Hayes Carll We're Only Human
Hayes Carll's We're Only Human reframes his observational humor as intimate self-examination, earning warm praise from professional reviews while answering whether We're Only Human is worth a listen. Glide Magazine's appraisal, reflected in an 80/100 consensus score across 1 professional review, highlights Carll's knack for blending tenderness and wry comedy into songs that read like confessional portraits.
Critics consistently point to standout tracks that carry the record's emotional and thematic weight: the title cut “We're Only Human” offers a pep-talk intimacy, “May I Never” closes with choir-like warmth, and “Good People (Thank Me)” charms with Randy Newman-style piano and brass. “Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)” supplies the album's sharpest satire, skewering modern priorities with painfully funny clarity, while “High” contributes a quieter contour to the record's introspective arc. Across reviews the recurring themes of introspection, appreciation, everyday people, humor, and self-examination emerge as the album's organizing principles.
While the critical consensus leans positive, reviewers note that the record's strength lies less in sonic reinvention and more in Carll's lyrical empathy and comic timing. For readers searching for a We're Only Human review or wondering what the best songs on We're Only Human are, the professional reviews point to the title track, “May I Never”, and “Good People (Thank Me)” as the collection's most affecting moments. The summary below expands on these highlights and the ways Carll balances humor with heartfelt confession.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
May I Never
1 mention
"The album closes on “May I Never,” where Carll is joined by a slew of friends"— Glide Magazine
We're Only Human
1 mention
"the beautiful opening title track is a sweet pep talk"— Glide Magazine
Good People (Thank Me)
1 mention
"On “Good People (Thank Me),” he sings about strangers fighting, then coming together and falling in love"— Glide Magazine
The album closes on “May I Never,” where Carll is joined by a slew of friends
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
We're Only Human
Stay Here Awhile
Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)
High
One Day
What I Will Be
Good People (Thank Me)
I Got Away With It
Making Amends
May I Never
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 1 critic who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Hayes Carll leans his trademark wit inward on We're Only Human, turning his observational songs into confessional portraits that still crack a smile. The title track “We're Only Human” reads like a sweet pep talk, while “Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)” skewers modern priorities with painfully funny clarity. “Good People (Thank Me)” charms with Randy Newman-style piano and brass as Carll admits his own small-town grudge, and the closer “May I Never” gathers friends into a choir-like benediction. These best tracks show why listeners asking "best songs on We're Only Human" will find both tenderness and laugh-out-loud truth in Carll's songwriting.
Key Points
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The best song is the title track because it crystallizes the album's gentle, self-forgiving message in a warm, pep-talk arrangement.
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The album's core strengths are Carll's inward-turning wit, narrative empathy, and arrangements that balance humor with reverent musical moments.