Charley Crockett Previews New Album With Soulful ‘I Need Your Love’

Charley Crockett will release his second full-length album of 2021 in September. The Texas performer’s Music City USA (out September 17th) follows the surprise James Hand tribute 10 for Slim and includes the single “I Need Your Love,” which came out Friday.

Music City USA continues the wildly prolific streak Crockett has maintained in recent years and will make for his 10th album since 2015. This time he worked with producer Mark Neill, who also oversaw Crockett’s 2020 album Welcome to Hard Times.

“I Need Your Love” shows off the soulful side of Crockett’s artistry, slowing the tempo to a languid groove and dropping in some humid brass hits. “Ooh child I’ve been gamblin’ I’ve been ramblin’ all around/I know trouble’s coming cause sorrow’s all that I’ve found,” he sings, pleading for a little (or a lot of) affection.

Though its title is a nod to Nashville’s nickname, Music City USA demonstrates his ease with switching between styles and distances him somewhat from the country-music capital’s singer-songwriter community.

“I feel like that’s just one of my many faces,” Crockett told IndieLand earlier this year. “I don’t mean this to come off wrong: I can do what they do, but they can’t do what I do. And the only thing they’re ever looking at me for are the things they compare me to because of what they do.”

Crockett has numerous headlining and festival dates lined up for this summer, including Orville Peck’s Rodeo at Red Rocks, Austin City Limits, and MerleFest.

1. “Honest Fight”
2. “I Need Your Love”
3. “The World Just Broke My Heart”
4. “Are We Lonesome Yet”
5. “This Foolish Game”
6. “Round This World”
7. “Music City USA”
8. “Just So You Know”
9. “Lies and Regret”
10. “I Won’t Cry”
11. “Smoky”
12. “Muddy Water”
13. “518”
14. “Only Game in Town”
15. “Hanger On”
16. “Skip a Rope”