Cage Free Music

Release Date: February 2nd 2024

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

High Valley– Small Town Somethin’ EP (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Not Yet
2. Small Town Somethin’
3. Buy A Boy A Baseball
4. Blood
5. Countin Em Up
6. Solid Ground

I think I’ve mentioned this fact several times on this website. But since branching out in 2019 to many different types of music beyond the genres of CCM and worship; I’ve been inspired and blessed to hear country music– the deep, introspective, honest, personal, emotional and reflective melodies, that hit my soul hard to the core. Artists like Carrie Underwood, Maddie & Tae, Lady A, Rascal Flatts, Hunter Hayes, Lauren Alaina, Martina McBride, Mickey Guyton, Cassadee Pope, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Thomas Rhett, Lindsay Ell, Tenille Arts, Ingrid Andress, Tenille Townes, Miranda Lambert, Gabby Barrett, Chris Stapleton, Carly Pearce, Kelsea Ballerini, and even Taylor Swift (as well as newcomers Mackenzie Porter, Hannah Ellis, Ashley Cooke and Alana Springsteen!); have all inspired and blessed me greatly with their powerful, confronting, and challenging melodies. Even though I’m not American, it is these artists above who have helped place this genre in a special place in my heart. Yet Life Rolls On by Florida Georgia Line was, for all intents and purposes, an album that made me lose my faith in country music a little bit. Not a lot, but just a little bit. I reviewed the album here, but the gist of my assessment of one of the most blandest country albums I’ve ever heard; was that it was honestly a train-wreck. I can’t sugar-coat this review, and it made me think that maybe the country genre was more like another cog in the machine of mass-produced Nashville inspired melodies; rather than the deep-thinking, moving, and thought-provoking genre I initially believed it to be. Albums from Walker Hayes (Country Stuff The Album) and Brian Kelley (Sunshine State Of Mind) initially proved my hypothesis- that deep thinking country music wasn’t the norm, and that perhaps I happened to listen to good country artists when perhaps the whole genre had issues. And though that may be true on some level, the real truth is that there are inspiring musicians and not-so-inspiring musicians in each genre of music- country included.

The past few months, Canadian country band High Valley released their latest project Small Town Somethin’. Now I hadn’t heard of these guys before (and it was up and coming CCM/country singer Anne Wilson tweeting about their song together called “Somebody Tell That Girl”, that made me semi interested in their music in the first place!); but I initially presumed that they’d be another ‘bro-country’ artist like Dan + Shay or Florida Georgia Line. I came into the album Way Back with low expectations, but still an interest to listen to this album because it was country. The result was a collection of 13 honest, hopeful, vulnerable, and inspiring melodies that are powerful, impacting, and well-worth the listen. High Valley probably isn’t the most popular country band. But this album is important, and this album is needed; especially in these times of still-going-on-COVID-19 and political division around the world. Fast forward to now, and let’s see how Small Town Somethin’ stacks up, shall we?

Opening with the fun-filled but introspective and reflective melody “Not Yet”, we are met with this timeless message of living life to the fullest and packing a lot into each day so as to make some memories that we can look back on with fondness and with pride. A song that highlights the notion of being present in the moment as opposed to on your phone or wondering about the future; this track encourages us to take risks and go for what you want- and create some good stories and friendships along the way. Sadly though, the title track reeks of sameness and cliches, as the band highlight the qualities in a girl that they find attractive and endearing; while the honest, emotional and hard-hitting track “Buy A Boy A Baseball” speaks about becoming the best version of yourself you can be- for men that is as a father, as a son, as a brother, so that one day you can teach the next generation how to live their life in a better way that you ever did and that you could ever live. “Blood”, a declaration of belief and a prayer of sorts that is head and shoulders above anything else on this EP, and similar in theme of Mandisa’s “Bleed the Same”, speaks about making a stand for what you believe in, as the band fervently cry out that ‘…it’s stronger than the Mississippi, thicker than water, running through the veins of the sons and daughters, passed down from our mother’s and father’s blood, yeah, sins got washed by the man on the cross, and the wars got fought, got won, got lost with it, we are who we are who we are because it’s in our blood…’; while the penultimate track “Countin Em Up” speaks about thankfulness and gratefulness and being aware of God’s blessings in your life, and just praising Him because of all He’s done in our lives and what He’s given us. The final melody in this EP actually surprised me a bit in an incredibly good way, and it’s because it’s an overt worship song called “Solid Ground”, a country reimagining of the timeless classic hymn “The Solid Rock”, and also a confirmation of the band’s strong faith in Jesus (or at least lead singer Brad Rempel’s- we need more songs like these, and it’s a great testament to how God is moving when we hear country and CCM collide (as is the case with Anne Wilson’s album REBEL!)

Small Town Somethin’ from High Valley isn’t the most popular nor the most inspiring album. Some songs like the title track, “Not Yet” (lyrically brilliant but musically bland!) and “Buy A Boy A Baseball” sound ok at best, but the back half of the EP more than makes up for this misstep (“Blood” and “Solid Ground” especially!). And as such, this EP is like a mixed bag… but overall, it’s a nice project. High Valley is a country band that is plain enjoyable to listen to- they’re inoffensive, and it’s hard not to like their albums. A number of songs deserve multiple listens- and after the years we’ve had, you can’t help but be inspired and impressed when listening to this EP. It’s not the best album of the year, but it does bring a smile to my face- and maybe it will to yours as well. “Solid Ground” is particularly rousing and encouraging!

The theme of this project is thankfulness. The tracks “Countin’ ‘Em Up” and of course “Small Town Somethin’” really deliver the ‘thank you’ we’ve always wanted to share with our fans. When putting together this EP, I took the time to reflect on my own life and songs like “Buy a Boy a Baseball” and “Not Yet” are two that really hammer home my passion for the life I’m living with my family and how I’m dead set on trying to squeeze out every ounce of time I can find with them. Then the songs “Blood” and “Solid Ground” really focus on my faith and family, two things I am the most grateful for.

3 songs to listen to: Blood, Countin Em Up, Solid Ground

Score: 4/5

RIYL: The Reklaws, Floridia Georgia Line, Maddie & Tae, Runaway June, Midland, Lady A, Old Dominion