Wyatt Flores has released his new album, Scared of Heights, a 13-track record reviewed by Saving Country Music at 6.7 out of 10. The bulk of the album was produced by Charlie Handsome, known for work with Drake, Kanye West, The Weeknd and, most recently, Morgan Wallen, with additional production from Gian Stone and Jacob Kasher Hindlin, both veterans of mainstream pop sessions for artists like Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande.
The review frames the album as Flores' clearest turn toward pop production, though it argues the shift reads less abrupt than it might for other artists. Flores was never a hard traditional country singer to begin with, the review says, coming out of a Red Dirt tradition in Oklahoma and Texas that already blended in indie rock and pop influences well before this record.
Two songs draw the strongest praise: closer "Tulsa and Elanor," which the review calls driven by real heartbreak and emotional upheaval, and "Half the Man," singled out as one of the best songs of Flores' career for staying "incredibly rootsy" and personal despite the pop credits surrounding it. Much of the rest of the record leans toward bouncy, heavily produced tracks about young love that the review says are built for corporate country playlists rather than close listening.
The review directly compares Scared of Heights to the same week's new record from Shania Twain, noting that trade outlet Country Central scored Flores' album 5.3, a full point behind its score for Twain's. Flores said ahead of the release, "I finally feel like I know who I'm supposed to be, right here in this moment."
Scared of Heights joins the rest of the year's country releases tracked in the release calendar.
The facts
- Wyatt Flores' new album, Scared of Heights, was reviewed at 6.7 out of 10 by Saving Country Music
- It was primarily produced by pop hitmaker Charlie Handsome
- Standout tracks include "Half the Man" and closer "Tulsa and Elanor"
- Trade outlet Country Central scored the album 5.3, a point below its score for Shania Twain's new record
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