Kansas forever (the longest goodbye) | Deluxe album review

“Aw shit, here we go again, I’m falling headfirst”

The wise, wise words of “Role Model”. This is exactly how I felt listening to the deluxe

version of his second studio album. With four new songs, he’s back at it again, with

closure this time!

Song titles:

“Old Recliners”

“Sally When The Wine Runs Out”

“Some Protector”

“The Longest Goodbye”

The promo for this deluxe has been successful, thanks to his snippet of “Sally When The Wine Runs Out” gaining 57K uses on TikTok. With everyone from Jake Shane to The Kid Laroi to even Joe Jonas using the sound, this diva’s song has been spread far and wide.

Released on February 14th, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) is the perfect Valentine’s gift anyone could ask for.

Track 14 of the album, “Old Recliners” follows Tucker’s reminiscence of ‘the good old days’ of summer, when everything seems brighter and better. He combines the ending of a perfect summer with the feeling of moving on post-breakup. Lyrics like “I remember when the nights were long/Diving headfirst off the dock/Now I wonder where the days have gone”. This song feels more reminiscent than remorseful.

Track 15 of the album, “Sally When The Wine Runs Out” explores the fun side of post-breakup hookups, sometimes with ‘born-again wildcards’. He refers back to the scary feeling of falling quickly, asking Sally to “Please don’t go falling in love/Then disappear when the wine runs out”. This song combines both his nods to alcohol having a presence in his relationships but also his codependency.

Track 16 of the album, “Some Protector” is Tucker recognizing that what’s over, is over. He reflects back on his expired grip on the relationship, asking himself questions like, “Am I guilty?/Am I sorry?/Do I miss you at the party?/Am I dragging this forever?/Am I thinking ‘bout September?”. He repeats the line “I’ll always be some protector”, showing that despite time and intense emotions having now passed, he only wants what’s best and will always be there for her.

Track 17 of the album, the final track, “The Longest Goodbye” is a tearjerker. The song is a tour through the relationship, from start to finish. He goes from describing her as a, “brand new, blue jean, picket on the front lawn/A reason just to get off the floor” to, “Between the silence and the milage, the feelings you were hiding/I don’t think you love me anymore”. The most notable change in lyrics is from verse 2 to verse 3. Pillsbury goes from “Cause I don’t think you love me anymore” to “I don’t think I love you anymore”. This is the first song we see hints towards closure, with lyrics like “I see my shoes have been filled, and, still/All I can hope is that he’s treating you nice”. Let me be the first to say, I’m proud of you Tucker.

Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) is the perfect album. No skips, full circle storyline, with a side of closure at the end.

If this truly is the end of an era for Tucker, get me front-row seats for whatever happens next.