Kansas Anymore Album Review

Let me tell you guys, everyday since this album has come out I have run right back to it. My Spotify Wrapped is 100% rigged at this point with every track on here. And, as if I didn’t love it enough, Mr. Tucker came out with a deluxe – Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) – so let’s get right into it. 

Writings on the Wall

 “Writings on the Wall” is the first track on the album and starts off strong with an isolated acapella vocal before the instruments come in. Role Model also usually opens with this one live, and it’s a banger. It’s raw, you can really hear his voice, and its easy to catch an overall vibe for the record. He is immediately displaying the persistence that he will use trying to get his girl back when he says, “Seems like your shoulder keeps getting colder, but babe I was raised in the cold, wish I could do what I’m told.” He is saying flat out that he has a track record of doing the opposite of what people want him to do. This sets up his “bad boy, class clown” persona. The tempo kicks up in the chorus as Tucker tells a simple but memorable story. There is a grand importance to the lines that repeat, “Writings on the wall, I pretend I can’t read.” Repeating this over and over again makes me realize that the answers are right in front of him but he “pretends he can’t read” because he simply does not want to believe the truth. Going off of this, he brings up his Dad in the chorus which sparks listeners’ interest when they think of their own parents giving advice that they don’t necessarily want to hear, but they know is right. Tucker is telling everyone that you can still be in love aside from what others think, two things can always be true. 

Look at that Woman

The soft upward strum of the acoustic guitar in the beginning of this track brings out the understanding that this will be a praise of Tucker’s former relationship. He criticises the way she can make him crazy, but have him running back at the same time, and almost always “breaking his heart.” He also admits within his lyrics that she always kept him in check and that without her, he would be a mess. A popular detail to pay attention to in a relationship is whether your partner likes silver or gold. On this track Tucker makes a prominent reference to the hoops in white gold that sit in the girl’s ears, giving subtle clues to who he writes these songs about. These small details make Tucker appealing and charming to his audience. Stories and details are important to many, and paying attention to whether the girl wore silver or gold let alone the detail of “white gold” gets people excited. 

This track is very straightforward from the jump. In harmony with a rough strumming pattern, he immediately confesses that the Scumbag he is talking about is himself. This track serves as another dedication to the woman who stood by Tucker even though he sucks. He uses metaphors to describe himself as the worst guy in the world, and at the end he always reiterates that the girl always stood by him. The self awareness really shines through here and is highlighted further throughout the album. The bridge has a fast paced run-on, during which he is describing all of the things that could have been done instead of staying with him – essentially proving he does not think very highly of himself.  

Oh, Gemini

This track starts off with delicate strumming and innocent sounding vocals – again reiterating dedication and yearning. He admits that during the relationship it was difficult for him to explain his emotions. By saying “I don’t speak too much, so you can’t help but wonder if I’m still in love,” he recognizes that his actions and lack of emotions makes it hard for a partner to understand what he is feeling towards her. The lyrics demonstrate signs that he desperately wants to hear from the woman even if it means getting cursed out or put down. He also recognizes his faults again by saying, “I’m something to regret,” as well as stating his lack of good qualities without her by his side by saying, “But without you what am I?”

Frances

“Frances” is another delicate and simplistic yet telling track on the album. It opens with a soft banjo, creating a dainty feel. He illustrates another vivid picture to describe things that used to remind him of her. Another recognition of uselessness: “I still can’t get it right,” he soon accepts defeat and is happy that he ever got to love her at all. He admits to outshining her and stepping on her toes, reflecting on the fact that the small details about her drew him in every time. Something important to note is his repeated mentioning parental figures. He often repeats, “But at the end of the day what’s my mother gonna say when I come home cryin?” In a way, this reflects the importance of parental approval to him. Whether he is talking about his own parents or the parents of his significant other, he wants to impress them and make sure they’re proud of what he’s done. I believe that paying attention to the small details of what he loves about her makes a real difference in his tone. Referring to things such as, “every letter in her name,” and, “every smile on her face,” being a positive aspect of the beautiful things he saw in her tells us that he really cared about her. 

