Full Review

Dan + Shay, Bigger Houses Review

From Pitstop to Highway: The Multifaceted Journey of Dan + Shay’s Bigger Houses

Buckle up ’cause we’re moving into a bigger house in the heartland! I’m absolutely giddy to give you my take on Dan + Shay’s latest offering, Bigger Houses. Released on September 15, 2023, through Warner Music Nashville, this album pulls out from the pitstop of Good Things and gets Dan + Shay back on the country-pop highway. My friends, this one avoids the majority of pop-country’s potholes, leading us into smooth pop-country territory where the stakes are high and the rewards? Soulfully divine.

Bigger Houses is an emotional roller coaster without the safety bars—just pure, unadulterated feels. It wraps you in a warm blanket of introspection, then shoves you out into a rainstorm of reality. You’re left drenched but feeling oh-so-alive. But don’t worry; the sun shines brightly here too. Multiple moments invite celebratory dances in the mud puddles of marriage and then let you dry off in the warm rays of life’s simple joys.

This album nudges us to value genuine relationships over materialistic pursuits in today’s chaotic world. The album captures the pulse of 2023, resonating with a world that’s becoming increasingly empathetic and connected. This is pop country, though, so if you’re looking for those beautiful traditional country timbres, just move on. Bigger Houses is a return to a more ‘traditional’ sound, but there is still a strong pop, electronica, and R&B influence on each track, with some having more or less of those colors.

Ever had your heart twisted, turned, and torn apart? “Save Me The Trouble” digs into that familiar pit of relationship woes. The harmonies? Velvet. The hook? A barbed wire that catches your soul. I’ve got to mention the pedal steel that sways like a lonesome cowboy; it’s like the cherry on a melancholic sundae. What we’ve got here is a country-pop two-step with the finesse of a Swiss watch.

“Always Gonna Be,” this one’s an ode to the eternal. When Dan + Shay harmonize, “Even when you’re pushing eighty / You’re still gonna drive me crazy,” I feel that, okay? The lyrics bottle up Americana into a swig so sweet, it would make Bruce Springsteen weep. The violin solo at 1:51? A streak of dawn breaking through the night.

Alright, if this doesn’t make you wanna get hitched in Vegas, what will? The intro starts like a gentle whisper before it catapults you into a honky-tonk carnival. It’s like a cinematic plot twist in a Tarantino movie; you think you know what’s coming, but bam! They hit you with a key change.

So, if you’re in for a musical fast-food meal on the country-pop highway that’s comfort food, with a side of broccoli, Bigger Houses is your order. In a drive-through menu where country music is evolving faster than you can say “yeehaw,” Dan + Shay have managed to throw their cowboy hat into a ring that’s already bursting with flavor, and oh my stars, do they shine, for the most part, and that’s the short of it!