Thad Cockrell - If in Case You Feel the Same (2020)

The mood on If in Case You Feel the Same keeps changing. Thad Cockrell is adept at expressing hurt through music and there is plenty of that to be heard here — but there is also a very playful and fun aspect to this record. The lyrical themes veer between love and loneliness with a sprinkling of religion thrown in here and there. The overall feel changes so much that it seems as though the title, If in Case You Feel the Same, refers to a conversation Thad Cockrell is having with himself.

Once hailed for his straight-up country, Cockrell became burnt out from music and intended to leave the profession, but ended up forming the indie rock band Leagues instead. If In Case You Feel The Same is not a Leagues album, although it does venture into rock — thanks in part to a collaboration with Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes).

If anyone has straight-up country in mind, they will find that If in Case You Feel the Same is anything but. Influences of rock, gospel, soul, and electronica all emerge in these 10 tracks. "Slow and Steady" features a messy guitar that swells against a slow tempo. "Fill My Cup" is a rousing gospel number. The album is bookended with tracks titled "If in Case You Feel the Same" parts "1" and "2," respectively; the first is hopeful and cautious, while the second is both relaxed and beleaguered with a long and beautiful outro at the end.

If in Case You Feel the Same does not invoke a snapshot of the past, nor imagery that is tied to a particular place. Thad Cockrell hasn't completed abandoned his country beginnings, nor is he beholden. This album is about just being, however confusing that is.