Damn Love

The pastel pink on the album cover of Damn Love and the echoing Edge-y guitar of the title track deliberately evoke memories of Wild Ones, the 2015 album where Kip Moore emphasized his debt to 1980s heartland rock. So deep does this influence run that it was prevalent on Wild World, an otherwise pensive 2020 affair that failed to give Moore much of a hit. Maybe that lack of chart success is why Damn Love plays a bit like a jukebox kicking out old favorites from across the generations: hes kept his focus squarely on the song. This isnt a dramatic shift in direction -- even with its moody patina, Wild World played to the bleacher seats -- but rather emphasis, allowing Moore to concentrate on delivering brawny barroom anthems and flinty love songs. His sense of wanderlust is underscored by his reliance on pulsating arena rhythms and widescreen vistas, production tricks that give the impression that "Silver and Gold" and "Peace & Love" were designed for an open highway. Moores decision to concentrate on individual songs can sometimes lead him toward weathered cliches, but part of his charm is hearing how he flips a ballad inside out or sketches vivid personalities for the characters populating "Mickeys Bar." Perhaps its not a flashy skill, but it does result in sturdy songs that wear well, whether theyre heard on a jukebox or on the road. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine