like Crain, Fugazi, Polvo, Manics, Bitch Magnet, even older like Replacements, Wire, Clash, Gang Of Four, The Gun Club, etc list keeps going on…
June 14, 2018 @ 11:19 am
And there I go feeling bad about leaving out stuff like The Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid, Wipers, X, Firehose/Minutemen, Big Black, JSBX, Converge, Refused, Cave In, Mastodon, Boris, Mission Of Burma, Bad Brains, and the 50 other names I forgot…
June 14, 2018 @ 10:30 am
One of my favorite power pop bands that didn’t last long enough was Jellyfish, loved that sound.
June 14, 2018 @ 11:07 am
Spilt Milk might be the best album ever
June 14, 2018 @ 8:48 am
I always tell people I’m on the roots music spectrum… Country, folk, bluegrass, blues, and Americana. Also listen to others outside that grouping, but more change up than a mainstay.
August 1, 2021 @ 3:51 pm
Real country
June 14, 2018 @ 9:24 am
I enjoy what most would call “Southern Rock” in addition to traditional country. Steel Woods, Black Crowes, Cross Canadian Ragweed. I’m hit or miss on Americana. I love American Aquarium, Jason Isbell, Old ’97s. Not a fan of Wilco and most of Ryan Adams. Also listen to quite a bit of 90s alternative/grunge.
One band that is very different that I listen to is Less Than Jake. Not too sure anyone who is a fan of Tyler Childers and Cody Johnson also listens to LTJ.
June 14, 2018 @ 9:26 am
Not only do i know and like Less Than Jake, but Roger’s other band once covered my old band! Haha. Been listening to those guys since ’93 or so. I’m not NEARLY as into ska/punk as i was when i was a teenager, but their first few records are a lot of fun for sure.
June 14, 2018 @ 9:39 am
Roger makes that band for me! I’ve been a fan since Losing streak, or old enough to listen to something that wasn’t what my folks listened to. (Jennings, Jones, Strait, etc… I was raised right). IMO the best LTJ songs are the ones Roger at least sings some of the lead vocals on. ie. Al’s War, Automatic, Gainesville Rock City. They are about all of my rebellious teen music I still hold onto.
June 14, 2018 @ 9:52 am
Straight country has been a relatively late addition to my regular rotation, it had always been there on the edges but didn’t make it’s way into the core till I was twenty or so. Bluegrass, old-time, and Appalachian folk music (pre-revival) have always been my mainstay. Listen to some Southern rock, a little rockabilly, and a lot of Motown and Stax stuff (love Wilson Pickett). I also listen to a large amount of Celtic punk, which I’ve always thought a lot of people on here could get into.
June 14, 2018 @ 2:30 pm
I mostly listen to singers and bands profiled on this site.
But sometimes …
I’ll get into Prof, Atmosphere, Everlast, old-school Jimmy Buffett, Pantara, Dead Influence and Brother Ali. All are great songwriters, with the exception of Prof. (He’s just for fun.)
June 14, 2018 @ 2:38 pm
I love: old-style punk (Ramones, Clash, Jam, Social D), 80s-early 90s college radio/New Wave (REM, Replacements, Cure, Police, Joe Jackson, INXS), classic rock, blues rock, Southern rock, some new rock (McPherson, Record Company, Menzingers), grunge, some metal, old soul (Cooke, Redding, Green), old R&B, 70s-early 80s lite-FM/adult contemporary, quality mainstream country (Jackson, Strait, Chesnutt, Whitley, Pardi), old and new alt-country/Americana (Old 97s, Bottle Rockets, Jayhawks, Uncle Tupelo, Isbell, Whiskeytown/Adams) and some legends (Cash, Pride, Williams).
June 14, 2018 @ 4:07 pm
Heavy Metal.
????????SLAYERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!????????
June 14, 2018 @ 4:15 pm
94% of what I listen to is country, from the Carter family on down to Dwight Yoakam, and a bunch of current non-radio acts Trig has turned me on to.
The next 5% is a mix of southern rock, 70s hard rock like Zeppelin, a small set of 80s metal (I despise most 80s popular music more than anything) and some 90s grunge.
The last 1% is occasional current pop when my family needs a break from my incessant devotion to country music.
June 15, 2018 @ 12:20 am
I am ALL over t he map and always have been, which is probably why I ended up doing a music show. There is no genre I don’t like at least one or two things from (even current mainstream pap).
