Album #6 from Nashville singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer Anderson East. Worthy is a celebration of big ballads, packed with moments of vulnerability, surrealist confessions and unvarnished testimonials.
Release Date: 30th May 2025
Label: Rounder Records
Formats: CD / Vinyl / Digital
TASTY MORSELS…
We’ve already enjoyed a few tasty morsels to establish our expectations for Worthy, the 6th album from Nashville singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Anderson East. Lead single, Say I Love You was described, by head Waterboy Mike Scott, no less, as “A very beautiful record; a combination of melody and emotion – the classic components.” Less poetically, but no less enthusiastically, we at At The Barrier called Anderson’s March single, Chasing You, “…an enticing appetizer for the album to come.” We weren’t wrong – that’s for sure.
ANDERSON EAST
Anderson East – or Michael Cameron Anderson, as his mother still, no doubt, refers to him – began life in Athens, Alabama. The first, tentative, steps of his music career were spent, firstly, as an opening act, then later as a supporting musician to Holly Williams, granddaughter of Hank. His 2009 debut album, Closing Credits For A Fire, was released under his birth name, before he revealed his stage moniker to the world with his 2012 offering, Flowers of the Broken Hearted.
Over the years, Anderson East has enjoyed considerable success, particularly if your favoured measure of success is Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay (AAA) chart. 2017 single, All On My Mind hit the #1 spot on that chart and, more recently, that lauded recent single, Say I Love You reached # 39.
MUSCLE SHOALS RADIANCE
Worthy follows Anderson’s 2021 opus, Maybe We Never Die and it’s his debut product for Rounder Records. The album began life in June 2023, when Anderson, long-time collaborator Dave Cobb and the rest of Anderson’s touring band – including Darren Dodd (drums), Gregg Garner (bass), Philip Towns (piano, organ), Ben Clark (trumpet) and Nate Haffron (sax) – assembled at Cobb’s Nashville home to work up the 10 songs that constitute Worthy. Anderson enlisted help from collaborators including Natalie Hemby, Trent Dabbs and vocalists Foy Vance and Bonnie Bishop, and Worthy was born.
The result is an album that oozes Muscle Shoals radiance, is awash with soulful horns and is packed with lyrics that paint a stirring portrait of the artist that Andersson East has become.
EARNEST INTENSITY
Thoughtful acoustic guitar provides the launch pad for I’d Do Anything, the album’s substantial opening track. Anderson’s vocals are earnest and intense on a song that invites the listener to ‘sway’ along. I’m reminded of Harry Chapin by the style and substance of the song, especially as Anderson hits the “I’d do anything to hold onto this moment” climax and the horns – Ben’s trumpet and Nate’s sax – provide the icing on a rich and tasty cake.
Anderson adopts an agonized, pleading, persona – reminiscent of Robin Gibb – for Anyway, a plaintive ballad. The band create a big sound, with Anderson’s chiming guitar way up front in Dave Cobb’s rich, lush, mix and Anderson’s vocal passion intensifies until he almost screams the song’s “I still haunt you anyway” refrain.
A DEFINATE HIGHLIGHT
The album’s detailed press release describes Anderson as “…staring into an encroaching apocalypse [and] …content to have found real happiness at least once” to explain the concept behind lead single, Say I Love You. A chugging rhythm and bright flourishes of guitar provide the accompaniment to a truly passionate vocal delivery that takes on a soothing edge as Anderson urges: “Say it one more time.” And who am I reminded of with this one? Nilsson, I’d suggest…
Worthy, the album’s title track is a definite highlight. A thumping drumbeat and strident guitar notch up the tempo for a dramatic rock song with a shuffling rhythm. The band cut loose, tethered only by the strategically-placed horns and Philip’s electric piano adds a jazzy aftertaste.
POWERFUL BALLADS
The gospel-tinged Never Meant to Hurt You sprung to life during an early late-night session in Dave Cobb’s Savannah studio and, when Anderson persuaded Foy Vance and Bonnie Bishop to add their incredible backing vocals – well – the picture was complete. It’s a powerful song, a cornerstone track. The strings and those divine backing vocals give the song a smooth, rich quality and Anderson’s vocals are equal to the challenge that they lay down.
Written with collaborator Natalie Hemby, the soothing Before It Gets Better has been described as “…a dashing bit of vulnerability.” The song’s lyrics express the pain of a thwarted relationship, but they also offer a glimmer of hope, with the payoff line: “Maybe it gets worse – but you make it better.” And Fool Myself, another collaboration, this time with Anderson’s buddy Trent Dabbs, is another powerful ballad. It’s a song with an anthemic quality, especially during the “I can fool myself and I can fool anyone else” refrain. It’s like a soulful take on Knocking on Heaven’s Door!
FUNK – AND A WAY WITH WORDS
Trent Dabbs is back, along with April Rucker, to provide the soulful backing vocals that illuminate Reasons. Gregg’s bass is bubbly and funky and, together with Darren’s crisp drumbeat, propels the song along nicely. Anderson moderates his voice to a conspiratorial tone during the verse, but really lets loose during the “I wonder how far love will go” chorus.
We’ve already had the opportunity to wax lyrical within these pages over Chasing You, the song that appeared as a single back in March and I can now happily confirm that it’s a song that grows. And grows. Indeed, it’s probably my pick of the entire bunch, with soft, intimate, verses dominated by guitar and piano and horns that slide in effortlessly to bolster the chorus. And, as I’ve already suggested, Anderson, with lyrics like: “Could have been forever, could have been last Thursday, could have been a million years ago. All I know is I’ve been chasing you through every lifetime we’ve been through – and I’m not tired of chasing you,” shows that he has a pretty neat way with words.
A LOVINGLY-EXECUTED ALBUM
Worthy concludes on an intimate note with Right Where You’re Meant To Be, a song that allows Anderson to express his vow to “…stick around when the chaos and concern of life become overwhelming and ostracizing.” Voice and electric piano are joined respectfully as the band kick in and, as the pace builds, resonant guitar joins the mix. Sincerity pervades in a song that provides a wholly satisfying end to a thoughtfully-structured and lovingly executed album.
Watch Anderson East and his band perform Say I Love You, the album’s lauded lead single, live at Nashville’s East Iris Studios, below:
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