Did you happen to see Luke Bryan’s heartfelt performance of “Drink A Beer” on the 2013 CMA telecast? If so, you know the piercing, gravelly, powerful voice of Chris Stapleton. His outward appearance was more of a roadie that had wandered on stage and had taken a seat on an empty stool. However, when the chorus rolled around and Chris pounced on the harmony vocals with Luke, you knew he was right where he belonged. Luke gave an inspired performance himself, but the haunting sound of Chris Stapleton above him was masterful. There’s no doubt about it. If you like your country with an extra dab of soul… this is your guy. Chris Stapleton sings every song on his album “Traveller” as though he may never sing again, pouring every ounce of emotion he possesses into each story, while taking you along on the bumpy ride with him. You may not know his name, but you’ve heard many songs that he’s had a hand in. Chris is an extremely well known song writer in Nashville with a bushel basket of hits and album cuts that fill his resume. Some of those include : Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer”… Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More”… George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright”… Josh Turner’s “Your Man”, Darius Rucker’s “Come Back Song” and Thomas Rhett’s “Crash And Burn”. Some of his album credits include songs released by Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Adele.
Now, do not make the mistake of diving in this album thinking it’s in the mold of popular current country music. Though it may not bear the spit, polish and overly slick production most of today’s current country artists tout, “Traveller” is chock full of strong lyrics, solid playing and powerful vocals. Picking a favorite from the album is almost impossible, but throwing a dart… my top 3 would be the title track “Traveller”, “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore”. Do yourself a favor, don’t wait around to hear Chris Stapleton on the radio, it may never happen. Get the album “Traveller” and give it a listen. You’ll be glad you did.