(4 / 5)
Wyatt Flores has released his second full length studio album in less than two years with “Scared of Heights”, the follow-up to October 2024’s “Welcome To The Plains”. He also dropped a live record in February 2025, “Live At Cain’s Ballroom”.
The Oklahoma-born young country hot-shot has racked up more than 45 million monthly listeners on Spotify; amassing a loyal following who watched him play tiny rooms in Oklahoma and Nashville before his rise to fame.
25-year-old Wyatt’s breakthrough song “Please Don’t Go”,from his 2022 EP “The Hutson Sessions”, catapulted him into the public consciousness with a US Billboard chart position and scored in excess of 250 million streams. Since then, he has released a trio of EPs, his debut album and the live LP.
After a brief break from citing mental health issues and “imposter syndrome”, Wyatt is back and on tour this summer to promote the new record, playing a mixture of headline shows and festival slots across the U.S. He recently received the Rising Star Award from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood.
“Sacred of Heights” is produced by Charlie Handsome (Post Malone, Morgan Wallen), Jacob “JKash” Hindlin (Dua Lipa) and Gian Stone, with all 13 tracks co-written by Wyatt along with the three producers, and other collaborators including Grady Block and Nick Long. Wyatt describes this project as who he is in 2026: “I’m not second-guessing myself anymore on what the music’s supposed to be, what I’m supposed to be chasing, or who I’ve become. I finally feel like I know who I’m supposed to be, right here in this moment.”
The opening track. “Hate Myself” sets the tone for the record, with a lovely mandolin opening riff and a touch of self deprecation in the lyrics, such as: “I wish I could hate you like I hate myself for letting you go”. The album features pop and rock influences, with “Not Good Enough” leaning towards the rockier side; with power chords and ripping guitar solos that wouldn’t be out of place on a Def Leppard record.
Title track “Scared of Heights” is a heartfelt deep dive into Wyatt’s fear of commitment, as he sings: “Soon as you say we’re something, we won’t be nothing anymore”.
“Half The Man” pays an emotional tribute to his family, with mandolins and acoustic guitars underpinning Wyatt’s more gravelly vocals. The lyrics also touch on the guilt that comes with being a touring musician trying to make it.He sings: “If they only knew that the grass in the city streets weren’t quite as green. I know I missed your wedding day to play an empty room in East LA”.
My favourite of the 13 tracks is “South Dakota”; an impeccable country song – there’s cow bell and everything! – that’s sure to get you two-stepping around the kitchen. However, Wyatt isn’t afraid to push boundaries and showcase his versatility as an artist. The haunting “Sleepless Lullaby” and harrowing “Tulsa and Eleanor” may be the more divisive songs for the die hard country fans, with stripped back production and the lyrics covering Wyatt’s mental health struggles and addictions.
Wyatt has advocated for his mental health throughout his career and it’s refreshing to see a country artist get into the grittier and heavier topics on a mainstream record.
Altogether, this album delivers everything you need from a modern contemporary country album. A healthy amount of vulnerability and storytelling, but not forgetting to keep a few feel-good, upbeat songs in there. Wyatt is one to watch as a potential future arena headliner based on how strong his songs and this album are. With those streaming stats, he certainly has the following.
By Fran Parry
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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