This Is Country Music
  • Home
  • Album Reviews
  • Other Stuff
  • Archives

Single Review: Luke Bryan- "Play It Again"

1/30/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
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"

0 Comments

Single Review: Kelleigh Bannen- "Famous"

1/29/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Kelleigh Bannen's debut single "Sorry On The Rocks" was actually pretty good, but made no impact on the charts. I should have seen it coming, but her new single "Famous" is a disappointment to say the least.

"Famous" comes across as a desperate attempt to replicate the success of pop-country offerings from genre megastars Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. 

And while the two aforementioned artists do tend to lean to the pop side of the pop-country fence, they're (usually) well produced and maintain the occasional country element. "Famous" is pure pop. Not even remotely close to country music. It's overproduced and distorted vocals that would make "Drink To That All Night" proud.

Throw in a grating melody and a whiny performance that recalls some of Swift's worst work and you have a dud of a single.


Grade: D

Listen: "Famous"

0 Comments

Single Review: Thomas Rhett- "Get Me Some Of That"

1/29/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
I really don't want to like this. I am completely against most of this intelligence insulting trend that has dominated the genre over the past year and a half.

Yet I actually enjoy this to an extent.

Yes, the hook is pretty bad. Yes, it mentions cutoff jeans and hot women. But it's a single I can enjoy listening to.

The overall vibe and structure is similar to that of his breakout #1 smash "It Goes Like This", but the production and melody is far superior, and is just so damn good. 

Rhett is charming with his performance and sounds decent, and like Bobby Peacock of Roughstock said in his review, it's "more credible when coming from the mouth of a 23-year-old than, say, 37-year-old Luke Bryan".


Sue me.


Grade: B

Listen: "Get Me Some Of That"

1 Comment

Single Review: Tim McGraw- "Lookin' For That Girl"

1/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Oh Tim.

You have the talent, and a discography to back up the fact that you can indeed make great music. And when I say great I mean GREAT.

But the fact that 3 of 5 singles you've released from Big Machine have been duds disturbs me to no end.

But the fact that your latest is the worst is even more disturbing. This ranks below "Truck Yeah" in terms of quality. At least that had.... OK, there weren't actually any redeeming qualities to that monstrosity, but it's better than this.

The fact that this is a straight up pop song (and a bad one at that) is the least of it's problems.

The lyrics are among the most offensive we've seen from any song over the past year or so. I'd go give you examples but I think I'd get nightmares. 

Then there's the auto-tune. Why do people use that crap? If you can't sing, why exactly are you in this industry? 

I kinda wish it was overproduced to death Dan Huff style so I didn't have to hear it.


Grade: F

Listen: "Lookin' For That Girl"

0 Comments

Single Review: Eli Young Band- "Dust"

1/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Country arena-rock done right.

Eli Young Band's latest single showcases how to create an rock-anthem without being cluttered and obnoxious, while also proving that these types of songs don't have to come at the expense of lyrical quality.

EYB have crafted a song worthy of being on everyone's pump-up playlist. The story line is one that we've seen before (not that that's a bad thing), the narrator leaving everything behind and getting a fresh start. 

Between that and the masterful chorus and hook, Mike Eli's passionate and sincere performance, we have a real winner on our hands and perhaps the finest single to date for these guys.


Grade: A

Listen: "Dust"

0 Comments

Single Review: Brantley Gilbert- "Bottoms Up"

1/16/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
If there's one term that could describe BG's latest, it would be: bro-country in disguise.

Reasoning? The melody and production job here is pretty solid, and unlike anything else he's ever released. And the video is pretty creative to.

But all this doesn't change the fact that this is typical bro-country, at least lyrically speaking. "Pretty little mama looking at ya like that"? "Drop a tailgate on your truck"? Really? This is borderline embarrassing. But like I said, there are some redeeming qualities here, to make it tolerable. 

This guy has proven he can make great music (none of it gets released though), so lets hope his upcoming album has more songs like "Savin' Amy" and less of this.

Grade: C

Listen: "Bottoms Up"

1 Comment

Single Review: Billy Currington- "We Are Tonight"

1/16/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
At first glance, Billy Currington's latest comes off as moderately enjoyable radio fodder.

