Album Review: Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem

In recent years, Morgan Wallen has risen through the ranks to become one of the biggest country stars of the last decade. From humble beginnings in 2014, his subsequent albums have been gargantuan outputs featuring thirty-plus songs and a handful of each reaching viral hit status. This latest release, I’m The Problem, is no exception, clocking in at just under two hours long. The sheer level of quality output left fans eagerly awaiting this record, and they certainly have nothing to be disappointed about.

Although welcomed by fans, the number of songs may be daunting to first-time listeners. However, the title track is the perfect place to start. Perfectly mixed acoustic, electric, and slide guitar, Morgan’s rich and warm vocals, and concise songwriting could sum up the entirety of the project, and I’m The Problem highlights this expertly. Just In Case is another example of the album’s sound, but integrates more of the pop sensibilities that Morgan is known for mixing in. Drum machine leads the groove, the acoustics and slide following the melancholic vocal. Falling Apart takes this feeling and expands on it, a breakup song of epic self-pitying proportions. Genesis and Revelation work as a great one-two punch, the former a mid-tempo rocker about every day temptations while the latter takes an acoustic turn, mirroring the hedonism of the former with a hangover ballad.

The record is packed with features, each one as notorious as the next. Tate McRae, Eric Church, HARDY, and EARNEST all lend their vocal talents to tunes, but it’s Post Malones inclusion on It Ain’t Comin’ Back that comes on top. It’s another self-loathing addition to the tracklist, Post and Morgan singing about their bad sides, but their voices meld wonderfully together, and the song itself is catchy and instrumentally rich. Kiss Her In Front Of You brings in a stronger 808 beat, while Love Somebody’s chill indie drumbeat melds with the slide guitars in a hypnotic fashion. The harmonised acoustic solo at the halfway point is also a nice touch. The album comes to a conclusion in fine fashion with I’m A Little Crazy, a perfect amalgamation of everything that’s come before, Morgan revealing his tendencies and views of the world, surmising his feelings in the succinct line ‘I’m a little crazy, but the world’s insane’. It’s a great full stop to an album that has seen Morgan dive into his darkside and come out accepting who he is.

While this album won’t shake the country scene to its core, it has certainly raised the expectations for this kind of pop-country intertwining. There is something for everyone on this album, easy to assume just by the sheer number of tracks, but this could easily have been a quantity over substance situation, which it seems is not the case. Wallen and his collaborators have knocked it out of the park once again.

Ryan Bulbeck

Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.