RESTLESS ROAD - You Don't Have To Love Me - RCA Records Nashville

Buzzed about trio Restless Road has continually amped excitement with hot song releases, “On My Way,” “I Don’t Wanna Be That Guy,” “No Can Do,” “Last Rodeo,” and “Roll Tide Roll,”  providing a firm snapshot of their many different layers while elevating their signature harmonies as the defining characteristic that has separated them from the pack.

With this week’s release of “You Don’t Have To Love Me,” they’ve now delivered one final teaser ahead of their debut album, Last Rodeo (dropping 10/20/23).

The song, co-written by all three members of the trio with Austin Shawn and Nate Kenyon, once again shines the spotlight on their incredible knack for a love song, seeing them strike the proper heartbeat feels that make you fall further in love with you better half over each passing line sung and every note played.

The soft pace embedded into the melody perfectly matches the overall vibe of the lyric and allows the pureness of the vocals to stand in the forefront, immediately drawing you into the song as the opening verse runs through a listing of all the things she has to have in her life from coffee in the morning, to red wine after work, the fan on while she sleeps, and a weekly girls night.

By first doing this, he charmingly reveals how much attention he pays to every little detail about her, while also leading straight into the impact of the chorus when he flips to the understanding of the one thing she doesn’t have to have, but that she chooses to….him! Pulling their harmonies into the lift of the appreciation filled lines:

“You don’t have to love me, you don’t have to care

You don’t have to give a damn about this mess of a man that’s standing here

Knowing I ain’t perfect and nowhere good as you

You don’t have to see the good in me and see this through

You don’t have to love me

You don’t have to love me

But you do”

The second half of the song sees him continuing to shower her with heartfelt appreciation through his  knowing that while she could have anyone and be anywhere else, she’s left him in constant wonderment of why she’d choose him but is so glad that she has.

With one of the year’s most highly anticipated albums now knocking on its official release date, Restless Road finds themselves in perfect position for another wedding smash, intriguingly keeping them at the top of playlists for the next half year+.

Don’t be surprised if just as they did with “Growing Old With You,” they release a “wedding version” on “You Don’t Have To Love Me” come spring.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)