'Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going'

For when the vibe is moody, intimate, and rangy.

'Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going' -- The Vibe Triangulation

This is a tight, complex, rapturous work from Shaboozey. Both nostalgic and anticipatory, the album feels like a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain is driving into the sunset and never looking back…which I guess is kind of the point.

Blending hip-hop with traditional country elements of slide guitars and violins, the album starts on a high note with ‘Horses & Hellcats,’ where Shaboozey explores concepts of freedom through acceptance and an nose-to-the grindstone kind of hard work. Then comes the breakaway “hit” -- ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)' -- which millennials will recognize as a country-fied JKwon masterpiece that feels like a party you don't want to leave. After that, Shaboozey gets back to celebrating rugged individualism and the grind with an assist from Paul Cauthen in ‘Last of My Kind.’ Sonically, ‘Anabelle’ is the final bop of the album for a little while, but tonally it prepares you for what’s ahead with strong sense of regret trending despair. ‘East of Massanutten’ is a true gem, embodying a classic Western ballad and capturing the pain of loss that always accompanies the beginning of a journey, even when the end of the road is the goal. And then comes the real meat of the album, where Shaboozey bounces between urgency and acceptance with "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" style whistled shining out in 'Steal Her From Me' and a small tonal break in the form of ‘Drink Don’t Need No Mix.’ ‘Finally Over’ offers a complex look at the nature of stoic acceptance, which can be at once painful and liberating.

The album is full of unique and compelling individual songs that hang together spectacularly as an album. Forgive me for saying that when you get to the end, no one is glad that the show is ‘Finally Over.’

Buy the Album

$21.23 on Amazon