{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = World Wide Open | type = studio | artist = Love and Theft | cover = worldwideopen.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2009|08|25}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Country | length = | label = Carolwood | producer = Jeff Coplan<br>Robert Ellis Orrall | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Love and Theft | next_year = 2012 | misc = {{Singles | name = World Wide Open | type = studio | single1 = Runaway | single1date = March 16, 2009 | single2 = Dancing in Circles | single2date = November 30, 2009 }} }} {{Music ratings | rev1 = Allmusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1544939|pure_url=yes}}|title=''World Wide Open'' review|last=Sterling|first=Todd|work=Allmusic|accessdate=2009-08-28}}</ref> | rev2 = Country Weekly | rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="cw">{{cite journal|last=Neal|first=Chris|date=2009-08-31|title=Reviews|journal=Country Weekly|volume=16|issue=29|pages=50}}</ref> | rev3 = The New York Times | rev3Score = mixed<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/arts/music/24choi-003.html|title=New CDs: Love and Theft |last=Caramanica|first=Jon|date=2009-08-24|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-08-28}}</ref> }} '''''World Wide Open''''' is the debut studio album by American country music band Love and Theft. It was released on August 25, 2009 (see 2009 in country music) via Carolwood Records, a sister label of Lyric Street Records. The album includes the single "Runaway", which is a Top 10 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts.
==Content== At least one member of the band had a hand in co-writing every track on the album.<ref name="allmusic"/> Co-writers include former RCA Records artist Robert Ellis Orrall, as well as Roger Springer and The Warren Brothers.<ref>{{cite web |title=''World Wide Open'' cut-by-cut |url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/love-and-theft-ready-to-take-the-world-wide-open |date=2009-08-20 |work=Roughstock |accessdate=24 August 2009}}</ref> Lead-off single "Runaway", which Stephen Barker Liles co-wrote, has reached Top 10 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts. Shortly after "Runaway" peaked, Carolwood was consolidated with Lyric Street Records. The second single is "Dancing in Circles."<ref>[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=17945 Dancing In Circles Songfacts]</ref>
==Critical reception== Todd Sterling gave four stars out of five in his Allmusic review, where he referred to the album as "teeming with tasty pop melodies and delicious hooks" and said that it should allow the band to compete with labelmates Rascal Flatts.<ref name="allmusic" /> Chris Neal of ''Country Weekly'' magazine gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five. His review calls the album "surprisingly subdued" outside the lead-off single and makes note of the shared lead vocals among all three members, but also criticizes the vocals for not showing the members' personalities clearly.<ref name="cw" /> ''The New York Times'' reviewer Jon Caramanica gave a mixed review, calling it "charmingly uncomplicated, a promising album from a band making the most of limited resources."<ref name="nyt" />
==Track listing== {{track listing | title1 = World Wide Open | writer1 = Eric Gunderson, Danny Orton | length1 = 3:27 | title2 = Runaway | writer2 = Rob Blackledge, Canaan Smith, Stephen Barker Liles | length2 = 3:50 | title3 = Dancing in Circles | writer3 = Liles, Robert Ellis Orrall, Roger Springer | length3 = 3:07 | title4 = It's Up to You | writer4 = Orrall, Gunderson, Chris Carpenter | length4 = 3:19 | title5 = You to Miss | writer5 = Brian Bandas, Jeff Coplan | length5 = 4:04 | title6 = Can't Go Back | writer6 = Coplan, Gunderson, Orrall | length6 = 3:31 | title7 = Don't Wake Me | writer7 = Coplan, Liles | length7 = 3:23 | title8 = Freedom | writer8 = Liles, Jay Joyce, Brad Warren, Brett Warren | length8 = 3:36 | title9 = Slow Down | writer9 = Bandas, Gunderson, Orrall | length9 = 3:37 | title10 = Me Without You | writer10 = Coplan, Smith, Liles | length10 = 3:41 | title11 = Drowning | writer11 = Coplan, Bandas, Gunderson, Liles | length11 = 4:22 }}
==Personnel== ;Love and Theft *Brian Bandas – lead vocals, background vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar *Eric Gunderson – lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar *Stephen Barker Liles – lead vocals, background vocals ;Additional musicians *Mike Brignardello – bass guitar *Tom Bukovac – electric guitar *Joe Caverlee – fiddle, mandolin *Jeff Coplan – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, Dobro, percussion, Hammond B-3 organ *Eric Darken – percussion *Dan Dugmore – steel guitar *Connie Ellisor – violin *Shannon Forrest – drums *Kevin Haynie – banjo *Chris McHugh – drums *Greg Morrow – drums *Robert Ellis Orrall – percussion, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards *Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen – cello *Darren Theriault – bass guitar
Strings arrangements by David Hoffner.
==Chart performance==
===Album=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (2009) ! Peak<br>position |- | U.S. ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums | align="center"| 10 |- | U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 | align="center"| 36 |- |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Peak chart<br />positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| US Country ! width="45"| US |- | rowspan="2"| 2009 | align="left"| "Runaway" | 10 | 65 |- | align="left"| "Dancing in Circles" | 25 | — |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Love and Theft (band)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2009 debut albums Category:Love and Theft (duo) albums Category:Lyric Street Records albums