The first thing that immediately comes to the surface when listening to Brandon Rhyder is his incredibly supple voice.  It is an instrument that is rivaled by few others and a marvel to listen to.  The second thing that hits the listener is how strong of a songwriter Brandon Rhyder is.  Not only can he write songs that work very well next to legends like Kristofferson, but they are, like many great songs, pieces that feel timeless. 

Head Above Water starts off with the lead single “Rock Angel” and while the song is a very good track that does sound good on the radio, it is tracks like the title track and “Ultimate Deciever” that really bring home the first two points for me.  “Ultimate Deciever” is structured in a way that has you literally hanging at every word while listening to Brandon sing about the type of person we all will come across in our lives (and hopefully not in a relationship like this song finds Brandon singing about).  The title track takes the opposite approach to a relationship and in this one it finds Rhyder singing about how somebody saved him from drowning in a life of sorrow.  This is a song about the power of love that one can have and how it can affect a person. 

“It’s The Country That Saves Me” is a song that follows the worn-out, cliché-filled ‘proud to be from the sticks’ type of song but instead of feeling like an also-ran, “It’s The Country That Saves Me” is as strong as this type of song that you’re like to hear and I have to wonder if somebody in Nashville, Blake Shelton perhaps, won’t latch onto it and turn it into a big hit.  “You Can Count On Me” is a happy-go-lucky track about a man who proclaims his undying faith in a relationship and how he plans on being the rock for his girl. 

The production from veteran Singer/songwriter Walt Wilkins accentuates everything Brandon has done before and works well and serves as a great partnership.  In the end, Head Above Water is another strong release from Texan Brandon Rhyder.  Here’s hoping it helps bring his national profile to an even higher level.