Cole German
Raised Rowdy contributor
Kip Moore’s new acoustic EP, Room to Spare: The Acoustic Sessions, released on November 16th, reminds all of us why we fell in love with his music in the first place. Moore, who co-wrote 5 of the 7 songs on the album, provided a variety of feelings in this stripped down masterpiece. We all know that Moore’s gravelly voice has the power to stop us in our tracks and this EP certainly did not disappoint. There is a level of honesty that comes with the non-distractive brilliance of Kip Moore and his acoustic guitar. While songs like, Plead the Fifth and Tennessee Boy headline the album, it is the song, Part of Growing Up that I can’t stop listening to. Written by Kip Moore, Josh Miller and Andrew DeRoberts, this song takes us on a journey through life
and reminds us of the pivotal moments that have helped transcend us into adulthood.
This song does what almost every other Kip Moore song does and hits us right in the gut. But it’s the last line of the chorus that really did me in. Kip summarizes perfectly what this thing called life is all about by saying, “Yeah, life has hit me just because it can with heavy hands, but that’s all part of growin’ up”. To me, it is the relatable lines like this that make country music as powerful as it is. The ability to write lyrics that are true to the everyday person is why country music stands out to so many of us. The Georgia native highlights how the “heavy hand” of life changes us. Things don’t always turn out like we plan but that is life. We go out there everyday, put our boots on and take on the world. We get knocked down from time to time but it is in those moments where we grow.
Kip hit a homerun with this song. The simple elegance of the tune is able to evoke so much emotion by bringing us back to the times that have shaped us into who we are today. Everyone has their own journey but we all share similar experiences along the way. If your looking to have some nostalgic times with old friends anytime soon, I would suggest grabbing a speaker and a couple beers and go back in time with this new but timeless masterpiece by Kip Moore. Cheers!