But that said. I really adore New Wave and it’s offshoots (The B-52’s, Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds and even the more obscure 1 album bands etc.), 60s pop, and big band era jazz.
June 15, 2018 @ 6:21 am
This question made me realize I’ve always listened to mostly Country music. I certainly enjoy songs from other genres, but there aren’t that many non-country artists I can point to that I’m a big fan of. With the exception of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’ve always been a huge fan of them, and I don’t care how many slightly differentiated songs Anthony Keidis wants to sing about California (or anything else,) I am here for them. I also really enjoy the Foo Fighters.
I like a ton of classic rock though, and I like Southern rock a lot.
I also like Lucinda Williams and I love Jason Isbell. And I always hear a handful of mainstream top 40 type tunes throughout the year that I get into long after they’re cool and then download, lol.
I grew up on Country music, my dad listened to everything, right from it’s very beginnings on up and every different style, thank God, and he loves music and passed that love to me. I am forever grateful for the introduction he gave me (also this website!!!) But it is so strange to me (not in a bad way or anything) to see people on this site who like country music, real country music, but don’t have the background in it. I think part of why I love it is that it is so much a part of my whole life since childhood that I just feel it in my bones. I’m interested in how people get into these more traditional contemporary country acts, without ever having listened to and loved, say Merle Haggard (or a huge list of other names, obviously.)
June 15, 2018 @ 6:24 am
My husband turned me onto Zakk Wylde’s band, Black Label Society also, and I really like a lot of his music. Hell, I’d say some of it is even country leaning if you check out the right album.
June 15, 2018 @ 6:24 am
My answer to your question would be, music lovers hear good honest and music and are attracted to it. You don’t need a history with it to connect with it, but that probably makes it easier to get into at first. I’m from NY, but i also feel like real country music just feels like it’s in my DNA, and i don’t know why.
June 15, 2018 @ 4:58 pm
I didn’t grow up with country music here in Canada …….it was certainly on the radio but I wasn’t really listening to it . But as Black Boots says , the connection with the emotion and the honesty in a great country song and a great country voice is absolutely undeniable for me and for any lover of REAL music , I believe. Even a hard core jazzer or a Zep-fueled rock n roller can feel the emotion in a George Jones song .Its the fundamental ingredient in the BEST music ….the emotional connection with something honest reflecting shared experience . And its whats missing from nearly every mainstream country song presently …the honesty which enables the emotional connection .
June 15, 2018 @ 8:07 am
Country, southern rock n roll, bluegrass, blues, and Norwegian black metal.
June 13, 2018 @ 7:09 pm
A good album but i think i like “Holding Me Together” better. Also, why the high price tag? 14 dollars?! Seriously though, what determines the pricing of an album?
June 13, 2018 @ 7:36 pm
Thanks trig. Also he is amazing in concert too. I don’t mean to be such a pest by the way. I just dont feel this guy gets the credit he deserves. You hit the nail on the head though for us team Ropers it’s just music we can relate to. If anyone reading this is looking for more similar music another band to check out is Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band. They opened up at the Nfr before
June 13, 2018 @ 8:01 pm
That’s some pretty good shit! I particularly like how he avoids the seemingly rapey vipes by sounding like he’s asking.
That’s actually not sarcastic btw. I do like that he sounds like he’s asking. Can’t all be Conway Twitty with the lyrics where you don’t care if your kids sing along, but kind of nice to see a dude at least try.
June 13, 2018 @ 9:44 pm
I hate to double comment but I disagree the statement there are no standouts on this album. I think “the devil don’t scare me” is a clear great cut from this album. Though some may be turned off by the beat in the background. Another heartache and the title track may also be standouts but I would agree with the rest just being good to average. Still devil dont scare me gives me chills. There is some dark lyrics in there combined with Josh Ward voice that really make that track pop out for me.
June 13, 2018 @ 10:23 pm
I live no were near Texas, but I love the music thst comes from there. Several years ago I stumbled upon Texas music and I can’t get enough. There’s some from the south that are amazing as well like Frank Foster, and Matt Mason. A Texas band I like is The Band Heathens
June 14, 2018 @ 2:54 am
BAND OF HEATHENS used to be much better years ago but still a solid texas band!!
June 14, 2018 @ 8:22 am
Jackson Station!
June 14, 2018 @ 5:28 am
The album is solid. The 2015 album Holding Me Together is better.
I miss the real highlights with “One More Shot Of Whiskey” & the title-track as the exceptions to the rule.
