Starting Over
Starting Over brings Chris Stapleton's country, soul and Southern rock together with confidence. The title suggests a new direction, but the record is more interested in making familiar sounds work well. Dave Cobb's warm production keeps the playing clear, while Stapleton's voice gives even the simpler material a strong emotional centre.
The title track provides a gentle opening. Its acoustic shuffle and the connection between Chris and Morgane Stapleton's voices give the song an easy, hopeful movement. The arrangement leaves enough space for the singing to remain close, making a large voice feel comfortable within a smaller setting.
Cold expands that scale. Strings help frame a vocal that grows in force as the chorus arrives, drawing on a familiar strain of soul balladry. The performance is powerful, although the setting can also feel overly recognisable. Stapleton's ability to make a phrase sound lived-in often matters more than the originality of the words or arrangement around it.
Arkansas takes a more direct route through Southern rock. The guitar attack and forward movement give the sequence a welcome burst of energy. Watch You Burn is darker, using its angry vocal and the entrance of a gospel choir to raise the pressure. The change in scale makes the song stand out without breaking the album's roots-based character.
The covers fit naturally into that approach. Old Friends and Worry B Gone connect Stapleton's writing to Guy Clark's, while his reading of John Fogerty's Joy Of My Life places another familiar song beside the originals. There is a clear respect for the material, and the band sound comfortable giving these songs their own place in the sequence.
The softer moments are more uneven. Maggie's Song and Joy Of My Life can become too sweet, and some of the affectionate writing relies on images that have been used many times before. The sincerity is easy to hear, but it does not make every line equally memorable.
Still, Starting Over gives its strongest songs a convincing setting. The balance between intimate singing, full soul arrangements and harder guitar tracks creates enough movement to carry the record. Stapleton stays close to sounds he already understands, yet the care in the playing and the force of his delivery make that continuity rewarding.
