There's no escaping the inevitable. "Play It Again", Luke Bryan's next single from his 2013 release Crash My Party, was a virtual lock for a single choice based on the fan reaction and stellar digital sales. But still, I can't help but feel a little disappointed by it, especially coming on the heels of the outstanding "Drink A Beer".
"Play It Again" is your typical radio hit. Tanlines, tailgates and trucks all make their appearance before the first chorus even kicks in. The chorus isn't much better. What could have been a decent earworm of a chorus is bogged down by wall-of-sound production and a grating repeated title hook.
And while past the first verse Bryan lays of the bro cliches, it's not much better. The characters are faceless, giving the listener no insight into what is so special about this girl he meets at the bar, and the general lack of vivid details is really what derails this song from escalating. And as always it's a hip-hop beat that drives the production
But what is most disappointing about this song, is the absence of the almost always present charm and energy of Bryan. That charm and energy has elevated lyrical duds such as "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" to an enjoyable level. Luke just sounds awkward and out of place singing this, which is a darn shame.
If there's one redeeming quality, it's that the melody is quite nice and mildly catchy, but even with that, "Play It Again" just does nothing to separate itself from the pack. It doesn't reach the disastrous lows of "That's My Kind Of Night", but still feels nothing more than lukewarm.
Grade: C+
Listen: "Play It Again"
"Play It Again" is your typical radio hit. Tanlines, tailgates and trucks all make their appearance before the first chorus even kicks in. The chorus isn't much better. What could have been a decent earworm of a chorus is bogged down by wall-of-sound production and a grating repeated title hook.
And while past the first verse Bryan lays of the bro cliches, it's not much better. The characters are faceless, giving the listener no insight into what is so special about this girl he meets at the bar, and the general lack of vivid details is really what derails this song from escalating. And as always it's a hip-hop beat that drives the production
But what is most disappointing about this song, is the absence of the almost always present charm and energy of Bryan. That charm and energy has elevated lyrical duds such as "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" to an enjoyable level. Luke just sounds awkward and out of place singing this, which is a darn shame.
If there's one redeeming quality, it's that the melody is quite nice and mildly catchy, but even with that, "Play It Again" just does nothing to separate itself from the pack. It doesn't reach the disastrous lows of "That's My Kind Of Night", but still feels nothing more than lukewarm.
Grade: C+
Listen: "Play It Again"
