Lee Brice - Hard 2 Love Review

With only one listen to Lee Brice's sophomore album for Curb Records, Hard 2 Love, I was immediately struck with how artistically diverse the album truly is. There are some quirky party songs like "Parking Lot Party" and "Beer" (which will go great next to "Red Solo Cup" on a party playlist), there are emotional ballads like "I Drove Your Truck," and "That Way Again," there are love songs like #1 hit "A Woman Like You," the title track "Hard To Love," a song about the importance of living your life ("Life Off My Years"), and of course, because this is country music, songs that tell interesting stories about moments ripped from real-life, like "Friends We Won't Forget" and " Seven Days A Thousand Times."...full text Lee Brice‘s new album ‘Hard 2 Love’ feels like a half thank you note, half apology to his soon-to-be wife and their son. Not all of the 13 cuts were written by the ‘A Woman Like You’ singer, but put into the context of what is going on in his life, many come across as extremely personal love letters.

Songs like ‘Beer’ and ‘Parking Lot Party’ add tempo to the project, but the best songs — the meat of the album — are the soulful and revealing ballads. Songs like the first single and ‘See About a Girl’ (co-writer by Kyle Jacobs and inspired by Kellie Pickler) are easy to fall into. They’re sweet without being sappy or corny. Brice is at his best when he pushes a man’s emotions to the limits of comfort in words he’d use to open up. He hits another home run on ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Think,’ an uptempo love reminder that seems fit to be a single, but may have too much competition....full text One of the best things about Hard 2 Love is that there are thirteen quality songs, not a few hits with some filler material. Although he’s known for the ballads, his up-tempo songs of partying and making memories are just as great. “Beer” has been a crowd favorite during his live shows, where he gets the fans to interact and shout out the most important part of the song, “Beer!”. The songs starts out with a slow country melody and then heads into an all-out rock anthem that is so much fun to jam out to. “Parking Lot Party” begins with country radio’s Big D and Bubba introducing the party track.
The album as a whole is what makes it so engaging. Every track has the qualities of being a hit single. There is something for everyone but it is still undeniably “Lee Brice.” His voice is so appealing and laden with raw emotion that is hard to not want to listen over and over again. From start to finish, it covers everything a listener could want – family, friends, love and life, not just the highs but also the lows. That is what makes country music, and Lee Brice has nailed it with his sophomore effort....full text