Founded in 1998, American country band Little Big Town released its latest album, “Mr. Sun,” on Sept. 16. Since its inception, Little Big Town has grown to be one of the most popular country music groups in the industry after winning three Grammy awards in the category for Best Country Music Duo/Group Performance. 

“Mr. Sun” is the group’s 10th studio album since its start. The new album dives into authenticity and expresses a sense of genuineness to its fan base. In an Instagram post on Friday announcing the release of the album, the group wrote, “It’s full of love, heartbreak, truth and is authentic to who we are as individuals and as a band.” The band went on to say that it wants fans to relate to the stories told through the songs. 

“Mr. Sun” consists of 16 tracks, each one telling an original story through meaningful and expressive lyrics. The four band members, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, execute each lyric with smooth Southern twang, intertwining every word with one another, creating effortless movement throughout the songs. 

The tracks are constructed through the work of powerful lyrics, embodying the human emotion behind the desire for the presence of a person, the excitement of warm summers, the pain of heartbreak and the comfort found in familiarity. In the track, “Last Day on Earth,” Schlapman sings, “You can be my shelter / I can be your favorite summer,” reflecting the need for reliability and dependency in life. 

In contrast, the song “Whiskey Colored Eyes,” although still composed of meaningful lyrics, should be played on a relaxing and warm summer day. The carefree lyrics blend with the content ambiance behind the instrumental music, establishing a simple sound for the end of the summer season. 

Although the album has a few upbeat and energetic songs, many others are packed full of lyrics about life experiences, relationships and love. Specifically, the final track on the album, “Friends of Mine,” is written with advice for and admiration of meaningful and lifelong friendships. 

 In the second verse of “Friends of Mine,” the lyrics, “Be in the moment / Find the strength not to give in / And we’ll sail on to better days” are sung, giving hope, inspiration and courage to listeners. The dedication to friendships and connections that Little Big Town shows through its songs reflects sincerity and vulnerability to their audience. 

Responsible for bringing uniqueness and life to the album is the retro, unparalleled instrumental sound behind every song on the track list. Setting “Mr. Sun” apart from their previous albums, Little Big Town has combined the humming of the guitar with the sweetness of the piano, topping off the sound with the beat of the drums to create a nostalgic 1970s tone for its music. The first song on the album, “All Summer,” embodies every aspect of the nostalgic hometown Southern summer story told through melodious music.

Every track that makes up “Mr. Sun” is carefully executed to reflect the most authentic version of Little Big Town. The experience of listening to the album rushes memories of long summer days, love, loss and young adulthood to the mind, accomplishing the composition of an album to listen to as the summer season fades into autumn. 

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