Own Worst Enemy is the third studio album by American country music artist Gavin Adcock. The album was released on August 15, 2025, via Thrivin' Here and Warner Nashville and co-produced by Will Bundy, Brent Cobb, Jay Rodgers, who produced Adcock's previous album, and Oran Thornton.
The album serves as the follow-up to Adcock's 2024 major-label debut Actin' Up Again, which became the largest major-label debut from a solo male artist that year and helped propel Adcock past one billion global streams.[1]
The album contains 24 tracks, including previously released singles such as "Morning Bail", "On One", "Need To", "Never Call Again", "Unlucky Strikes", "Loose Strings", and "Almost Gone" featuring Vincent Mason. Adcock co-wrote much of the record alongside collaborators like Jack Rauton, Erik Dylan, and Luke Laird.[2]
Background
Following an injury that ended Adcock's college football career, he transitioned to music, releasing independent projects before signing with Warner Nashville.[1] His previous albums Bonfire Blackout and Actin' Up Again established him as a rising name in country rock, blending southern rock swagger with gritty storytelling.[3] In 2025, while on his Need to Tour, Adcock announced Own Worst Enemy on social media, describing it as inspired by both his own life and the experiences of people around him.[4][5] He characterized the project as an unflinching reflection on self-destruction, heartbreak, and personal flaws, noting: "I'm the furthest thing from perfect and I don't ever plan to be."[4][5]
The album's rollout featured a string of promotional singles, including "Morning Bail", "On One", and "Last One to Know".[3][6] Adcock's announcement coincided with several headline-grabbing moments in 2025, including a widely publicized arrest for reckless driving and an ongoing debate sparked by his criticism of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter.[1][3]
The album was released amid significant anticipation, with multiple singles already popular among Adcock's fanbase.[6][5] Building on the commercial success of Actin' Up Again, Own Worst Enemy benefitted from Adcock's extensive touring schedule, which included his own Need to Tour and select dates opening for Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem Tour.[3][5]
Musically, Own Worst Enemy combines southern rock, acoustic balladry, and elements of 1990s grunge.[1] Across the 24-track sequence, Adcock presents himself as a flawed, self-aware "outlaw" figure, with lyrics often portraying the narrator as the architect of his own troubles.[1] The opener, "Morning Bail", sets the tone with a tale of waking up in a jail cell after a night of heartbreak-fueled drinking.[1] Songs like "Outside Dog" and "Need To" lean into defiant independence, while more tender moments in "Light a Fire" and "Hard Headed Heart" retain a rough, unpolished delivery.[1][4]
Stripped-down arrangements dominate tracks like "Never Call Again" and "Graveyard", which rely on acoustic guitar, light percussion, and bluesy accents to convey regret and resignation.[1] Louder, rowdier cuts such as the grunge-influenced "Sick and Tired" and the unapologetic "On One" inject bursts of energy, while the title track offers pointed, tough-love reflection.[1] Other highlights include the fiddle-driven "Sunset", the duet "Almost Gone" with Vincent Mason, and "Unlucky Strikes", which blends clever wordplay with themes of loss.[1][3]
Own Worst Enemy received mixed to moderately positive reviews from critics. James Daykin of Entertainment Focus gave the album four out of five stars, praising its blend of gritty confessionals and raucous rockers, and noting that Adcock's refusal to "sanitize the rough edges" resulted in a compelling, if lengthy, listening experience.[1] Mary Claire Crabtree of Whiskey Riff highlighted "Light a Fire" as a standout track for its emotional arc and dynamic arrangements, calling it "the perfect mid-week pick-me-up."[4] However, Alli Patton of Holler expressed reservations about the album's 24-track length, questioning whether the sheer volume of material diluted its impact despite admiring Adcock's consistent delivery of "hit-the-bottle kind of heartaches."[6]
Adam Delahoussaye of Country Central praised the album's moments of vulnerability and pacing, noting that its blend of chaos and reflection "is a more self-aware way to pace the journey than most of his haters would give him credit for."[8] He highlighted "Graveyard" and "Need To" as strong examples of Adcock pushing his artistry beyond surface-level rowdiness.[8] However, he also criticized Adcock's vocal inconsistency and the album's excessive length, arguing that some tracks felt like filler.[8]
The Holler staff gave the record a composite score of 6.75/10, with reviews ranging from six to eight out of ten.[9] Alli Patton described the project as "excessive, inflated, dry", though she praised "Never Call Again" for its strong hook.[9] Georgette Brookes was more favorable, calling it "surprising, gritty, palatable" and singling out "Loose Strings" and "Tall Tales" as highlights.[9] Soda Canter and Caitlin Hall both criticized tracks like "Sick and Tired" and "Morning Bail" for leaning on clichés, but agreed that songs such as "Sunset" and "Light a Fire" showed Adcock's strengths.[9]
Track listing
All tracks produced by Jay Rodgers with co-production from Brent Cobb and Oran Thornton on "Loose Strings" and from Will Bundy on "Almost Gone" and "Unlucky Strikes".
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