Pelago (album) explained
Pelago is the debut studio album by American country music artist Ryan Hurd. It was released on October 15, 2021, via Sony Music Nashville.[1] Its lead single, "Chasing After You", is certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Content
The album's release was preceded by the single "Chasing After You" with Maren Morris.[2] The song reached number two on Country Airplay, giving Hurd his first top 5 single on the chart.[3] "Pass It On" was released as the album's second single on February 22, 2022. Hurd co-wrote all but one of the album's tracks. "Tab With My Name on It" was previously recorded by Dallas Smith on his 2016 album, Side Effects.[4]
Critical reception
Nicole Piering of Country Swag wrote that with Hurd "having co-written ten of the album’s eleven tracks, Pelago truly continues" his "introduction as both a brilliant songwriter and an incredibly talented artist" and that "while it would be easy for Ryan Hurd to make a living as a writer, evidenced by his ever-growing and impressive body of work, he’s even more magical as an artist."[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic similarly wrote that the album "is filled with easy melodies, gilded surfaces, and soft R&B rhythms, a warm setting that allows Hurd to sound empathetic yet masculine."[6]
Commercial performance
Pelago debuted at number 11 on the Top Country Albums chart,[7] and peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200.[8]
Personnel
Tracks 1-11 adapted from Pelago liner notes.[9] Tracks 12-15 adapted from Spotify.
Musicians
- Ryan Hurd — lead/background vocals
- Phil Lawson — drums/percussion
- Tony Lucido — bass
- Ilya Toshinsky — acoustic guitar, dobro, ukulele
- Aaron Eshuis — acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, programming, background vocals
- Matthew McGinn — acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, programming, background vocals
- Joe Clemmons — acoustic guitar
- Derek Wells — electric guitar
- Teddy Reimer — guitars, synth, programming
- Dave Cohen — keyboards
- Jesse Frasure — synth, programming
- Justin Niebank — programming
- Jason Saenz — trumpet
- Charlie Judge — strings
- Jun Iwasaki — violin
- David Davidson — violin
- Dave Angell — violin
- Alicia Enstrom — violin
- Kristin Wilkinson — viola
- Monisa Angell — viola
- Kevin Bate — cello
- Carole Rabinowitz — cello
- Katie Ohh — background vocals
- Maren Morris — duet vocals (track 3), background vocals
- Ben Caver — background vocals
- Michael Hardy — background vocals
Technical
- Aaron Eshuis — producer (all tracks), digital editing
- Teddy Reimer — producer (track 3)
- Jesse Frasure — producer (track 9)
- Dann Huff — producer (tracks 12 and 14)
- Mark Trussell — producer (track 15)
- Chris Small — digital editing
- Mike Stankiewicz — digital editing
- Manny Marroquin — mixing
- Nathan Dantzler — mastering
- Mike Griffith — production coordinator
Charts
Year-end charts
Notes and References
- Web site: Pelago – Ryan Hurd. Amazon. February 2, 2022.
- Web site: Chasing After You (with Maren Morris). Spotify. February 2, 2022.
- Country Airplay – Week of November 20, 2021. Billboard. February 2, 2022. subscription.
- Side Effects. Dallas Smith. 2016 . CD booklet . 604 Records / Sony Music Canada. 25396 10252.
- Web site: Ryan Hurd: 'Pelago' – Album Review. Nicole. Piering. October 15, 2021. February 2, 2022.
- Web site: Ryan Hurd – Pelago (review). AllMusic. February 2, 2022.
- Top Country Albums – Week of October 30, 2021. Billboard. February 2, 2022. subscription.
- The Billboard 200 – Week of October 30, 2021. Billboard. February 2, 2022.
- Pelago. Ryan Hurd. 2021. CD booklet. Sony Music Nashville/Arista Nashville. 88985376642.
- Top Country Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. March 5, 2023.
