Kenny Chesney - Songs for the Saints

Kenny Chesney
Songs of the Saints
2018
Spotify

Kenny Chesney is a fan of the Islands, especially those with a St. in front of them. he has never hidden this idea having tons and tons about sand or beaches, which is why this new album Songs for the Saints so...odd. It would be fine to write an album like this after being inspired by a place, but Chesney is singing about the same exact shit he always has. This album would even be nice if He hadn't already done it over and over. It makes it even more difficult to hate this album after learning a great deal of the proceeds are going to Hurricane relief. Good on Kenny for helping people out, but it doesn't a great album make. "Get Along" has the lyrics: "Buy a Boat, Drink a Beer, Call Your Mom, Make a Friend, Sing a Song..." which on the surface, yeah that all sounds great b ut it is also extremely stupid. Chesney sounds so obtuse when speaking about these places, like He only knows them from the deck of his 50 foot yacht. It's an out of touch record masquerading as a helpful one. I was going to say the only bonehead element that was missing was a steel drum but fear not "Love for the City" with Ziggy Marley corrects that. It becomes a ridiculous sing a long a la some child singer. Then there is the Lord Huron cover "Ends of the Earth" which sounds EXACTLY like the original, and I mean exactly. Chesney adds nothing of himself to the track and even hits the same solos and haunting background vocals, it is absolutely absurd. What does this song even have to do with the Islands anyway?!

There are so many moments that will leave you shaking your head on this album. What is he doing? More importantly why is he doing it? Those answers never come and you are left scratching your head on an album that is just decidedly not good. It is nice that Chesney wants to give us something light and airy with this, but in doing so He removes any and all impact this record might have originally had. "Gulf Moon" essential just mentions places around the Gulf of Mexico and relays one little fun fact about them, over and over. Perhaps the most egregious points of the record however are the reggae ones like "Island Rain". Now where do you think all this music is leading? Waht do you think is missing from this album? If you guessed Jimmy fucking Buffet, well He makes his appearance on "Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season". Maybe you need a boat to like this album, or to have vacationed in the Islands growing up, but coming at this album blank it is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe this a record for somebody, but it sure is shit is not for me or anyone I know.

1.0 out of 10