Wasted On You
Morgan Wallen

A change of pace today as we recommend a wistful country music track from a name we hadn’t heard of until the last fortnight. Judging by his 11 million monthly Spotify listeners, we might be among the last to catch on, but if you’re in the same boat, you have to hear Morgan Wallen’s letter of regret to an ex.

With an opening that could define the term ‘while my guitar gently weeps’ and a grit and a twang in his voice that pinpoints the genre immediately, Wasted On You also incorporates mainstream pop melody (you might imagine Hozier singing this also) to great effect, the chorus being a list of regrets that hits the same notes on a loop and sounds almost longer each time you hear it - a clever device. The harmonies on the chorus are beautiful, too, as if it’s actually one of those family country bands singing in tandem but is really just one amply mulleted gentleman.

It’s a story we can all relate to, perhaps not identically - we don’t all own a Chevy - but the person for whom you can do everything and it still not be enough. And especially the part about getting to the end of your tether and just pouring yourself a drink. Morgan, when you’ve exhausted time, money and prayer, we support your choices.

Country music doesn’t get much of an outing in the UK, but this is accessible, melodic, well constructed and catchy, and we recommend you giving it a shot (not just one of bourbon)

For fans of: Chris Stapleton, those moments in John Mayer songs where he fiddles with his guitar for a while in the middle, being better than your ex and being confident enough to say it.

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