Big Smo is looking to make a big statement with his new album, Special Reserve.
The country rapper has always drawn on his real life to create his music, and he dives right in with “Country Outlaw,” the first single and lead track on Special Reserve. Heavy drums, guitars and banjos set the powerful backdrop for a track about hanging on to your values and fighting for what you believe in.
That’s a recurring theme for the album, echoed again in “Monster in Me” and again in “Swingin’,” while still more tracks including “I’m Still Here” and “Livin’ a Country Song” celebrate the simple values of the rural American way of life.
Big Smo has always been an ambitious writer, never satisfied with pat rhymes or simple tracks. He digs in deep on Special Reserve, showing off a more sentimental side with “Memories” while reaching for more ground musically than before. Smo draws on a diverse palette of influences including country, blues, rap and more, doubling down on many of the core lyrical themes that have characterized his past music while still finding new ways to express himself.
“If you want to stand out in the world today as an artist, you need to break through the noise,” Big Smo tells Taste of Country. “This is the album that will break through and stand alone.”
Special Reserve is premiering exclusively today on Taste of Country. The album is set for official release on Friday (Feb. 23). Listen to it below, and visit Smo’s website for more information, or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Listen to Big Smo, Special Reserve
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This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TasteofCountry.com
