As far as country music goes, there’s a very narrow area of sound I find myself looking for when it comes to enjoying the genre. Classic country icons such as Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and their contemporaries come to mind as easy anytime listens, but country music from current years can be hit or miss as far as memorable artists and tracks go. When it comes to contemporary country, I often want something that harkens back to the sounds of older acts — Orville Peck, for instance. Lucky for me, Ricky Forest seems to have his intentions in similar trajectories as mine, and his output lines up with my tastes more often than not! His latest single, “Honey Please Come Home,” feels like a single straight out of ‘90s country,
Finding itself both tied to a very specific headspace and yet seemingly unstuck in time, “Honey Please Come Home” has arrived. It functions as a love song as much as it is undeniably a country hit, and its balance of melancholic regret and can-do country direction gives the song a unique twinge of something strong, yet hiding something beneath the surface. The orchestral string work alone will be enough to pull in listeners, but the confidence in the delivery of the vocals from Forest is what caught my attention on the first listen. Prompt and unique vocals are often enough to make a track in the current streaming landscape truly, and Forest’s voice is something that current country music is lacking. Not only does he have talent in his performance, but he has the tone and one-of-a-kind vocal presence that feels incomparable. There’s confidence in Ricky Forest’s act that can’t be denied.
“Honey Please Come Home” features pitch-perfect instrumentation, vulnerable lyrics that never seem to make an appearance in the genre, and a relatable story that gives the lyrics all the weight they need to stick in listeners’ memories. Not only does Forest bring his A-game when it comes to giving the single the gritty flourish it needs, but his vocal performance operates on a higher plane, too. I loved the tone he gives the verses, with that classic country crooner twang hitting all the right notes. There’s a decent amount of serious weight kept within the song’s subject matter, too, even with the mention of “not kicking the cat anymore” feeling like a fantastic bit of humor in a song dedicated to fully changing.
There’s no official release date for more material from Ricky Forest just yet, which gives listeners plenty of time to familiarize themselves with “Honey Please Come Home.” Sure, Forest has one foot in the past with the overall sound and approach for his latest single and one foot in the present, but his eyes are certainly set on the future — whatever comes next will only be better, still. Evocative of the classics but hellbent on burning his own trail, Forest is an act to watch as he continues his journey into modern country music.
Heather Savage
The music of Ricky Forest has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com