The Singles Jukebox

That’s now how I remember it, Walker.

[Video][Website]
[4.25]

Anthony Easton: I was never more surprised at how smart, and how funny the Walker Hayes record was. The single, which now seems ancient, bounces with a false cheer, heartbreak buffered by ebullience and a kind of hip swerve pleasure. It’s all false fronting, but excellent fronting, all that wordplay shucking and jiving towards the unreconcilable. 
[9]

Micha Cavaseno: It’s basically a sonic Matthew Mcconaughey impersonation within the verses and hook, which can either be charming or embarrassing depending on how you look. Walker Hayes specifically appears to be the kind of guy who embodies that sort of ‘don’t threaten me with a good time’ nature that’s a passive forceful without falling into passive aggression per se. His party never feels super in-your-face blaring but it’s still pretty hard to disrupt if you need a second. For all his good vibes, there’s definitely an insincere aura of double-talk in Walker Hayes’ sniggers which makes the ‘quaint’ charms of the record feel just as much of a stale put-on.
[3]

Alfred Soto: Now Sam Hunt has kicked around long enough to inspire followers. The bass and drums have a decent Fleetwood/Mac kick and thud in the chorus, and Walker Hayes tries for amiability, but these days it’s hard to pass yourself off as a lovable rogue when you’re whistling and beat boxing. 
[4]

Tim de Reuse: A song about getting revenge after a nasty break-up by ending up happier than the instigating party? Great idea. There’s even some cutesy wordplay in here that actually sticks. There are also plenty of turns of phrase that are just difficult to listen to (contender for the worst: “get my forget-you on”) laid over instrumentation straight from one of those Apple commercials set in an eerie all-smiles dystopia. There’s a reading of this song where he’s exercising his right to be bitter after being wronged, but there’s an equal amount of evidence supporting the interpretation that he’s just an insufferable douchebag.
[4]

Thomas Inskeep: I kinda like his swagger and his overall vibe, which is kinda Sam Hunt if Hunt didn’t seem like such a dick. This song’s just okay, but check out his album boom., which features better material.
[6]

Katherine St Asaph: An ungodly synthesis of frat-bro country and chipper Lumineers/Peter Bjorn and John syncbait that honestly, I’m shocked didn’t arrive sooner.
[0]

Edward Okulicz: Putting a song that’s actually incredibly mean on its lyrical surface behind the carefree, breezy whistles in some kind of confidence trick. But the fella doth protest too much when he lets that chorus run one taunt too long — yep, he’s a married father of eight and the song’s about the music biz. Gets a decent score because I’m secretly a smug bastard who empathises with other smug bastards.
[6]

Will Adams: Did NESTEA need a new jingle that quickly?
[2]