Award-winning country star Luke Combs became a household name in the past few years. Known for producing heartbreak country hits, Combs’ fifth studio album, released Friday, comes in time for Father’s Day weekend — right in line with the album’s theme. Combs dedicated the album Fathers & Sons to multiple influential men in his life: his sons, father and grandfather. Different from the heartbreak hits Combs is known for, this album proves a refreshing display of Combs’ storytelling ability.

Fathers & Sons initially poses as a gift to the singer’s sons for when he is no longer around — a solemn and wholesome message that stands out from the popular romantic hits “Beautiful Crazy” and “Forever After All.” Throughout the 12-track album, the focus transitions to a reflection of the men influential in Combs’ upbringing. The album conveys the confidence Combs gained through his career and a personal desire to create meaningful and genuine work rather than mainstream success. 

The first track, “Front Door Famous,” establishes the intent of the album, explaining that coming home to his sons feels more valuable to Combs than any audience he travels to. While this and multiple other songs in the album focus on Combs’ perspective of his kids, “The Man He Sees in Me” focuses on his son’s perspective and stands out as one of the best songs of the album despite its short, two minutes and 45 seconds playtime. With heart-wrenching lines such as “I hope he never finds out that I didn’t hang the moon/ And I’ve never scared a monster out the closet in his room,” Combs reflects on his son’s idealized, high impression of him. 

From there, tracks like “Remember Him That Way” and “All I Ever Do is Leave” appear reflective of Combs’ impression of his own dad. The songs carry bittersweet memories of Combs seeing his own father as a Superman figure even as his dad gets older and the “S on his chest” fades. The songs also suggest a wisdom Combs feels he’s gained over time in being able to clearly see the hard work his dad put in for him growing up. 

“Ride Around Heaven” uniquely focuses on Combs’ relationship with his grandfather’s memory. It creatively details a dreamlike experience of having more time with his grandfather, saying he’s only “a prayer away” from sweetly driving around together again. Throughout the album, but in this song especially, Combs’ moving lyrics gleam as the star of the show more than the guitar alongside them.

Overall, the sad but sweet Fathers & Sons represents Combs’ desire to produce creative and honest work. Though it is not the love letter work fans have come to expect from the artist, it teases a focus on more meaningful storytelling from Combs in the future which, considering the album’s lyricism and strength, proves something to look forward to. 

4 ballgames out of 5