As Gloriana put together their second album being more than just a buzzed-about band, they really had to step up their game. Whether they felt the pressure to prevent a sophomore slump or not, the country trio did really well for themselves.
The charming Country act’s first album from 2008 was what made many pop music fans semi-Country fans in the wake of crossovers like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. But this band, similar to Lady Antebellum with its style but variant in its tactics, is too sweet not to be given a chance. They don’t go too heavy on the twang that Country music haters tend to despise and their hooks are infectious. Their breakout single “Wild At Heart” was even played on adult contemporary stations because it was so catchy that the general public was turned onto it.
In a concert before the release of A Thousand Miles Left Behind, Gloriana performed “(Kissed You) Good Night” and described it as a song that’s “helping people get some all across America.” Aphrodisiac or not, this song is the best Country duet we’ve heard since “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” Reminiscent, sweet and soft, this song is incredibly memorable.
Every chorus on this new album is so lively and passionately executed, driven by firepower collaborative persistence.
It’s a bit crazy how everything came to fruition, too, given lead member Cheyenne Kimball’s mid-process departure last year, which forced Gloriana to re-cut some songs without the singer. She’s still present on most of A Thousand Miles Left Behind’s tracks, though, which jumbles confusing plot lines in the album’s story.
It brings some end-of-summer sing-along music, too. The opening song is a killer track full of crooner lines like “I know that everything I ever need is in your eyes/that the grass ain’t greener on the other side” that’ll be played on Country radio for years to come.
It’s not all smiles and laughs, too. “Go On… Miss Me” is pure sass and unabashed “better off without you” humor encapsulated in a song. Immediately following is the difficult breakup tune “Can’t Shake You,” about the challenging nightmare of seeing an ex-lover everywhere you go. So all sides are clearly represented, displaying the band’s talents that can be stretched to varying degrees and emotions.
A Thousand Miles Left Behind is a resource for people in or out of love. It’s a very flirtatious album as a matter of fact, harmlessly poking at tales of hooking up and sharing a kiss for the first time. These things are often so veiled in pop music so it’s actually a bit of a surprise to hear it being addressed without comparison or metaphor here in the realm of Country music.
The clichés don’t actually stop firing one after another throughout the album, but sometimes it’s a good indulgence when it’s not too overwhelming. We’d suggest a break between listens at the least, though. Essentially it’s hard to call it “some of the most tolerable Country you’ll hear all year” but it’s the truth. Let’s hope the rest of Gloriana’s days without Cheyenne Kimball have been as strong as the first.
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