An important part of an album is the full listening experience and how the album is presented as a whole. While individual songs are important, an album as a whole is about how well it comes together. In that regard, Gary Pratt’s latest album, ‘Something Worth Remembering’, is a cohesive experience of various country ditties that form a surprisingly memorable whole.
The album’s made up of 11 tracks that are all about living through the rough and tumble life and experiences of Gary Pratt, as well as the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol. It’s not an incredibly deep album, but that’s by design. This is a light, more fun and simple album that’s meant to be just be enjoyed by the listener, which is why it’s surprising that it all meshes so well.
Instrumentally, the album is made of the hallmark country guitars, percussion and the occasional plinky piano. Along for the ride is the vocal performance from the artist himself, Gary Pratt, and he shows some truly delightful vocal performances that once again follow the rule of fun and enjoyability more than being showcases of technical prowess. This comes through especially in songs like ‘Country To The Bone’.
That’s not to say Gary doesn’t get to showcase some range however. The singer gets to channel his more sentimental side in songs like ‘When It’s Our Love That’s Lost’ and ‘To Find Us’, and he performs them with an admirable amount of skill without losing the fun feel of the more casual songs on the album.
The title track ‘Something Worth Remembering’ is the highlight of the album for sure, and it’s what makes the album as complete as it is. The soaring instrumental performance and lyrics complement the overall experience well. It encompasses everything that’s been built up over the album’s runtime and wraps up all the themes of the album perfectly in a well performed package. As the name would imply, it’s a very memorable closer, and it elevates the album beautifully.
It’s all of these unique qualities that bring ‘Something Worth Remembering’ together. It’s a great piece, and one that would fit nicely for any avid fan of country music. It may not be the most technically impressive or emotional album out there, but it makes up for it in sheer fun factor and pure bliss. Definitely check it out if you’ve got the opportunity to.
–Jason Airy
