Growin’ Fond of Luke Combs’ “Gettin’ Old”

Douglas Salter

Country singer songwriter Luke Combs released his fourth studio album “Gettin’ Old” on March 24. His new album is the sequel to his third studio album “Growin’ Up.”

The album has 18 songs in total and an overall listening time of one hour and six minutes. Combs released four songs leading up to the album’s release over the course of this year. Those four songs were “Love You Anyway,” “5 Leaf Clover,” “Joe,” and the title track “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old.” 

“Love You Anyway” is where Combs sings about how he would love his wife anyway no matter what happens because his life would not be as great without her. “Love You Anyway” has powerful vocals from Combs. It is a beautiful song due both to its music and words alike. I find myself listening and singing to it often. I think it will eventually become one of his most notable songs.

“Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” is about how Combs can still have a youthful mindset while enjoying the simple things in life as he gets older. “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” has a lot of impact due to the combination of the last two albums. However, it came with a lot of pressure to be perfect since it was the title track. The song did not disappoint due to its overall story-telling lyrics. It was very inspirational because he speaks on what many people aspire to be. People still want to tie their childhood and adolescence roots to their time as an adult. Combs shared his passion for growing up and getting old. It makes sense why he modeled his albums after this song because it speaks volumes. 

“5 Leaf Clover” is how Combs is lucky enough to have a wife as great as his. It is a sweet song with lots of passion. His vocals are immaculate, and the tempo is nicely balanced. Like “Love You Anyway,” the song is about his wife Nicole. Combs writes many songs about his wife and like many others, you can tell how much he cherishes and cares for her.

“Joe” is about the Average Joe and how he is doing alright with what he has. In my opinion Combs rarely ever writes a bad song, however “Joe” in my opinion was not a good song. It was a different style than what he normally writes. I was not a fan of the production either. While it was not my top choice, it does not overly affect my review.

The other 14 songs had variety and some even excelled. Combs wrote love songs, he told stories about the unknown and sometimes he just played his heart out to an upbeat tempo. One song that really stood out was “Take You With Me.” The song was about a father and his relationship with his son. Combs became a father last summer to his son Tex. Becoming a father meant everything to Combs and that is demonstrated within the song. Combs is most likely telling the story of how hewants to take his son with him wherever he goes. According to an interview on CMT.com in 2022, Combs said, “I don’t want to be a Dad that’s not around.” This songs displays the overall effect of Combs as he says “Gettin’ Old.”

Overall, the album “Gettin’ Old” was a fantastic album and a great sequel to “Growin’ Up.” Combs is one of the best singers and songwriters in country music right now so it is no surprise how great the album was. While he did have a disappointing song, no artist is perfect. His different tempos and styles tell so many great stories about the world and the life of Combs within. I give the album 9/10.