Josh Ward found his sound. His singles are a safe bet for the Top 10 in Texas. His current single “All About Lovin'” is the #1 this week.
June 14, 2018 @ 8:48 am
I think you hit the nail on the head. Josh has had such success on Texas Regional Radio, he knows what works and goes with that. That means the songs are always solid, but never get too deep to where they would struggle on radio.
June 15, 2018 @ 9:29 am
I believe that every single he has released has reached #1 on Texas Regional Radio.
June 14, 2018 @ 5:45 am
Lyrics are cliche. And why are they printed on the screen? Who thought that was a good idea? Lordy!
Okay, got that off my chest. Now the good. Decent voice and instrumentally it’s sound. Quite refreshing compared to the insufferable ear rape that music row puts out.
June 14, 2018 @ 7:45 am
Love the vocals and the groove but for me these are just trite substance-free bro-lyrics with a more trad -country arrangement . Overall its a bit of a generic , throwback borefest for me .
Too bad cuz this guy can SING .
June 14, 2018 @ 10:27 am
Similar to my take. My first thought was that it sounds like the stuff that eventually became bro-country. Especially the lyrics.
June 14, 2018 @ 11:16 am
This album is fine. Just fine. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing really great about it, either. I agree that with better material, the album could have really taken off. I will give one of his earlier albums a try.
June 14, 2018 @ 12:27 pm
For fans of George Strait, Randall King or Josh Ward: try out Mark Powell.
His current single is #48 after 3 weeks (in Texas) with “Keep It Country”.
The album is out: Breaking Things (02/07/18).
I think the album is slightly better than the new Josh Ward album.
My highlight: “This Bar Needs A Town”. Love the word-play. “…this guy needs a drink…this drink needs a bar…this bar needs a town…”. It’s the kind of song George Strait or Alan Jackson took to the top of the charts when there was a place for some real country music on country radio.
June 14, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
yes OlaR , the ‘smart’ is completely missing from contemporary country
June 14, 2018 @ 1:41 pm
Way to go Son….Your Dad & Sissy is so very proud of you and love you & family Pops misses you …
June 14, 2018 @ 3:15 pm
I wanted to listen to this album before I read the review which is another great one. I actually enjoyed the album enough to listen to it twice in a row which I never do. As I listened one of my first thoughts was (not knowing before Trigger said it) did he write these songs?. The songs had immediate hooks, choruses, and melodies which I like, some were even “catchy” (not like chlamydia…lol) “A Cowboy Can”, “Another Heartache”, “Say Hello to Goodbye” are all really good tunes. He’s right there ain’t a bad song on the album but none have really blown me away either……yet. I’ll give it some more spins for sure. Hope he plays up here too!
June 14, 2018 @ 3:56 pm
Love the sound, love his voice, not impressed at all by the lyrics.
June 14, 2018 @ 3:58 pm
Should probably add I can imagine seeing them live would almost certainly be a ton of fun.
June 14, 2018 @ 4:42 pm
Big fan, thanks for reviewing this.
June 14, 2018 @ 5:03 pm
Love Josh Ward, really appreciate your review and critique. If Josh puts out records like this everytime, I will always buy it. I’ve got everything he has up to this point anyway. I guess I’m an East Texas guy from Okeechobee, Florida as far as your description of the regions of Texas.
June 14, 2018 @ 9:05 pm
More power to all the folks that enjoy this Ward’s music, but this gets a hard pass from me. To me, this just sounds like pop-country from the mid 2000s, just before what we now call bro-country started cropping up. I may have been born and raised in East Texas, but very few of the Texas Country artists I enjoy are from there. Most are from Austin, Dallas, West Texas, and Oklahoma. Then again, I’m a bit skeptical of the “Texas Scene” in general.
June 15, 2018 @ 9:56 am
Glad to read this review, a fair assessment. This, along with Jon Wolfe and Jon Pardi, are my most listened to albums this year. I agree with some others here that perhaps Holding Me Together may be a little better overall. However, there are some REAL winners on this new one like All About Lovin’, Ain’t It Baby, Say Hello to Goodbye (which has been recently released as a single by another artist), The Devil Don’t Scare Me, and One More Shot of Whiskey. For those who have not listened before, give him a shot. Mid tempo stuff, not going to flip your world backwards, but definitely will be added to your personal playlists. Every single he has released has gone to #1 on Texas Regional Radio, I think he is up to 9 #1’s.