Superglue

Upbeat track. Straight back in with the apologies. The quick strumming and hi-hats go together and make a light hearted sound. Further admitting, “I’m nothing without you” he is playing the sympathy card yet again. Admitting throughout the song that he is flawed and has fallen out with a lot of people and wants to make a change this time because this girl is special. The pre-chorus leads in with a description of him being scared to ask her if she’s depressed and him questioning the change of pace in their relationship. He lists all of the negative changes and moods that have been coming through, but then goes onto the chorus swearing that the couple will be alright with “quick fixes” or “superglue.” 

The Dinner

This track is one of my favorites. It takes us into a scene of a boyfriend getting invited to his girlfriend’s family dinner. Immediately he claims that the “guest list” attending the dinner is “hell on earth,” which is a bit of a concerning way to describe your partner’s family. Meeting her parents brings great observations in his mind. He passes judgements on her father and it becomes clear that this is a classic semi-wealthy American family. The immediate mention of Ozempic tells us that this happened pretty recently. He promotes a stereotype towards the stay at home mom description when he says, “unemployed and unashamed.” The last verse is a quick description of an escape plan to this invasive and overbearing dinner that clearly did not go well, so much so that he Irish-goodbyed. The lines that say “I click my heels three times” are poetic references to the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy clicks her heels three times for a wish. At this chore of a dinner, all he wishes is that he can leave. 

Deeply Still in Love

The immediate ring of the triplet snare hits gets me excited for the fun that I know this song will be. As soon as this track starts, Tucker seems cockier and more accepting of his heartbreaking situation. He is confident when he starts in with, “Well, hey there lover.” He congratulates her on doing better without him. But still, he confesses all feelings for the girl without holding back. The ad libs add a really fun aspect to the song and tells us that people will be dancing to this song despite its painful message. Saying throughout the song, “hey, that’s all right” while simultaneously saying that he is still in love with the girl is pretty contradictory in the best type of way. Again he reassures that he will be okay but he is, in fact, Deeply Still in Love. 

Slut Era (Interlude)

This song is fucking crazy live btw. It comes creeping in with a blues-y riff with slow swinging drum hits. Essentially the whole thing means he doesn’t really care who he hooks up with but he needs someone to help him get over someone else. This short track introduces a more douchey/rude side of Tucker that the rest of the album doesn’t portray. 

So far gone (feat. Lizzie McAlpine)

This song starts with a simple and sentimental tone yet says insulting things. He compares the woman to his mother, calling her a nag. He references the flaws of his brother that he now resembles because the woman left him. He also inflicts pity on himself by calling himself “far gone” and “lonely.” Lizzie McAlpine comes in as the other POV, calling him just like his father, in comparison to his “mother” comment towards her. Bringing up parental figures and siblings on this track displays his annoyance of “ending up like our parents.” In unison they begin to repeat the choruses that allude to the fact that all he wanted was honesty, but honestly he could not have handled the truth. 

Slipfast 

This track starts with a bunch of ‘If, Then’ statements. All of the statements mean that he wants people to know if things were different, things would be different. So much so to the point that he gets “carried away” with daydreaming and thinking about what could have been. Most of the track acts as a way to let his wandering thoughts out into the open. He admits that he likes the feeling of “letting it all burn down.” Which to me, could only mean somewhere in all the chaos, he can’t help but feel entertained by the mess he’s made. In contradiction to this idea, he says “Oh my god, what I’d pay to just run away from this? Let me pay for it later.” The question mark in the middle of this makes us understand that he often thinks about running away from the life he has but he isn’t so sure it is a good idea. The answer of, “let me pay for it later” helps me understand that he doesn’t have the guts to run away, nor does he truly want to. 

