photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

Single Reviews of Copper Flats: “Should’ve Been Doin’,” “Household Name,” and “Airplanes and Telephones”

Copper Flats is the trio of Brandon Kelly (lead vocals), Jeremy Castaldo (keys/acoustic guitar/electric guitar/background vocals), and Drew Smith (acoustic guitar/background vocals). And “Should’ve Been Doin’,” “Household Name,” and “Airplanes and Telephones” are the band’s first trio of song releases. Three singles, three different nuances on a bigtime, bowl-you-over, massive country music sound. Copper Flats explodes out of the blocks with these catchy, radio-ready arena-pleasers. Simply put, if you like modern guitar-driven country music, you’ll dig Copper Flats.

photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

One of my personal complaints about this type of music is that the songs can be formulaic and unimaginative. Copper Flats does tug at many of the stereotypical heartstrings, as their songs delve heavily into the topics of home, family, and nostalgia, but they don’t get lazy with their lyrics or their instrumentation. That’s the difference between pretender and contender in the world of big, booming, rockin’ country music. It’s also a necessity to get a review with my byline here at the blog. (“Just like everyone else” doesn’t cut it with me.)

image courtesy of Skye Media

The big, swirling guitar that kicks off “Should’ve Been Doin'” reminds me of something Lonestar might do. (You may have noticed over the years that if I reference Lonestar, that’s a big compliment.) It’s a simple, homespun life message packaged in a catchy veneer, a pop-friendly ode to the simple life with a message that appeals broadly. And they namedrop George Strait in the lyrics – you can’t go wrong with that! Plus, it sports a hook that’ll have you remembering it for a while.

image courtesy of Skye Media

Until, of course, you hear “Household Name.” Putting a fun spin on the term, celebrating small-town family life, the energetic verses lead to a memorably hooky payoff in the title lyric. I’m also a bit partial to the late-song musical breakdown that’ll give you chills if you’re in just the right mood. In the promo material, Castaldo captures the song’s essence: “We don’t need fortune and fame, but thank God every day for the lives he’s blessed us with and the opportunities to lead our families and households well.” That’s about as cool a message as there is. You oughta give this song a listen.

image courtesy of Skye Media

The third Copper Flats single, though, topped these first two in catchiness, and believe me when I say that’s not easy. In fact, I’d rather listen to these three songs in order than just one on repeat. Yet “Airplanes and Telephones” is probably the best of the three. It’s a wistful heartbreak song penned by country hit-writers Andrew Dorff, Jonathan Singleton, and Zach Crowell, that sports a big country sound, surging with power, peaking into the title lyric, then releasing into another thoughtful lyric, all wrapped up in a tuneful package with some kickass electric axework dancing through it to help it rock.

Based on these three songs, I have no doubt Copper Flats would be a fun live show and is capable of reliably releasing singles and albums that’ll appeal to any country music fan, as well as plenty of us with broader musical tastes who simply enjoy catchy, energetic performances of well-written songs.

photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

More Recently

The band has a couple more recently-released songs on Spotify – “Golden” and “Blue Collar Man” – though I haven’t heard them yet. (I’ve just been churning through my review playlist.) I’ll have to check them out when I get the chance.

Looking Ahead

This is a sound that’s almost certain to play well live, and they have several shows coming up. In November, you can catch the band in Conway, El Dorado, and Paris, Arkansas. The first week of December, they’ll be performing with Sister Hazel in Pontiac, Michigan on December 4th and in Wabash, Indiana on December 5th. And Copper Flats has a New Year’s Eve show in Benton, Arkansas. Be sure to check out the “Tour” page of the band’s website for times and locations of those shows, as well as additional performances, as they’re added.

You can also see all of the Copper Flats’ social and other key links at its linktree.