Maren Morris’ “GIRL” is a sappy, emotional country-pop album that maintains the sound she’s known for while ventures in new directions.

“GIRL” is the second studio album from Texas-born country singer Maren Morris. While there are tracks that maintain that traditional country sound like “All My Favorite People” (featuring Brothers Osborne), there are also more pop-oriented/radio friendly tracks like “RSVP.” Morris is showing that she is a strong songwriter and a diverse, adaptable artist on “GIRL.”

The album kicks off with the upbeat, folksy-sounding “GIRL.” This track sets the tone for the album as uplifting and optimistic. It is incredibly inspiring to hear Maren’s sweet-sounding voice remind the listener that things will be okay.

A track that would be liked by fans of Maren’s older material is “The Feels.” This song maintains her country sound as well as the album’s themes of positivity.

While it might be attempting to bring positivity and good vibes, “All My Favorite People” (feat. Brothers Osborne) is so annoying. Not only are its messages vague and messy, the grating voice of Brothers Osborne conflicts so hard with Maren Morris. “All My Favorite People” has the sound of the worst of post-9/11 bro country while filled with vague lyrics that seem like they are scared of stating their beliefs.

One of the better tracks from this album is the Brandi Carlile feature “Common.” This soft and gentle track brings two strong voices together for a happy, loving peaceful anthem. Morris and Carlile’s sounds go so well together and the overall message of uniting and loving one another is so important in today’s social environment.

“Make Out With Me” is a standout track just from the title. Maren Morris brings so much soul to this romantic, folk-pop bop. Morris can truly do and go anywhere with her voice, but she shines brightest on these uplifting romantic songs.

The uplifting and hopeless romantic vibe continues on “Gold Love.” Maren Morris really flexes her vocal strengths on the chorus of this song as she jumps up and hits those notes. “Gold Love” is another track that is so different from Morris’ previous work. Some might be annoyed by Maren Morris’ pop sound, but songs like this fit her voice and vision so well.

“Great Ones” is another pop-country crossover with a slight folk vibe. It takes it down a notch or two, a stark difference from “Gold Love.” This song is also quite different from other tracks as it sounds more chill, risking itself of being a boring listener the other day.

A standout track that one might not expect on a Maren Morris album is the catchy, poppy “RSVP.” Morris is showing how she can adapt her sound and create a track that is unlike anything else she has done. “RSVP” is such a catchy song out of left field and one that anyone can find themselves in. The only true criticism of the song could be that it is so different from the rest of “GIRL.”

“Shade” is a strong conclusion to Maren Morris’ album as it is an incredibly positive, cheerful pop-country song. The guitars are so good on this song and they help bring out a Maren Morris’ voice in a diverse set of ways.

While there are so many great tracks on Maren Morris’ “GIRL” album, there are also quite a few filler tracks that add nothing to the album such as “The Bones.” Barring that, Maren Morris is an incredibly talented artist on the come up. “GIRL” is a great, solid pop-country record that highlight’s Maren Morris’ versatility and growth.

photo courtesy Stereogum