Compromise

This is another one of my favorite tracks on this album. It starts very delicately and genuinely. He makes a point that even though the relationship is over, the memories are forever just like dark memories and physical things like photos. The entire track is Tucker recognizing that even though things are over, he wants the best for the woman. He wants her never to let obstacles and “disasters” get in the way of finding the perfect guy and life for herself. He confronts the fact that he knew she believed her depression and baggage was too much for him to handle and that he would run from it. But in reality, he saw her flaws as normal human behavior. The most notable part of this song is towards the end, a woman begins speaking in French. The translation for what she is saying sums up to mean that nobody knows how love begins or ends and it just happens and it’s a mystery. It is beautiful because it is not clear cut or one answer. 

Something, Somehow, Someday

This is my absolute favorite track on this record. The entire thing is a dedication to the ways that he is imperfect and she is perfect. Tucker goes on and on describing negative qualities about himself and putting her on a pedestal for all of her amazing qualities. Nevertheless, he says that they are meant to be together. Among these descriptions, he is describing himself as rugged, while describing her as peaceful and pretty. Although he is describing himself as a bum loser, the sound of his voice is so delicate that it makes me think he can’t possibly be so bad. The end lets the soft guitar ring out leaving “Something, Somehow, Someday,” up for interpretation. 

Old Recliners

This song starts off with a sound of nostalgia that makes me believe the entire thing is a flashback. Starting off with, “I remember” and describing a very specific scene about (it seems like) a couple that was settled down with a routine that makes every year the same. He chooses to pinpoint the overthinking that sparks up inside the wife when she begins to hang Christmas lights. But at night, he reiterates that all the man thinks about is the one that got away. He refers back to the fact that he was never good enough for her and could never fix her mental health. So he says, “I’m sure you’ll find somebody stronger,” assuming that one day she would find somebody to do the things he couldn’t. He flashes forward to a time where the woman has a boring job that doesn’t earn her much money or fulfill her. Wondering if she thinks about him. He assumes she settled and did not ever find somebody that great. 

Sally, When the Wine Runs Out

This track, while being a huge sensation, has always been confusing to me. It doesn’t really match the rest of the album with themes of yearning and lost love. This track focuses on fun and partying and almost has nothing to do with the woman Tucker is chasing after in every other track. I would say it’s more geared towards people that are looking for a light hearted single to dance to – a break from all the sorrow and heartbreak that can be heard on the rest of the album. I find it to be similar to “Slut Era (Interlude),” in the way that it is  more careless and random. The bridge is a super catch run on sentence and really encapsulates what most people know role model from. It draws people in with words like, “diva,” which contribute to his whole brand. This language and overall vibe separates Role Model as an artist.

Some Protector

This song heads back into our longing version of Tucker. “Closing time” to me has a double meaning. It refers to the idea that he is drinking and thinking again as well as the
“Closing” to their relationship. He questions what she is up to and who she is with now. He reaffirms that he is still always thinking about her and will do anything for her. But at this point, he knows he can’t be invasive by trying to contact her when she’s committed to loving someone else. This track has also become a huge tiktok and public sensation because of its questioning bridge. The essential idea of the bridge is that he is throwing out obvious ‘yes’ answer questions that are presented as rhetorical. He exhibits hints and tones of anger in the bridge that suggest he is moving through stages of grief for the death of this relationship. 

The Longest Goodbye

This track serves as an outro to the entire record. It comes in with a casual riff and whistle giving a cowboy feel. He presents the woman as a being that evoked a bit of motivation inside him. He then shows signs that he doesn’t really idolize or trust who she is anymore but is accepting of his resolved feelings. He admits he was difficult to deal with sometimes as anyone is in a relationship. He also points out that she somewhat lied to him by saying it was okay, but then left him anyway. Petty lines are presented about the new guy the woman has around. He does not see him as better or special, he just pettily wishes the best for her. And now that she has a new guy he sees that, “the bar is finally closing.” I see this ‘bar closing’ as a metaphor for the door that is closing on their relationship. Admitting that they both do not love each other anymore but there will always be feelings of nostalgia and maybe hope for them sometime in the future. He also seems super aware of her feelings that she was not sharing with him that things were over. He continues to say he doesn’t think they love each other anymore, meaning that there’s a hope that they might someday. And at last, the audience feels a short lived example of acceptance.