Off the Beaten Path (Justin Moore album) explained

Off the Beaten Path
Type:studio
Artist:Justin Moore
Cover:OfftheBeatenPath.jpg
Genre:Country
Label:Valory Music Group
Producer:Jeremy Stover
Prev Title:Outlaws Like Me
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:Kinda Don't Care
Next Year:2016

Off the Beaten Path is the third studio album by American country music artist Justin Moore. It was released on September 17, 2013 via Valory Music Group.[1] The album includes duets with Miranda Lambert and Charlie Daniels.[2] A deluxe edition was also made available.[3] The album has sold 364,000 copies in the US as of June 2016.[4]

The album includes the singles "Point at You", "Lettin' the Night Roll" and "This Kind of Town".[5]

Critical reception

Off the Beaten Path garnered generally positive reception by music critics to critique the album. At AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the release had "an air of authenticity." Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal proclaimed that Moore "stays true to his roots" on an album that was "highly eclectic and a real treat", and called the album "a well-crafted musical work". At Roughstock, Ashley Cooke wrote that "Justin Moore stays true to his cowboy hat, the Country way and the twang we've grown to love with Off The Beaten Path." In agreement, Raina Smith of Got Country Online felt that "Justin stays true to his cowboy hat and roots that’s for sure in this modern and traditional country music album." At The New York Times, Jon Caramanica wrote a positive review, and noted that Moore "engages in a bait and switch: cloaking old-school values with new-school references. He is in no way a dissenter, merely someone who understands that old forms can stand even stronger with injections of new ideas."[6] Furthermore, Caraminica vowed that "Mr. Moore is solid in his convictions: that country music of the 1970s, the more accessible side of the outlaw years, is worth preserving, and that the true modern spirit of that sound is mindful of the rest of the world." However, Bob Paxman at Country Weekly evoked that the release "mostly serves up an array of clichéd, mediocre tunes about the majesty of the country lifestyle." At USA Today, Brian Mansfield told that Moore "may sing about small towns, heaven and redemptive love with unquestionable conviction", but he "just can't recover" to make his album truly special. In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed one track from the album on his top 10 list of Moore's best songs: "Point at You" at number eight.[7]

Personnel

Chart performance

Year-end charts

Chart (2013)Position
US Billboard 200[8] 142
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 34
Chart (2014)Position
US Billboard 200[10] 176
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[11] 32

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsCertifications
(sales threshold)
US Country
[12]
US Country Airplay
[13]
US
[14]
CAN Country
[15]
CAN
[16]
2013"Point at You"10253671
  • US: Gold
"Lettin' the Night Roll"7149467
  • US: Gold
2014"This Kind of Town"5044
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Notes and References

  1. News: Justin Moore Reveals Title, Track Listing + Release Date for New Album. July 25, 2013. The Boot. June 17, 2013.
  2. News: Pacella. Megan. Justin Moore Prepares to Release New Album ‘Off the Beaten Path’ This Fall. July 25, 2013. Taste of Country. June 14, 2013.
  3. News: Conaway. Alanna. Justin Moore's "Off the Beaten Path" Album to Hit Stores on September 17. July 25, 2013. Roughstock. June 12, 2013.
  4. Web site: Upcoming Releases: Hits Daily Double. Hits Daily Double. https://web.archive.org/web/20161001180342/http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases. October 1, 2016. June 29, 2016. dead.
  5. News: Wyland. Sarah. First Look: Justin Moore’s Upcoming Album. July 25, 2013. Great American Country. July 17, 2013.
  6. Web site: New Music From MGMT, Kenny Garrett . Caramanica . Jon . The New York Times . September 17, 2013.
  7. Justin Moore's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks. Dauphin. Chuck. Chuck Dauphin. Billboard. August 16, 2017. May 23, 2020.
  8. Web site: Billboard 200 Albums: Year-End top-selling albums across all genres. Billboard .
  9. Web site: Top Country Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 16, 2015.
  10. Web site: Billboard 200 Albums: Year-End top-selling albums across all genres. Billboard .
  11. Web site: Top Country Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 16, 2015.
  12. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=justin moore|chart=Country Songs}} Justin Moore Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 31, 2011.
  13. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=justin moore|chart=Country Airplay}} Justin Moore Album & Song Chart History - Country Airplay]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 8, 2012.
  14. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=justin moore|chart=Billboard 200}} Justin Moore Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 31, 2011.
  15. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=justin moore|chart=Canada Country}} Justin Moore Album & Song Chart History - Canada Country]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 20, 2013.
  16. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=justin moore|chart=Billboard Canadian Hot 100}} Canadian Hot 100 - Greatest Gainer]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 16, 2011.