Higher – Chris Stapleton

By Alex Hargreaves

Chris Stapleton’s journey to fame has been anything but straightforward. Starting out as a relatively small-time country and blues artist, Stapelton didn’t release his first solo album until 2015. When he arrived on the scene, however,he arrived with a bang. The release of Traveller was met with resounding critical acclaim, earning him three Grammys, including Album of the Year. Since then, he has released four  more studio albums, with hits like ‘You Should Probably Leave’ and ‘Broken Halos’ living on as earworms to all those who listen. During the course of his solo career, he has cemented himself as a legend of country crossover music. 

His most recent release, Higher, continues to utilise his golden formula to create another classic album.  He doesn't stray from what works, producing a  reliable album that grows and grows on you, the more times you listen to it. Higher also marks the first ever producing credit for Stapleton’s long time collaborator and wife, Morgane Stapleton . In my mind, Morgane is the underappreciated secret ingredient to the magical Stapleton formula. Little to none of the songs we know and love today would have been written without her in mind, and it goes without saying that her ever present yet somewhat disguised high harmony elevates what is already poetry to another dimension. She particularly shines on ‘Crosswind’ and ‘What Am I Gonna Do’. It is no surprise that Stapleton dedicates this album to Morgane. 

If I'm being totally transparent, upon first listen, I was somewhat underwhelmed by this album. I had immediately fallen in love with the 3 singles released prior to the album: ‘White Horse’, ‘Think I’m In Love With You’, and ‘It Takes A Woman’, so the rest of the tracks felt like fillers . Usually, this would lead me to write the album off as boring, but as I wandered about town with it replaying in my airpods (my favourite way of getting to know a new album after its release), I subconsciously began to notice the small but mighty nuances that make the album a masterpiece. 

The album’s title track was the first song to creep up on me. Its beginning notes are  understated, paving the way for what I deem one of Stapleton’s strongest vocal performances of his career. No other track in  his catalogue showcases his range quite like ‘Higher’ and by the time Stapleton arrives at the bridge, the song reaches its climax. Songs with this much raw emotion are usually accompanied by lyrics depicting heartbreak and betrayal, however ‘Higher’ offers the exact opposite, telling a story of someone so consumed by love for their partner that nothing earthly could surpass it. At times, its lyrics border on cheesy  (“I could shoot out to space, count the endless sea of stars, but with you I’d have to say, that my heavens never quite that far” struck me as such) but the grittiness provided by the raw vocal and acoustic backing saves it from becoming a cliche.  

‘White Horse’ provides us with the more ‘metal’ heaviness we see in songs like ‘Parachute’ and ‘Nobody To Blame’ which characterised Chris Stapleton’s sound and contributed to the success of Traveller. If ‘Higher’ is a soppy love song, up in the clouds, then ‘White Horse’ brings us right back down to earth. His question “If you want a cowboy on a white horse, Ridin’ off into the sunset” makes even me, a distinctly English, uncowboy-y person begin to ponder whether I would. ‘White Horse’ is by no means an imitation of its previous tracks, it comes off more as an homage.

My personal favourite on this album has to go to ‘The Bottom’. In this track, we hear Morgane Stapleton’s vocals shine, lacing the track in her silky register to create a juxtaposition between the catchy melody and sorrow of the protagonist who searches at the bottom of the bottle for the answers to a lost love. The chorus is written in a way that builds upon itself, both melodically and lyrically, eventually culminating in the final line : “A hundred proof Truth, And a hope that’s long gone”. In some ways, I identify with the problem of the singer and there’s something about this track that is haunting . 

Higher requires some digging in order to get to its best bits, but don’t they say that good things come with hard work? This is no  revolutionary album, but those who criticise it for this are missing the point entirely. In the least self indulgent way possible, Stapelton pays homage to himself, highlighting what already works and reinforcing it with an air of maturity. This cowboy certainly hasn't lost his touch just yet.