Mike Kuster strikes a chord with “All the Women I Want Are Already Married”

Mike Kuster returns with a fun spin on the country heartache song, and he does that with his latest single, “All the Women I Want Are Already Married.” It’s as clever as it is universal, a new comic take on the age-old tale of unrequited love with a beer in one hand and a sigh in the other. Set against the familiar scene of barstools, neon lights, and jukebox dreams, Kuster’s new single is a bouncy, honky-tonk celebration of the romantically unlucky. Listeners are sucked into the struggle of a man left to search for “the one” in a pool of already-taken soulmates.

There’s a truthfulness here that’s both endearing and hilariously true. Kuster draws from his roots, with a toe-tapping beat and traditional country sounds that perfectly match the barroom scene he’s painting. His smooth vocal delivery is just charming and self-deprecating enough to place him between George Strait’s storytelling and Brad Paisley’s playfulness. It’s a number that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but which never becomes pure wonder, either a balance that lends it real stickiness. What sets “All the Women I Want Are Already Married” apart is that, in true honky-tonk form, it packages the universal inside the frustration of timing, the comedy of heartbreak, the hope that maybe the next dance will turn into something real.

It’s a single that encourages the listener to laugh about life’s romantic mishaps, as they sway to a melody they’re not likely to forget. Mike Kuster has hit a sweet spot here, sincere, funny, and completely human. If you’ve lived it, or just know someone who has, you’ll find yourself nodding and smiling and playing the track again. For country lovers with a moment and some soul, “All the Women I Want are Already Married” is an essential jam to add to the jukebox.