Let’s be honest, so far 2020 has been one giant storm cloud of a year, but we have received a ray of sunshine! Keith Urban has delivered us a saving grace, his brand-new album “The Speed of Now Part 1”. It was back on May 8th that Keith teased us with arrival of the new album, it was in October of 2019 that the title came to him, but he could never imagine in 2020 “…that this album title would take on a whole new meaning and yet some how still feel incredibly relevant”.
“The Speed of Now Part 1” is Keith’s 12th studio album, and it continues the trajectory of Keith’s evolution as an artist. They say never judge a book by its cover, we say never judge an album by its genre. Country music may be where Keith’s roots as a musician began, but the music itself is an eclectic mix of the best all genres have to offer. This couldn’t be confirmed more than with the opening tracks of the album, which sees Keith collaborate with artists BRELAND and Nile Rogers (“Out the Cage”) and Australia’s adopted daughter P!NK (“One Too Many”) and The Chief, Eric Church (“We Were”). We started seeing Keith exploring collaborations on his albums back in 2013 on Fuse, which also happens to be the perfect simile for his ability to bring multiple musical stylings together and create something incredibly unique. These three tracks help exemplify how much of chameleon Keith really is.
“God Whispered Your Name”, one of the first singles released from the album, feels almost familiar, like a stranger that feels like an old friend. The quintessential Keith love song with a guitar riff that reaches through your speakers and touches your heart. “Better Than I Am” is a haunting song of self-reflection, co-written by Keith, you can hear influences of the blues, and at times, gospel, but what hit me most was this feeling of Crowded House, I almost expected to read the credits and see Neil & Tim Finn’s names. (That’s a great idea! Maybe next album KU).
There are few artists that can sing heartbreak better than Keith Urban, which makes “Change Your Mind” one of the standout tracks of the album. From the opening chords, the melody draws you in and commands your attention, which is when the power of the lyrics delivered by Keith’s exceptionally emotive vocals captures you completely. This song has #1 written all over it.
Then we get to the part of the album I like to refer to as ‘super charged’ Keith! If you have had the opportunity to experience Keith Urban live, then you already know, however if you haven’t, what are you waiting for! Seeing Keith live is not like attending your average concert, it is a full-blown super charged all-encompassing emotional experience. When you listen to the album you can immediately recognize the tracks that will become the highpoints of each show on the tour.
When it comes to “The Speed of Now Part 1” these tracks will be “Forever” “Superman” and “Tumbleweed” (co-written by Jaren & Neil from Cadillac Three) a song that feels like riding shotgun in a Shelby GT500 as the driver hits the nitrous charge! You can close your eyes and imagine being shoulder to shoulder with 10,000 Keith fans, screaming at the top of our lungs, as KU shreds the guitar as only, he can!
When an artist has created as many albums as Keith, the temptation to compare new bodies of work to your favourite past albums is inevitable. The brilliance of Keith is that as he continues to evolve and find new ways to share his creativity and deliver his mark on the musical landscape, by consistently reinventing the sound that has generated his position of success and place as a country music icon. Whether you are a lifelong fan or being introduced to Keith Urban for the first time, this album is a complete body of work representing all that is special and unique about this once in a lifetime artist.
You can check out the “Speed of Now Part 1” wherever you buy stream music and be sure to join the KU waitlist to be the first to hear about upcoming tours.