Actin' Up Again
| Actin' Up Again | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Actin Up Again - Gavin Adcock.webp | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 2, 2024 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 55:07 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Jay Rodgers | |||
| Gavin Adcock chronology | ||||
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Actin' Up Again is the second studio album by American country music artist Gavin Adcock. The album was released on August 2, 2024, via Thrivin' Here and Warner Nashville and produced by Jay Rodgers.
The album marks Adcock's major record-label debut.
Background
[edit | edit source]Originally from Watkinsville, Georgia, Adcock began writing songs in high school but only pursued music full-time in 2021 after a career-ending football injury.[1] By 2024, he amassed over 270 million streams and a growing fanbase through a string of singles and live performances.[2][3] Adcock announced Actin' Up Again during CMA Fest week in June 2024, revealing the single "Sweetheart" would be released ahead of the album on June 7.[2]
Adcock co-wrote every track on the record, aiming to "fight the fight" for more traditional instrumentation and raw storytelling in country music, while maintaining his self-described "unapologetic" and "rowdy" approach.[3]
The album's release was accompanied by a series of high-profile promotional events, including a downtown Nashville mural unveiling, surprise bar performances, and an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.[3]
Themes
[edit | edit source]Actin' Up Again combines country pop hooks with Southern rock guitar work, steel guitar flourishes, and storytelling rooted in small-town life and personal experience.[3][4] The title track opens the album with a driving, twang-inflected rock arrangement and humorous, vice-filled lyrics about heartbreak.[1] The record's stylistic variety includes the Bon Jovi-inspired "Sweetheart" and "All I Need", the bluesy "Don't Like Leavin' You", the grunge-influenced "Want Me to Be", and the R&B-tinged "The Battle".[1]
Several songs take a more introspective turn, including "A Cigarette", a mournful ballad about loneliness, "As He Could Be", a piano-led portrayal of alcoholism, and the stripped-down "Sober".[1] Up-tempo numbers such as "Past Actions" and "Run Your Mouth" lean heavily on Southern rock and outlaw country energy.[1][3]
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | StarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[4] |
| Entertainment Focus | StarStarStarHalf starFile:Star empty.svg[1] |
AllMusic described the album as "party-starting, beer-drinking anthems and hangdog breakup ballads" that strike "the sweet spot between Southern rock and bro-country with amiable precision.[4] Laura Cooney of Entertainment Focus praised Adcock's gravelly drawl, varied influences, and standout tracks like "Back to This Bar," "Four Leaf Clover," and "Wake Up With You," but noted that the record felt "too heavily weighted towards the back end" and could benefit from trimming.[1]
Commercial performance
[edit | edit source]Ahead of the album's release, "A Cigarette" surpassed 70 million US on-demand streams and 500,000 unit equivalents.[3] Other singles, including "Four Leaf Clover" and "Sober", became streaming successes.[2][3] The album's rollout coincided with Adcock's slot as headliner for the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, with most dates selling out before launch.[3]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]All tracks written or co-written by Adcock with additional co-writers listed.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Actin' Up Again" | 3:13 | |
| 2. | "Back to This Bar" | Jack Rauton | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Sweetheart" | Rauton | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Wake Up With You" |
| 3:03 |
| 5. | "Sober" | Rauton | 3:13 |
| 6. | "Four Leaf Clover" | 3:11 | |
| 7. | "Want Me to Be" | 2:49 | |
| 8. | "Don't Like Leavin' You" | Spencer Bargfrede | 3:49 |
| 9. | "A Cigarette" | 2:59 | |
| 10. | "As He Could Be" | 4:40 | |
| 11. | "All I Need" | Bargfrede | 3:28 |
| 12. | "The Battle" | 4:49 | |
| 13. | "Past Actions" | Rauton | 3:24 |
| 14. | "Run Your Mouth" | Rauton | 2:40 |
| 15. | "Demons of Today" | 3:42 | |
| 16. | "Hours and Hours" | Jay Rodgers | 2:56 |
| Total length: | 55:07 | ||
Personnel
[edit | edit source]- Gavin Adcock – vocals, acoustic guitar (6, 8, 10, 14, 15)
- Bennett Boswell – acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 8, 9, 15)
- Brian Dennard – drums (tracks 1–4, 7, 11, 13–15)
- Brody Frasier – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 11–15), guitar (3), acoustic guitar, banjo (15)
- Michael Westbrook – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15), steel guitar (3), acoustic guitar (4, 11)
- Scott Nicholson – organ (track 1), acoustic guitar (7), piano (10)
- Jack Rauton – acoustic guitar (tracks 2–4, 13)
- Andrew Hanmer – drums (tracks 6, 12)
- John Neff – steel guitar (tracks 9, 10)
- Spencer Bargfrede – acoustic guitar (tracks 10, 11)
- Jay Rodgers – producer, mixing, engineer (all tracks), bass (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 10–16), electric guitar (1, 16), guitar (3), acoustic guitar, drums, keyboard (16)
- Joel Hatstat – mastering (all tracks)
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5] | 82 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] |
19 |
References
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