Let It Roll (Midland album)

Let It Roll is the second studio album by American country music group Midland. It was released on August 23, 2019 via Big Machine Records.

Let It Roll
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 23, 2019 (2019-08-23)
GenreNeotraditional country
Length51:39
LabelBig Machine
Producer
Midland chronology
On the Rocks
(2017)
Let It Roll
(2019)
The Sonic Ranch
(2021)
Singles from Let It Roll
  1. "Mr. Lonely"
    Released: April 15, 2019
  2. "Cheatin' Songs"
    Released: January 21, 2020[1]

Content edit

Midland released the album's lead single "Mr. Lonely" in February 2019.[2] As with their previous album On the Rocks, the project was produced by Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne.[3] In support of the album, the band began the Let It Roll Tour in June 2019.[4]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic74/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
Rolling Stone     [6]

The album received a Metacritic rating of 74 based on 5 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.[5]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that " It's a record that gets by on feel, not songs, which may mean that it doesn't provide many distinguishing hooks, but it does sound awfully good as it plays."[3] Also rating it 3.5 out of 5 stars, Jon Freeman of Rolling Stone called the album "immaculately disheveled" and noted influences of non-country artists, which he described as "a statement that the group’s fluid musical identity is a feature, not a bug."[6]

Commercial performance edit

Let It Roll debuted at No. 1 on Billboard' Top Country Albums with 22,000 units, 16,000 of which are traditional album sales. This is Midland's first number one on the chart.[7] On Billboard 200, the album debuted at No. 16.[8] The album has sold 41,300 copies in the United States as of March 2020.[9]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let It Roll"Jess Carson4:07
2."Fourteen Gears"
3:32
3."Mr. Lonely"3:00
4."Cheatin' Songs"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • McAnally
  • Osborne
3:35
5."Put the Hurt on Me"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • McAnally
  • Osborne
3:04
6."I Love You, Goodbye"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • McAnally
  • Osborne
3:08
7."Every Song's a Drinkin' Song"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • Liz Rose
  • Jeremy Spillman
3:56
8."21st Century Honky Tonk American Band"
4:38
9."Fast Hearts and Slow Towns"3:19
10."Cheatin' by the Rules"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • DiPiero
  • Akins
3:41
11."Playboys"
  • Carson
  • Wystrach
  • Duddy
  • McAnally
  • Osborne
3:41
12."Lost in the Night"
2:55
13."Gettin' the Feel"Carson4:33
14."Roll Away"
4:30
Total length:51:39

Personnel edit

From Let It Roll notes.[10]

Midland
  • Jess Carson - background vocals (all tracks except 14), lead vocals (14), acoustic guitar (all tracks), electric guitar (8)
  • Cameron Duddy - background vocals (all tracks except 12), lead vocals (12), bass guitar (all tracks)
  • Mark Wystrach - lead vocals (all tracks except 12 & 14), background vocals (12, 14), acoustic guitar (8)
Additional musicians
  • Dave Cohen - piano (12, 13), Hammond B-3 organ (14), Rhodes piano (6, 12), accordion (10)
  • Robbie Crowell - piano (7, 10), Hammond B-3 organ (3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13), Wurlitzer electric piano (4), Mellotron (14), Rhodes piano (8), synthesizer (9), saxophone (12), drums (1, 2, 7-9), percussion (11), tambourine (1)
  • Luke Cutchen - electric guitar (all tracks except 4 & 11)
  • Paul Franklin - steel guitar (all tracks)
  • Dann Huff - electric guitar (1, 2, 4-6, 9, 11, 12) acoustic guitar (2, 3), gut string guitar (5), 12-string guitar (4), slide guitar (1), mandolin (2, 4), Solina (4), bouzouki (11), sitar (1), Hammond B-3 organ (1), synthesizer (6), programming (3, 4, 8, 10), percussion (11), shaker (1)
  • David Huff - programming (1-6, 8-12)
  • Laur Joamets - electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (2, 9), high strung guitar (9), acoustic slide guitar (7)
  • Charlie Judge - piano (3), Hammond B-3 organ (4), Wurlitzer electric piano (11), keyboards (5)
  • Rob McNelley - electric guitar (3-5, 11)
  • Greg Morrow - drums (3-5, 11)
  • Gordon Mote - piano (9), Hammond B-3 organ (9)
  • Jerry Roe - drums (6, 10, 12-14), congas (12), tambourine (6)
  • Derek Wells - electric guitar (6, 10, 12, 13)
Technical
  • Adam Ayan - mastering
  • Cameron Duddy - art direction
  • Mike "Frog" Griffith - production coordination
  • Joseph Holguin - recording assistant (1, 3-7, 8, 10-14)
  • Dann Huff - producer
  • David Huff - digital editing
  • Steve Marcantonio - recording (all tracks except 8)
  • Shane McAnally - producer
  • Seth Morton - recording (all tracks except 8)
  • Britt Murray - recording (9)
  • Justin Niebank - mixing
  • Josh Osborne - producer
  • Jordan Reed - recording assistant (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11)
  • Jacob Sciba - recording (8)
  • Chris Small - digital editing
  • Harper Smith - photography

Charts edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Future Releases for Country Radio Stations". All Access. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  2. ^ Marissa R. Moss (March 29, 2019). "Midland Play the Lothario in Mischievous New Song 'Mr. Lonely'". Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ a b c Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Let It Roll". AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. ^ Carena Liptak (August 20, 2019). "Everything we know about Midland's new album, Let It Roll". The Boot. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Let It Roll by Midland". Metacritic.
  6. ^ a b Jon Freeman (August 22, 2019). "Midland's 'Let it Roll' is an Immaculately Disheveled Success". Rolling Stone Country. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. ^ Asker, Jim (September 3, 2019). "Midland Scores First Top Country Albums No. 1, Tanya Tucker and Vince Gill Return to Top 10". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. September 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Bjorke, Matt (March 10, 2020). "Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020". RoughStock. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  10. ^ Let It Roll (CD insert). Midland. Big Machine Records. 2019. BMRML0200A.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #540". auspOp. August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  12. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  14. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Midland – Let It Roll". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  16. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  17. ^ "Midland Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "Midland Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
  19. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2021.