One Thing At A Time - Album Review

At this point, everyone knows and has somewhat of an opinion on the mullet menace himself, Morgan Wallen. The Voice Season Six tenth-place finisher unforgivably made his way into our country hearts with the sea-sickening “Up Down” (featuring everyone’s favorite band named after a geographical border, Florida Georgia Line). Ironically, Wallen’s musical career has been much more Up than it has been Down, and with his 2023 release One Thing At A Time, he proves, yet again, that whatever he releases gets slurped up by radio stations and SEC frat houses. Be that impressive or frustrating in your eyes, there’s no denying that Morgan Wallen is currently to country music what Toby Keith was in 2002 and Kenny Chesney was in 2005.

(Forgive me, my knowledge of NOW That’s What I Call Country Music! artists is limited to what was playing when I was eight. This is my first country album review, give me a break.)

Since Wallen released his one hour and forty-seven-minute sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, he seemed to gain in both fame and infamy -- the former due to the album’s raging success, and the latter due to Wallen’s raging night out with his, ahem, friends. Now with two years for his PR team to catch their breath, Wallen embarked on a follow-up that was sure to be either a massive success or a faceplant failure (odds were like 95-5, but that’s just me tossing numbers around). To his critics that said Dangerous was too lengthy, Wallen looked them dead in the eyes and said “bet,” as he followed-up his marathon of a thirty-track album with a Morganthon 36-track record (That joke was bad, I’ll see myself out).

But I can’t give an in-depth description on all thirty-six tracks, as I have a life to live! I can, however, devote 1-3 sentences to each song, as I don’t really have that much going on.

1. "Born With a Beer In My Hand" – Starting off strong with a heartfelt song about Wallen’s struggle with sobriety. As you will see, this struggle lasts all of two seconds…

2. "Last Night" – …because the first lyrics of "Last Night" starts off with letting liquor get the best of you. So much for those AA meetings. Don’t worry, we’re not done with our handle of Jack quite yet.

3. "Everything I Love" – This is the type of catchy melody that makes Morgan Wallen transcend genres. Honestly, a 10/10 song.

4. "Man Made A Bar (ft. Eric Church)" – Lyrically, may be Wallen’s best on the album. He knows this, as he cashes in a feature from country icon Enrique Iglesias (pretty sure that translates to Eric Church, don’t quote me on that).

5. "Devil Don’t Know" – A dramatic and moody episode involved with drowning our sorrows with alcohol. We will revisit this trope.

6. "One Thing At A Time" – Has basically the same premise as the previous song, but with more energy and less depression. Bears the title-track pressure with grace.

7. "’98 Braves" –This is a song you write for a girl you did not care one bit about. Wallen put more effort into trying to make this song work than he did the relationship.

8. "Ain’t That Some" – Nah, you can’t convince me Colt Ford didn’t write this MF.

9. "I Wrote the Book" – The “distorted guitars with hip-hop snares” combination is becoming a Morgan Wallen staple that no country artist has been able to pull off. Takes guts to attempt, but he has over and over again with massive succes, so keep it going.

10. "Tennessee Numbers" – Finally, a breakup song that has some authenticity in its lyrics. We’re taking steps in the right direction.

11. "Hope That’s True" – That steel guitar leading the slow and groovy pacing is giving me a Carribbean Country feel to it. Cruise ships porting out of Mobile are going to eat this up.

12. "Whiskey Friends" – As promised, here is our “drink my sorrows after a breakup” sequel.

13. "Sunrise" – We’re back to the hip-hop snares and percussion, but this one isn’t hitting as strong as earlier. Honestly, could have left this one off the album.

14. "Keith Whitley" – Wallen had Whitley on the mind, as he was a prominent character in “Whiskey Friends” two songs up. And again, this is a drinking heartbreak song, so could’ve found its way off the album, as well.

15. "In the Bible (ft. HARDY)" – There’s Wallen’s writing BFF, HARDY. Thank goodness, because his feature really adds flavor that this song would not have had without him.

16. "You Proof" – It’s laughable how close this song was to cracking my Top 10 songs of 2022 list. (Yes, I know it’s another drinking heartbreak song. No one said I was consistent.)

