Luke Combs- The Way I Am
Label: Sony
Producers: Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton, Chip Matthews
The release of Luke Combs’ sixth studio effort marks somewhat of a significant “return” in the mainstream country sphere, given that The Way I Am stands as Combs’ first proper bid for conventional commercial attention since 2023’s Gettin’ Old, the set that spawned his now signature-cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”, and a wave of crossover attention that followed. This is significant, given that Combs is inarguably the biggest box-office breakthrough not named Morgan Wallen to be produced in Music City over the past decade. Now, Combs did release a stellar, critically acclaimed project called Fathers & Sons in 2024 that spotlighted Combs’ more intimate songwriting ventures as well as his affinity for bluegrass-inspired sounds. (The fact that Music City gatekeepers considered this a side-project, even at the height of the artists’ widespread superstardom, is just another ignorant indictment of Nashville’s refusal to evolve with the times and move past their rigid, systemic standards). However, The Way I Am‘s positioning as a twenty-plus track double album feels like a perfectly-timed strategy to balance both Combs’ commercial and critical considerations, offering plenty of highly-anticipated new tracks that can simultaneously cater to the charts, the critics, and his devoted fanbase.
A double album in and of itself would have also ranked as a rarity in the commercial music system a decade ago. But in today’s streaming-centric ecosystem, it’s become a common, and at-times exhausting, practice. It feels fresh for Combs however, who unlike peers such as Wallen and Zach Bryan, aren’t multiple song-cycles into this trend. And as mentioned above, the expansive nature of this collection comes through in balancing all of the beloved and admired aspects of Combs’ catalog to date. The opening two-fer of “Back in the Saddle” and “My Kinda Saturday Night” are squarely in the high-octane Bocephus-recalling rave-up arena that first broke through Combs to superstardom. Conversely, performances like “Days Like These” and the title track are sweeping, sentimental moments that recall moving classics from legends like Alan Jackson and Vince Gill, with the latter song delivering what I would grade as Combs’ most tenderly powerful vocal performance to date. Meanwhile, other standouts like “15 Minutes”, “Wish Upon A Whiskey”, and “Seeing Someone” continue Combs’ artistic and historical goodwill in carrying forward the classic country traditions of moving storytelling and clever wordplay. “Seeing Someone” particularly struck me as one of the most inspired and potently pure country songs I’ve heard on a contemporary album in ages. At twenty-two tracks, there are plentiful other examples of similar moments that strike this satisfying tonal balance. It’s a balance that validates the Garth Brooks comparisons that many were eager to latch onto Combs early in his career. A decade in, it’s safe to say that Combs has suitably earned such lucrative praise, and this collection of tracks continues to find him thriving as a hit-maker, songwriter and collaborator, song-curator, entertainer, and all-around genre-ambassador.
Equally satisfying are the deeper cuts that will likely never see single-contention. Chief among these is “Ever Mine”, a rootsy tune penned with indie darlings Charlie Worsham and Hailey Whitters, and graced by the legendary harmonies of bluegrass icon Alison Krauss. Combs sounds fantastic in this setting, providing deliciously gorgeous bait for that pure-bluegrass album that will surely one day come to fruition. There’s “The Me Part of You”, which returns him to the passionate family man spirit of Fathers & Sons with a song and performance that live up to the standards of quality set by that collection. And “Rich Man”, a co-write with the great Lori McKenna and laced in rich steel guitar that immediately stakes its claim as a worthy entry to the genre’s deep canon of common-man anthems. Meanwhile, “Rethink Some Things” and “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” boast the quirky sonic qualities of an 80s George Strait record that helped bridge the gap between the Urban Cowboy and New Traditionalist movements. It’d be extremely remiss, especially when discussing these particular cuts, to not call the production work of Combs, Jonathan Singleton, and Chip Matthews as a hero here. Combs’ albums have always had a high quality, instrumentally-focused sound to them, perfectly balanced between polished and vintage, and that specific aspect of his music has been an unsung hero to an extent. His work has undoubtedly had a positive influence in helping spur the 90s country renaissance, and returning Music City’s production quality from the doldrums of the bro-country crisis to that golden era’s standards in recent years.
All in all, The Way I Am proves to be another new high-water mark in the artistic trajectory of Luke Combs, and one that should deservedly emerge as a seminal record when the 2020s era of country music is revisited retrospectively. It’s a massive project that proves to earn its extended run-time, boasting a bounty of the qualities that have not only made Combs a sustainable superstar, but will most certainly secure his legacy as one of the most influential names of his era.
Track Listing
- “Back in the Saddle” (Luke Combs, Dan Isbell, Jonathan Singleton)
- “My Kinda Saturday Night” (Combs, Singleton, Randy Montana)
- “Days Like These” (Combs, Aaron Raitiere, Brent Cobb)
- “15 Minutes” (Combs, Tredy Pendley, Rob Pennington, Grant Vogel)
- “Alcohol of Fame” (Combs, Dalton Dover, D. Isbell, Reid Isbell)
- “Daytona 499” (Combs, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, Drew Parker)
- “The Way I Am” (Chris Gelbuda, Rob Snyder)
- “Wish Upon a Whiskey” (Combs, D. Isbell, Parker)
- “Soon As I Get Home” (Combs, Jessi Alexander, Tony Lane, Singleton)
- “Rethink Some Things” (Combs, Jacob Davis, D. Isbell, R. Isbell)
- “Giving Her Away” (Gary Garris, Josh Mirenda, Josh Phillips)
- “Seeing Someone” (Combs, Ray Fulcher, Lalo Guzman, Michael Tyler, Allison Veltz-Cruz)
- “Sleepless In A Hotel Room” (Combs, Montana, Singleton)
- “I Ain’t No Cowboy” (Combs, Cody Johnson, Jake Mears)
- “Ever Mine” featuring Alison Krauss (Combs, Hailey Whitters, Charlie Worsham)
- “Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” (Combs, Fulcher, Pete Good, Lydia Vaughan)
- “Miss You Here” (Combs, Thomas Archer, D. Isbell, Ben Stennis)
- “Tell ‘Em About Tonight” (Combs, Dylan, Fulcher, James McNair)
- “Be By You” (Dan Alley, Sam Banks, Nick Walsh)
- “The Me Part of You” (Combs, Jason Gantt, D. Isbell, R. Isbell)
- “Rich Man” (Combs, Davis, Lori McKenna, Snyder)
- “A Man Was Born” (Combs, Archer, Fulcher, D. Isbell, Stennis)
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