Luke Combs - The Way I Am: Album Review

Artwork for the luke combs album the way i am

3 stars hq

‘The Way I Am’ is a blend of Luke Combs’ musical duality; anthemic crowd pleasers alongside emotive, tearjerkers that ensures there’s something for everyone.

When Luke Combs released Fathers And Sons in 2024, he wasn’t looking to top the charts.

Combining poignant reflections of memories with his father with his own responsibility of becoming a dad, he took a stripped back, tender approach to making music.

In 2026, on sixth studio album The Way I Am, Luke Combs is back to remind the mainstream of his status as a contemporary country icon.

The Way I Am is a blend of his musical duality; anthemic crowd pleasers alongside emotive, tearjerkers that ensures there’s something for everyone.

Album opener Back In The Saddle comments on his break, and passion to create music. Playing on cowboy themed metaphors to signify his comeback, the storytelling is balanced without verging on cliche.

It’s the perfect mix of catchy and cocky that will fit well on the setlist of one of Combs’ stadium shows.

My Kinda Saturday Night takes the audience to the centre of the party, playing on stereotypes of, ‘drinking beer with the boys’, and hitting the jukebox to create a relatable, fun carefree track.

The only feature on the album is Ever Mine, namely bluegrass musician Allison Krauss. On first impression, this track could be confused for a simple love song.

On the contrary, the worries of a world plagued by political turbulence, gun violence and war are subtly explored. Whether looked at through the eyes of Combs or a serving soldier, it’s a love letter to family even withstanding hard times.

The title-track is surprisingly one of the only tracks not self written, a narrative of a man who despite his flaws is lucky enough to be loved for his full self.

Sweet, sensitive and vulnerably raw, it’s reminiscent of classic country love songs, pairing transparent honesty with a hint of pedal steel guitar, an amalgamation of what makes Combs a leader of his genre.

When reflecting on the album as a whole, it summarises the essence of what he is looking to portray within this body of work.

At 22 tracks, The Way I Am is an ambitious project that’s described as, ‘his biggest album to-date’.

Sonically, it stays loyal to Combs’ country roots, sounding great vocally and with stellar production.

Whether performing an acoustic set or accompanied by a full band, the songs should easily transfer to an impactful live show.

Where the album struggles is its run time; it seems unnecessarily long. At times it feels repetitive, and could have been cut down to be more cohesive.

Despite a clear talent for storytelling, sometimes less is more effective than giving too much. As a beloved figure in modern country, Luke Combs doesn’t have anything to prove, yet there still seems to be a part of him that thinks he does.

Overall, The Way I Am is a bold return which combines the best of the artist despite the long tracklist.

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