17. "Thought You Should Know" – An emotional, vulnerable letter to his mother. My favorite in terms of lyrics and meaning.

18. "F150-50" - This title is almost comical. Like, I get what he’s saying, but come on. This is a title that would come from a listener-submitted radio contest.

19. "Neon Star" – Melody reminds me of that “Applebee’s on a date night” song (purposefully not mentioning the title out of spite). Difference is that my will to live is still present while listening to this song.

20. "I Deserve A Drink" – I don’t even remember this song, but I get the gist from the title. (Actually, gave it another listen. Remembered it. Not bad).

21. "Wine Into Water" – The writing BFFs are trying to get their wordplay brownie points, but they’re only getting Chips Ahoy for this one. It’s okay, not memorable and not worth the calories.

22. "Me + All Your Reasons" – Not sure why this song resonates with me the most so far, especially since it’s a story that’s already been told on the album. I blame the high-pitched trailing guitar licks through the verse and a bridge that picks up in aggression.

23. "Tennessee Fan" – Kind of ironic that this song is about Tennessee losing to Bama, but was released after Tennessee beat Bama. Seems like Wallen had his doubts.

24. "Money On Me" – Jesus Christ, I’m still writing. This album will give me carpal tunnel. As for this track, nothing memorable. I’ve already forgotten it.

25. "Thinkin’ Bout Me" - Yes, Bartender, I will take a strong pouring of Not This.

26. "Single Than She Was" – Another uninspiring story. Nothing to see here.

27. "Days That End In Why" – With another drinking heartbreak song, that opening track that talked of sobriety seems like several albums ago.

28. "Last Drive Down Main" – The first song with the instruments playing more of a vital role. The drums sound like they actually want to be there, and the high-pitched single guitar note that finds a way to stretch over an entire verse gives this song its own breath.

29. "Me To Me" – Why can my head not… stop… bobbing along? The twin brother of the Dangerous title track, and that song made my 2021 Best of list. We’re in, dare I say, dangerous territory (I will, again, see myself out).

30. "Don’t Think Jesus" – An attempt at his own “Cover Me Up,” these lyrics reflect a troubled Wallen. This would’ve been better earlier in the track listing to interrupt the flow of repetitive stories.

31. "180 (Lifestyle)" - If Wallen was going to replicate a “Broadway Girls” for his own album, he should’ve at least included a hip-hop feature. Honestly, you throw any rapper on here, and this song has a lot more pop to it.

32. "Had It" – Me, with writing this review.

33. "Cowgirls (ft. ERNEST)" – Another example where the feature resurrects the song. I think this one would’ve been good with Wallen on it by himself, but with ERNEST, this could easily be a radio hit.

34. "Good Girl Gone Missin’" – When I heard the muffled background shouts immediately following the chorus, I thought to myself, “Hmm, that really sounds like a Post Malone vocal effect.” Sure enough, one of the song’s and album’s main producers, Charlie Handsome, has also done over twenty Post Malone songs. Took me until Track 34 to realize, but better late than never.

35. "Outlook" – A solid penultimate song to bring us to the finish line.

36. "Dying Man" – And we cross that finish line with wrapping around full circle, starting the album with “Born” and ending with “Dying.” It’s bold of Wallen to directly compare himself to Elvis and Hank Williams, but with his popularity, hard to argue that he’s that far off.

Finally, after thirty-six songs, I have formed a gripping opinion: thirty-six songs are too many for an album. Wallen is best for easy listening, but devoting your full attention to One Thing At A Time is a burdensome process. You can pick and choose songs that are highlights, but the fillers are what slow you down in this playthrough.

Throughout all of One Thing At A Time, you’re probably left with roughly fifteen strong tracks that can stand firm on their own and have a story that isn’t beat into you with a wiffle ball bat. Coincidentally, that’s about how many tracks are on a normal album, who would’ve thunk! And if you limit this album to fifteen tracks, we’re perhaps looking at an all-time country classic (granted, fans may instill that honor to the album, anyway).

If the 68 tracks from the last two albums proved anything, it’s that fans cannot, will not, and utterly refuse to get enough Morgan Wallen. But by God, if his next album has forty tracks on it…

Top 3 Songs: Me To Me, You Proof, Everything I Love

Rating: 60 songs over a two-album period/ 100