And there is something to that, the lyrics are fairly one-dimensional and really fail to do anything to keep the listener engaged.

But a lively melody backed up by tasteful production, all reeled in  by a solid Currington vocal make this one notch above the typical,  middle of the road fluff.

"We Are Tonight" doesn't do any one thing greatly, but everything comes together to make a solid single.

Grade: B

Listen: "We Are Tonight"


0 Comments

5 Second Single Reviews

1/9/2014

0 Comments

 
It's been a while since I've done one so eh, why not.

Picture
Ash Bowers- "Shake It Off"

Some clever lines, good hook, solid guitar driven production. It works for me. On a side note, this guy really should be bigger.

Grade: B+

Picture
Craig Morgan- "Wake Up Lovin' You"

I really want to like this more than I do. The verses are fantastic in every Way, production, vocals, melody, lyrically. But that shouted "chorus". Ugh. I hate it. Other than that, Morgan's best in ages.

Grade: B

Picture
Florida Georgia Line- "Stay"

I've seen criticism of the lyrics for this one, but there's something I find raw and real about them. I dig a suckup breakup song as much as anyone, but in the heat of the moment, who actually has time to plan that out? They're going to get emotional and say stupid things. I also love the banjo intro

Grade: A-

Picture
Jason Aldean- "When She Says Baby"

Far from the best song on the album. 100% fluff. But as far as fluff goes, this is pretty damn enjoyable.

Grade: B+

Picture
Jake Owen- "Beachin"

This is a slowed down "Days Of Gold" really. Which sucks because what I liked about "Days Of Gold" was the rapid fire delivery. This is just grating. The good news? "Ghost Town" is likely the next single. But as far as this goes, it's one of the weakest on the album.

Grade: C-

0 Comments

Single Review: Chris Young- "Who I Am With You"

1/9/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Chris Young's latest single is definitely a step up from his last single, "Aw Naw". Not that that's saying much albeit.

Truth is, this isn't really a BAD song. It's just "eh". And Chris Young is capable of much more than just "eh".

You can tell he's aiming for something a bit deeper, but the lyrics never quite reach that level. Props for the effort to at least try for something heartfelt, but the execution could have been better.

Likewise, the production really does nothing for me. While it's not over-the-top obnoxious, it feels cluttered, and a voice as good as Young's really should be given room to be heard.

That said, Young sounds great as expected, and the melody is quite enjoyable.

Those last 2 are enough for me to file this into the "mildly enjoyable" category. 

 This should fair well for him on the charts, but "Lonely Eyes" next please Chris.


Grade: B-

Listen: "Who I Am With You"


1 Comment

    Like us on Facebook! Also, follow us on Twitter @TICMWeebly!

    Writers

    Markus Meyer
    A country music fan from B.C., Canada. You can find his work at theshotgunseat.com. You can follow Markus on twitter at @Markus_Meyer27.

    Contributors

    Chris Baggs
    A country music and Buffalo Sabres fan from Buffalo.

    Zackary Kephart
    A country music fan from Buffalo, New York. 
    ​
    Comment Policy

    TICM is dedicated to the respect of readers and authors, and their opinions. Any comments that contain derogatory language will be deleted.
    ​

    More Country Music Content:

    All Access
    ​B-Sides & Badlands
    Country Exclusive
    ​
    Country Perspective
    Country Universe
    Farce the Music
    ​Grady Smith on Country
    Highway Queens
    Pulse Music Board
    Queens Of Country
    Roughstock
    Saving Country Music
    Shore2Shore Country
    The Shotgun Seat
    ​The Musical Divide
    ​The Word

