Ruston Kelly - Pale, Through the Window (September 12th 2025) Album • Page 5

Taylor might have track fives but Ruston has track six. Brave, Mending Song, Twisted Root are some of the best emotional songwriting of the decade.

 

Title track and Twisted Root some of his best

 

Me and You had to be written when he was covering Somebody Else by the 1975 on tour.

 

Only listened once in the background but it sounds lovely. The closer has me tearing up at work lol, just a very beautiful sentiment in that song. “Me and You” also was a standout, that 1975 vibe works for him.

 

Hoping it was just exhaustion, but I got through half of this last night before heading to bed. Liked, didn't love it. I'm sure my feelings will change with a full, more focused listen. I hope.

 

Not as instant as his last couple for me, where I was instantly in. But this sounds pretty good. Going to have to give it a few more listens before deciding if I want it on vinyl.

 

S&D is an all-timer for me. I like this a lot more than Weakness on first listen.

 

I'm the weirdo who loves The Weakness most. Stoked to give this a good listen after work.

 

I’m enjoying this a lot. Heavy dying star vibes.

 

Ooof, his songwriting has tanked since Dying Star. "Waiting to Love You" was when I tapped out, would fit right in on FM country radio (derogatory).

 

I think it's funny that people forget (or never knew?) that he came up as a Nashville songwriter. Dude literally had a cut on a Tim McGraw record 12 years ago. FM country radio is very much in his blood.

 

Yeah gonna disagree hard with. Just one example, Give Up The Ghost sounds to me like it could be on Dying Star.

EDIT: Referring to comment above me.

 

I did not realize that

 

As for the automatic kneejerk reaction that people have to anything that gestures toward mainstream country music, such a boring take.

 

Mockingbird could be a big FM radio song.

 

I actually discovered him because I loved this song and looked up the writers on it. There he was!

Was just going to make this exact point, haha

 

The Weakness was a lot more immediate for me, but I expect this to grow on me the next several months

 

Im already digging this more than The Weakness, which I loved. Will need more time to digest on where it sits to DS and Shape and Destroy

 

It’s easily the worst song. He’s already said it was originally written to pitch to radio artists.

 

Oh no, radio artists!

 

I wish RK were a radio artist.

 

Like, "Radio Cloud" could have been pitched to "radio artists," too. But that one, I'd wager, is more acceptable to people around these parts because the target was "write a Blink-182 chorus" rather than "write a Tim McGraw chorus."

Just always fascinated by the automatic "country = trash" reaction that so, so many people have, even from a guy who is, ostensibly, a country artist.

 

I'm guessing most of y'all didn't realize that he co-wrote "Just for the Record" with a country artist, who also put it on her album. This was always his world!

 

no, he's dirt emo

 

It’s just opinion for me man. There’s an odd line that’s hard for me to define where a lot of country sounds and voices simply don’t appeal to me. Ruston hits a unique spot for me where I adore 99% of his music.