REVIEW: Tyler Childers engulfs us through his journey to awaken his roots through his new album “Rustin’ In The Rain.”

Tyler Childers sends us into a tizzy with his newest album. He is an indie country/folk artist who released his first album, Purgatory, in 2017. Since then, he has released six albums in total, quite a few singles, EPs, and his music has trended on and off in the country music community. He is most commonly known for his album Country Squire, released in 2019. First discovering his music at a family gathering, I honestly paid no attention to it. Later, after rediscovering him for myself, he sparked my continuous love of the country music genre.

Childer’s all-encompassing album is a road with many twists and turns, exploring feelings of love, safety, nervousness, compassion, confusion, and more. It opens you to vulnerability in ways you never thought possible. Specifically, his cover of the song “Help Me Make It Through the Night” was originally performed by Kris Kristofferson. The song makes my heart ache, similar to the feeling of looking out a window during a massive thunderstorm. His talent shines through as he can make a cover sound like an original song. His skills are showcased phenomenally throughout this whole album; it has no skips.

Childers inserts himself into his music. A commonality in his writing is that it combines his emotions and experiences. In his 2017 album, he takes inspiration from his wife, Senora May, for whom he explicitly wrote the song “Lady May." It's a stunning song with an entirely different vibe from his newest album. The contrast of his music encapsulates his passion and ability to flow through the sub-genres of country music.

My favorite track on the album, “Rustin’ In The Rain,” has a honkey-tonk country vibe, whilst most of the other songs have a more neo-classical vibe. I favor this song due to its upbeat rhythm and lyrics, “I have gee’d and haw’d / Myself into a tizzy” and “Do not let my heart just fall apart / Rustin’ in the rain.”

The lyrics are so captivating, and the song makes you want to dance very playfully around your bedroom as if you were dancing to an Elvis Presley song. Speaking of Elvis, Tyler Childer’s album nods to Elvis Presley’s legend. Childers wanted to visit his musical roots, making a country album that could be pitched to the King of Rock and Roll. Tyler definitely succeeds. It's a fantastic album that allows for interpretation and hints towards the rock and roll genre while also being a staple in country music.

His music explores so many emotions and even explores topics that only a few country music artists would explore. It is imperative to highlight the inclusivity and eloquence of Childer’s song “In Your Love.” The piece on its own is euphonious, containing beautiful lyrics and a wonderful melody placed in the key of G Major. Music enthusiasts, G major is a ubiquitous key for a song, yet I could not imagine a song that it reminded me of. Regardless of its similarity to many pieces in the music industry, it has immense originality.

When he allows his audience to interpret the song, we can clearly identify that it is addressing the loss of a loved one or a widow's point of view after the passing of their significant other. Still, after seeing his music video, it is clear that it is so much more profound. It contains a homoerotic storyline of two men working in a coal mine who fell in love as young adults. The inclusivity of the queer community brings a deeper meaning to the song, but also shows us how deep love can be, whether or not everyone accepts it.

Childer showcases it gorgeously, bringing positive representation to the LGBTQ+ community in both the present and past. The verse, “We were never made to run forever / We were just meant to go long enough / To find what we were chasing after / I believe I found it here in your love,” is pivotal, emphasizing the intensity and power in the love narrative. Tyler captivates his audience well and has wholly impacted me emotionally.

This album makes me feel like a Tin Man, lying in the rain, letting my heart and body rust out of rapture and devastation. This compilation of covers and original narratives is performative, tugging hard on our heartstrings. Childers’s impactfulness makes this a perfect country album for those experiencing or captivated by somber love.