    Tweets by @Markus_Meyer27

    Categories

    All
    3 Up 3 Down
    5 Second Single Reviews
    5 Second Single Reviews
    Aaron Watson
    Alan Jackson
    American Aquarium
    Ash Bowers
    Ash Bowers
    Ashley Campbell
    Ashley McBryde
    Ashley Monroe
    A Thousand Horses
    Austin Webb
    Autumn Hill
    Awards
    Bebe Rexha
    Best Of 2012
    Big & Rich
    Billy Currington
    Blackjack Billy
    Blake Shelton
    Blanco Brown
    Brad Paisley
    Brantley Gilbert
    Brett Eldredge
    Brett Young
    Brooks & Dunn
    Brothers Osborne
    Cam
    Canaan Smith
    Candi Carpenter
    Carly Pearce
    Carrie Underwood
    Casey James
    Cassadee Pope
    Chad Brownlee
    Charlie Worsham
    Chase Bryant
    Chase Rice
    Chris Cagle
    Chris Janson
    Chris Lane
    Chris Stapleton
    Chris Young
    Chris Young
    Cole Swindell
    Colt Ford
    Craig Campbell
    Craig Morgan
    Craig Morgan
    Dallas Smith
    Danielle Bradbery
    Dan + Shay
    Darius Rucker
    David Lee Murphy
    David Nail
    Dean Brody
    Devin Dawson
    Dierks Bentley
    Doc Walker
    Dustin Lynch
    Dylan Scott
    Easton Corbin
    Edens Edge
    Eli Young Band
    Eric Church
    Eric Paslay
    Faith Hill
    Florida Georgia Line
    Florida Georgia Line
    Frankie Ballard
    Garth Brooks
    Gary Allan
    George Strait
    Gloriana
    Greg Bates
    Hayden Panettiere
    Hunter Hayes
    Ingrid Andress
    Jake Owen
    Jake Owen
    James Wesley
    Jana Kramer
    Jason Aldean
    Jason Aldean
    Jason Blaine
    Jason Mitchell
    Jennifer Nettles
    Jerrod Niemann
    Joe Diffie
    Joel Crouse
    Joe Nichols
    Joey Hyde
    John Mayer
    Jon Pardi
    Jordan Davis
    Justin Moore
    Kacey Musgraves
    Kane Brown
    Karen Fairchild
    Keith Urban
    Kelleigh Bannen
    Kellie Pickler
    Kelly Clarkson
    Kelsea Ballerini
    Kenny Chesney
    Kip Moore
    Kristian Bush
    Lady Antebellum
    LANCO
    Laura Bell Bundy
    Lauren Alaina
    Leann Rimes
    Lee Brice
    Lindsay Ell
    Little Big Town
    LoCash
    Locash Cowboys
    Lonestar
    Love And Theft
    Luke Bryan
    Luke Combs
    Maddie & Tae
    Maggie Rose
    Maren Morris
    Martina Mcbride
    Michael Bublé
    Michael Ray
    Mickey Guyton
    Midland
    Miranda Lambert
    Montgomery Gentry
    Mo Pitney
    Morgan Wallen
    Nashville
    Natasha Bedingfield
    Nelly
    News
    Niko Moon
    Old Dominion
    Parmalee
    Pat Green
    Pistol Annies
    Raelynn
    Rainey Qualley
    Randy Houser
    Randy Rogers Band
    Rascal Flatts
    Riley Green
    Robert Counts
    Rodney Atkins
    Ronnie Dunn
    Runaway June
    Russell Dickerson
    Sam Hunt
    Sara Evans
    Sarah Buxton
    Sarah Darling
    Scotty McCreery
    Seth Ennis
    Shania Twain
    Sheryl Crow
    Single Reviews
    Single Reviews
    Single Round Up
    Striking Matches
    Sugarland
    Sunny Sweeney
    Tate Stevens
    Taylor Swift
    Tebey
    Tenille Townes
    The Band Perry
    The Chicks
    The Civil Wars
    The Farm
    The Henningsens
    The Last Bandoleros
    Thomas Rhett
    Thompson Square
    Tim Hicks
    Tim Mcgraw
    Toby Keith
    Todd O' Neill
    Trace Adkins
    Train
    Travis Denning
    Tucker Beathard
    Turnpike Troubadours
    Tyler Farr
    Tyminski
    Vince Gill
    Walker Hayes
    Walker McGuire
    William Michael Morgan
    Willie Nelson
    Worst Of 2013
    Worst Of 2014
    Worst Of 2020
    Year End Countdowns
    Zac Brown Band

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    December 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Album Reviews
  • Other Stuff
  • Archives