Keith Urban - The Speed of Now Part 1

  by Zena Grieg

published: 6 / 10 / 2020

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Review

Finished during lockdown, ‘The Speed of Now Part 1’, the eleventh studio album, by the New Zealand born, Australia-raised, Nashville-based country singer, Keith Urban, shows Urban’s continued ability to mix catchy country sounds with soft rock, pop and a hint of rap. Urban said the title came about “when I did a couple of the C2C (Country To Country) shows. I was travelling around and started to notice people everywhere were moving faster. The album title is a dark, comedic dig at the absurdity of that.” Highlights of this 16-track album include ‘Out the Cage’ with its frenetic tempo, featuring Nile Rodgers on guitar and Atlanta-based country rapper Breland, a song Urban said speaks “to confinement of all kind…that song meant just as much to me for people in dead end jobs or stuck relationships or so many situations where we’re confined, oppressed, held back and just wanna break free of it.” This is a song whose message is intended to last beyond COVID-19: “In my mind’s eye/Lies the key that’ll open the door/You can’t break me/There’s a new day comin’,” its syncopated staccato vocals –“Every time I/Feel like I just can’t take it no more/I get angry/That’s when I start runnin’”, underscoring the urgency. The wistful ‘Superman’ with its upbeat style and catchy riffs, and the layered country-rocker ‘Tumbleweed’ are characteristic Urban. By contrast, the acoustic, nostalgic Ed Sheeran-style ‘Polaroid’ and the reflective, introspective ‘Better Than I Am’, written with the British musician/songwriter Eg White have a different feel. An album of notable collaborations, ‘The Speed of Now Part 1’ features Urban duetting with Pink on the vocally-driven music video ‘One Too Many’ and with Nashville singer-songwriter Eric Church on his nostalgic ballad ‘We Were’ (also featuring as a solo track by Urban), closing the album. This is an entertaining collection, showcasing Urban’s characteristically blended style. It leaves listeners looking forward to ‘The Speed of Now Part 2’.

Track Listing:-

1 Out The Cage [feat. Breland & Nile Rodgers]
2 One Too Many
3 Live With
4 Superman
5 Change Your Mind
6 Forever
7 Say Something
8 Soul Food
9 Ain't It Like A Woman
10 With You
11 Tumbleweed
12 God Whispered Your Name
13 Polaroid
14 Better Than I Am