Rising country star Kip Moore made his debut in 2011 when he released his debut single Mary Was The Marrying Kind. It wasn’t until the release of his second album Somethin’ Bout a Truck that Kip made his breakthrough by topping the US Country charts and scoring a Top 30 hit on the US Hot 100. Originally released in 2012, Up All Night hit the Top 10 on the US Country and Billboard 200 charts establishing Kip as someone to keep an eye on in country music.
Nearly 3 years on from its original release, Up All Night is being re-released as a Deluxe Edition in the UK. The album features all 11 tracks from the standard release, two of the bonus tracks from the US Deluxe Edition and 5 Live From Soundcheck tracks.
Up All Night establishes Kip as a versatile artist that could sit as well in rock as he does in country. He definitely has the twang you need to make it big in country but his voice has a grit and edge to it that is more commonly heard in rock. Opening track Drive Me Crazy eases you into the album showcasing Kip’s gritty vocal and his ear for a strong melody that works well in the mainstream. Over the course of the album the lyrics take in the usual country music reference points – girls and beer – and despite its tendency to fall a little too often into cliché, Up All Night is a hugely listenable record showing a lot of promise.
In an industry dominated by male stars such as Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan it’s hard for a newer country star to get noticed but Kip makes a good impression with Up All Night. Whilst the lyrical themes may be a little unoriginal, for the most part Up All Night is an enjoyable album that will have you singing along to its melodies and catchy chorus hooks. Breakthrough hit Somethin’ Bout a Truck has an undeniable charm, Hey Pretty Girl shows that Kip can do restrained, and Where You Are Tonight sees Kip wrap his husky vocals around a gentle melody and emotive lyrics.
The live tracks included on this release were originally part of Kip’s Soundcheck EP which was released in the US last year. His hit Beer Money is included along with four new tracks – Come and Get It, Hang Awhile, Hearts Desire and Lipstick – which are all presumably being considered for inclusion on his upcoming second album. It’s the vocal performance on these tracks that really impress with Kip coming into his own. His confidence shines through and the grit of his voice really drives the melodies of each track.
Up All Night doesn’t break much in the way of new ground but it’s a solid effort for a debut. Kip’s voice is what will set him apart from the current crop of country music stars and he has a vocal authenticity that comes from natural talent. If he steps a little further out of his comfort zone on his next record he’ll easily eclipse the success he’s already had with Up All Night.
Kip will open the second day of C2C: Country To Country 2015 in London on Sunday 8th March 2015. For more information and tickets head over to http://www.c2c-countrytocountry.com/. Watch the video for Somethin’ Bout a Truck:
