ALBUM REVIEW: Ty Myers’ Debut ‘The Select’ is Full of Promise
Tom Williams
Posted On January 23, 2025
Ty Myers photo by Emily Vinson
At just 17, Ty Myers has earned nearly three million monthly Spotify listeners, signed with Columbia records, and sold out a headlining tour. Press play on his debut LP, The Select, and it quickly becomes clear why he has connected with audiences in such a way.
The LP opens with “Ends of The Earth,” a soulful ballad about an enduring love (“Till the end of the earth, I’ll be your man”) centered around Myers’ heartfelt croon that belies his youth.
On The Select, Myers proves adept at channeling his influences – such as fellow heart-on-sleeve crooners like Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers. Meanwhile, producer Brandon Hunt channels the same instincts he has shown in his work with Sam Hunt; favouring clean, clear mixing and, often, loud-quiet dynamics (as seen on the tour-de-force single “Can’t Hold Me Down”). It all makes for a collection of finely written tunes, with radio-ready melodies in abundance.
Deeply dedicated to his music career, Myers opted to be homeschooled so that he could focus more of his attention on songwriting. Much of The Select speaks directly to the power of music (“When it’s all going wrong, you turn to a song / ‘Cause a melody is your best friend”). These prove to be some of the LP’s most convincing moments – as do some of its slower, more reflective, lovestruck moments, like “Firefly”. That song, more than any other here, represents the sound of a young songwriter coming into his own. Bearing an R&B-influence, this slow-burn ballad – which to begin with is backdropped by nothing more than barely-there fingerpicked guitar – stuns with its sincerity as Myers sings, “Don’t think I’ve ever been this high.”
As is to be expected with any teenager releasing their debut, there is a sense on The Select that Myers is still finding his feet. When the teen sings of playing for drinks on “Real World Now” or being worn down by work on “Never Get Tired,” he feels more reliant on classic country storytelling tropes than his 17-year-old life. Still, the album displays a promising talent. As shown best by moving, rom-com-esque closer “Man on the Side” – a staggering document to pining for a woman’s affection – we may be witnessing the emergence of a generational talent.
Ty Myers’s The Select is out via Nashville/Columbia records on Jan. 24.
