Marshall Potts wastes no time getting started on his 2025 album, The Storm. While some albums crescendo into the most powerful songs, leaving the first few to settle in, Potts starts out his album with a nearly five minute long power ballad in which he pours his heart out. It shows right off the bat his musical and storytelling prowess, and from there, it is only built upon. Whether you are a fan of country or rock, or something else entirely, there is no doubt that his vocal talent and lyricism cannot be denied. He has been playing music for decades, and that experience really comes through, as his sound and message are so distinctly clear and so distinctly personal.
Throughout The Storm, Potts touches on many things, but the overarching message is a deep one, centered around growth and self-help. The Storm was not a title picked at random, and it is not one without meaning. This “storm” is meant to represent change and the tumultuous events that can shape one’s life. It represents a whirlwind of difficult times and people, difficult events and feelings, but a whirlwind that passes, just as a storm does. The message is to embrace the wild ride and enjoy the change that comes. The upbeat melodies and powerful lyrics send this message quite well. Many songs are meant to make the listener sad and are written from a place of loss or depression, but this is written from a place of resilience and accomplishment.
Marshall Potts has worked with many talented musicians, but it is his vocals that are the star of the show. They are so powerful and come through so clearly that it almost makes the listener unable to focus on anything else. That is how compelling the word of Potts can be. His profile picture on Spotify looks more like an artist like Ozzy Osborne who screams and bites the heads off of bats, but one listen of his music and it will be clear that this could not be further from reality. He tells positive stories, more reminiscent of Tom Petty, and he does not give in to the negativity that constantly consumes the world. In an industry that is so full of talent, but also sometimes full of negative themes, it is so refreshing to hear an artist like Marshall Potts not only focusing on the trials and tribulations of life, but the joy of making it through them.
Written by Logan Duffett
