Higher (Chris Stapleton album)

Higher is the fifth studio album by American musician Chris Stapleton, released through Mercury Nashville on November 10, 2023. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, Stapleton and his wife Morgane. It was preceded by the lead single "White Horse".

Background and recording
The album was recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee, and additionally features producer Dave Cobb on acoustic and electric guitar and Stapleton's wife Morgane on backing vocals, synthesizer and tambourine, along with contributions from members of his touring band J.T. Cure and Derek Mixon, as well as Paul Franklin, and Lee Pardini. A press release stated that the album "span[s] genres and def[ies] easy categorization", while Uproxx described the album and lead single "White Horse" as "emotionally raw and brutally honest".

The track "Loving You on My Mind" was previously recorded by Josh Turner on his 2010 album Haywire.

Critical reception
Higher received a score of 75 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Exclaim!'s Dylan Barnabe wrote that while the album "may not muster the same anthemic thunder of singles like 'Might as Well Get Stoned' (though 'White Horse' comes close), [...] it illustrates Stapleton's range and willingness to colour outside the lines", finding that "he's a little bit older and a little bit wiser, but Stapleton is still the same storyteller and he's still got things to say". Alyssa Goldberg of Paste stated, "musically, Higher maintains the same high-caliber energy as Stapleton's previous work [...] However, lyrically Higher is more reserved" than his past work, concluding that "despite [the album's] lyrical shortcomings, Chris Stapleton still reigns high in the country genre and has delivered another admirable album".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that "the heart of Higher resides in stark, intimate ballads and, especially, simmering soul numbers that rely as much on a supple groove as it does on Stapleton's gruff testifying". Lorie Liebig of American Songwriter wrote that "although his sound is more varied than ever, the collection of songs feels cohesive. He's never been an artist too confined by genre lines, but Higher lets Stapleton roam free creatively". John Amen of No Depression wrote, "Stapleton is at once adventurous and a proponent of the tried and true. With Higher, he navigates an array of intriguing sonics. As with previous outings, though, it’s his voice — equal parts straight bourbon, aloe balm, Marlboro smoke, and Tupelo honey — that stands out and carries the day. You might call it irresistible, signature, even as it conjures the ghosts of country music’s great progenitors."

Slant Magazine's Thomas Bedenbaugh found "White Horse" to be "the best of the album's uptempo cuts, and largely due to its relative lyrical subtlety" as "most of the other songs on Higher are lyrically vague and repetitive in their fixation on the trials of broken, lonely men and the women in their lives".

Personnel
Musicians


 * Chris Stapleton – lead vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 1–4, 6–11, 13), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 10–14), slide guitar (1, 2), 12-string acoustic guitar (3, 13), backing vocals (6–9), string arrangement (6)
 * J. T. Cure – bass guitar (1–13)
 * Derek Mixon – drums (1–13), shaker (1, 5, 6, 10, 13); bongos, triangle (5)
 * Dave Cobb – acoustic guitar (1, 3–6, 8–13), shaker (6, 10, 13), string arrangement (6), nylon-string guitar (7), 12-string acoustic guitar (13)
 * Morgane Stapleton – backing vocals (1, 3–5, 7, 8, 10–13), synthesizer (1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13), tambourine (1, 5–7, 10, 12)
 * Lee Pardini – piano (1, 3, 10, 11, 13), synthesizer (5, 13), Hammond B3 (6, 8–10, 13), Wurlitzer electric piano (9, 12, 13)
 * Sari Reist – cello (6)
 * Austin Hoke – cello (6)
 * Kevin Bate – cello (6)
 * Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangement (6)
 * Stephen Lamb – string arrangement (6)
 * Alicia Enstrom – violin (6)
 * David Angell – violin (6)
 * David Davidson – violin (6)
 * Janet Darnall – violin (6)
 * Jenny Bifano – violin (6)
 * Jung-Min Shin – violin (6)
 * Mary Van Osdale – violin (6)
 * Paul Franklin – pedal steel (9, 11–13)

Technical
 * Chris Stapleton – production
 * Morgane Stapleton – production
 * Dave Cobb – production
 * Pete Lyman – mastering
 * Vance Powell – mixing, engineering, immersive mix engineering, recording
 * Gena Johnson – recording, additional engineering
 * Koehn Terry – additional engineering, mixing assistance
 * Michael Fahey – additional engineering, mixing assistance
 * Daniel Bacigalupi – mastering assistance
 * Philip Smith – recording assistance