Own Worst Enemy

Just a year after his major-label debut <i>Actin’ Up Again</i>, viral country up-and-comer Gavin Adcock returns with a double album—the latest in a string of country stars to go big or go home with sprawling, ambitious projects. With themes of heartbreak, self-destruction and redemption, <i>Own Worst Enemy</i>—as its title suggests—is a more personal outing than its predecessor, which is also reflected in the album’s more expansive production. The record opens with “Morning Bail”, a deceptively sweet song about waking up in the drunk tank after a rowdy night out. “Never Call Again” finds Adcock showing the gentler side of his often gruff voice, with drawn-out pedal steel flourishes adding a gauzy feel to the love song. The lone guest on <i>Own Worst Enemy</i> is Roswell, Georgia-raised Vincent Mason, who joins Adcock on “Almost Gone”, a down-and-out ballad about the one that got away. And the album of course includes the fan favourite “Last One to Know”.