What You See is... Luke Combs!

Luke Combs is one of the most powerful country singers of today's time. Photo Credit: Lukecombs.com

         When looking at popular country songs there are various themes that are appealing to the country music audience, like falling in love, breaking up, living like an outlaw, and working hard on the farm. Luke Combs is no exception when it comes to these themes, however there is something about his songs that others just don’t have. Combs has a way of singing songs that listeners can relate to so easily. Though, I have noticed that through his songs, if I’m not crying, I just don’t enjoy the songs. 

For instance, in past albums, “Houston, We’ve Got a Problem,” “This One’s for You,” “Beautiful Crazy,” and “I Got Away With You” are all of my favorite songs and they all end with tears rolling down my face. “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “Out There,” and “Can I Get an Outlaw” are some others that I enjoy, but I don’t love and I also don't end up crying. Combs’ new album, What You See is What You Get is no exception to this odd phenomenon. You can listen to the album on Spotify by using the link here.

“Even Though I'm Leaving,” I would say, would be one of the best songs on the album. It’s a song about a boy who has learned to lean on his Dad and through different stages in his life his Dad teaches him that no matter how far away he may seem, he’s always in his son’s heart. A story like this is one that a vast majority of listeners can relate to. 

Finally, what gives this song its final punch is the fact that that the only main instruments in the song are the guitar and the drum and they only come in when they are needed. This allows for Combs’ voice to be the main focus, so that the listeners can follow through with the story that he is telling without getting lost in the background music and with all of these factors considered, leave the audience in tears at least by the end of the song. 

Another really strong song that is powerful on the album is “Better Together.” Like “Even Though I’m Leaving,” it also does not have a lot of background noise. The only instrument in the song is a piano that really only stays underneath the melody, so it absolutely puts a spotlight on his voice.

 Combs starts out the song with some images that are appealing to the country crowd like, “…coke cans and BB guns, barbed wire and old fence posts, 8-point bucks in autumn…” Then when he compares those experiences to the love that is described in the song, then the listeners understand exactly how precious love can be. By the end of the song listeners will either end up crying, because they are waiting and wanting that type of love or they are crying because they know exactly what Combs is describing. 

Combs has had an amazing career and has accomplished a lot since his first album, "This One's for You." Photo Credits: JJ Hayes

The rest of Comb’s songs are great as well, but one way or another there is something missing that separates them from the ones above. “Dear Today” isn’t as strong, because there is no powerful story to the song. It is just a song about tomorrow “just checkin’ in” with today. Although, the first half of the song is sung acoustically and the second half brings in all of the backup instruments. In the beginning, it seems like you could actually be in the room with Combs and at the end Combs ends with an extra punch when the rest of the instruments enter. 

“Every Little Bit Helps,” “Angels Workin' Overtime,” “1, 2 Many,” and “Lovin' On You” are four great songs on the album. Even though they don’t have the strongest stories like some of the songs above and the songs aren’t sung acoustically, they are very “catchy.” This can definitely make listeners instantly want to dance or tap a foot to the them, which is a good thing since they are some other pretty heavy songs on the album. 

For “Blue Collar Boys,” “All Over Again,” “Refrigerator Door ” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” they all feel as if the instruments take away from the songs, especially when the drums come in. It is easy for the listeners to get consumed in the song itself and not to the words that Combs is speaking. This especially goes for “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” because Combs had sung that before it was on the album acoustically and it sounded a lot better. 

“Moon Over Mexico,” and “Nothing Like You” are good songs, because they don’t have the instruments that take away from Comb’s voice. The instruments are a lot lower compared to his voice, although there is a bit more instrumentals in “Moon Over Mexico” than “Nothin’ Like You”. The only reason why these songs differ from the stronger songs is that they don’t have as strong of stories as “Better Together,” especially “Nothin’ Like You” which shows because I don’t end up crying at the end of them. 

Finally, “What You See Is What You Get,” “Does To Me,” “New Every Day,” and “Reasons” are great songs because they don’t have overpowering instrumentals. “Does to Me” features Eric Church which makes the song interesting to listen to, but with these songs, I feel like they can be good if the listener can actually connect with what Combs is describing. If they can identify with the songs, then they would probably mean a lot to those listeners. For me, however, I am not going through these situations or identify with the songs, so I don’t particularly believe they are as strong as some of the others.

Luke Combs being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Photo Credits: Jessica Nicholson

Combs has compelled audiences everywhere with his music and his talented voice, although what clearly sets him apart from the crowd and greatly helped him get to the point where he was inducted in the Grand Ole Opry was his use of storytelling and capturing his voice in his songs. This is also what separates his songs from each other and is also why “Beautiful Crazy” is the top Luke Combs song on Spotify. Combs has been such an influence on the country genre, and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.