Six years separate Sunriser from its predecessor, 2020’s Hey World, but Lee Brice hasn’t been twiddling his thumbs. In fact, the singer-songwriter from South Carolina named this album Sunriser in honor of people whose commitment to their craft, be it farming or making music, has them up and at it while many of us are still asleep. Produced by Brice, Sunriser doesn’t stray far from the sound he’s honed over the years, characterized by gently poppy melodies, acoustic-forward instrumentation, and an overall emphasis on narrative—hallmarks that can be heard on the reverent title track, “Sunriser.” He dips into political conversations on this LP, too, passionately expressing his opposition to cancel culture, gun control, and transgender rights on the right-wing anthem “Country Nowadays.”