I also think this may be the first time his live drummer John tracked on a record with him. I chat with one of his guitarists a lot about gear, and he threw in that he thinks this is his best work yet. Obviously just his opinion, but I thought that was cool
Love Ruston but he tends to recycle melodies or at least use familiar ones. It’s one thing that kept me from really enjoying his last album and he’s doing it here again. Hoping the album is less of that
A song’s melody is not the way a single phrase or line is sung. There’s 12 notes. I think what some of you are reacting to is that a lot of his songs are in the same 2-3 keys.
I don't know why you're getting so prickly over something that is sort of objectively true: His melodic voice is his melodic voice and he tends to write in the same place a lot of the time. It gives his music a through line that I think is nice – and has a sort of timelessness to it – though I understand why some other people wouldn't love it all the time. I think the song is great.
I'm not complaining about it, just noting that his delivery there a very frequent sound he has used a lot in his songs.