​Let’s talk about debut singles. Really, they’re the most dangerous song an artist can release in their careers. First impressions are everything, and that certainly applies to music. For example, if I had to judge an artist like say, Jon Pardi on his first two singles, I would have said he was nothing more than a guy cashing in on bro-country, something that proved to be false.

On the other side, you can get artists like Dustin Lynch who release dynamite lead singles like “Cowboys and Angels” only to end up being disappointing. Safe to say, lead singles are crucial for an artist.

So why do I bring all of this up anyway? Well, because Arista Nashville recording artist Seth Ennis has an interesting debut single. You see, in the slow lull of these fall and winter months, radio is starting to embrace songs that are a little slower and may not be reliant on solely some loud wall of sound technique. In addition, they also usually embrace songs that may some something beyond just having a good time.

Now look, I’m not going to oversell this song. Seth’s debut single, “Woke Up In Nashville” isn’t some super traditional country song like we’ve seen re-emerge in mainstream country. It’s a piano ballad that features some modern touches in places, and you should know that going in. All of that being said, is “Woke Up In Nashville” a good song?

Well, to my surprise, yes! Like I said, it’s a ballad, and I appreciate the decision to lead off his career with a ballad. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily a risk to release it during this time of year, but at the same time, it’s not something you see often.

As for the song itself, it’s a song about this male narrator who packs it all up to pursue a career in music in Nashville only to realize that the girl he left behind is who he really wanted instead. Later, he calls her to tell her how his new life won’t be complete without her. I’m not good at describing songs, and admittedly I probably made this out to be some cheesy love song, but really the writing here is definitely very solid and actually nuanced.

Vocally, I’m reminded most of an older Hunter Hayes. Now, I won’t say Seth is the strongest singer out there, but he makes up for it here with an earnest emotional investment. He does a pretty good job of selling some actual regret and sadness here. Hey, I’ve always said I appreciate sincerity more than power and that rings true here.

Now, if I were to nitpick with any area of this song, it would be in the production. There’s a couple of unnecessary production techniques that creep up as the song progresses. Elsewhere, I would say that the tempo moves a little too fast, not really giving time for the song to develop into something more. Now, I did say the writing here was solid, and that’s still true, but I also can’t help but feel like the somewhat rushed tempo takes away from possible avenues for where the song could head next. Does he eventually reconnect with her? Does she tell him to forget it and move in? We really only hear from his side, and that’s alright, but I feel like a just little bit of a push in the writing could have turned this into a great song rather than just a really good song.
That’s the whole thing though, this is a really good song. In addition, it’s a solid start for Seth Ennis. I’ll reserve opinions for his artistic abilities until I can hear some more songs from him, but with “Woke Up In Nashville”, he’s off to a solid start. Keep it up, Seth. 

Grade: B
Listen: “Woke Up In Nashville”

Author: Zackary Kephart

Let’s talk for a moment about charisma, because really, it’s a quality that I feel tends to get overshadowed by a lot of critics. The ability to really be able to sell almost anything you’re singing about is harder than it seems. To make it look easy isn’t learned over time, it’s a gift. Now, I’ve been on record as saying that I care more about delivery and passion rather than sheer vocal power when it comes to artists, and that’s why I’ve always enjoyed guys like Jake Owen or our artist in question today, Billy Currington.

Back in the mid 2000’s, Billy Currington was always the kind of artist who had that sort of easy going, likable attitude to him, even with the simplest of songs. Heck, you could probably argue that he’s the type of artist that a guy like Kenny Chesney was trying to be like. It’s that kind of easy going charisma that made me enjoy songs like “Good Directions”, “People Are Crazy” and even his fluffier material such as “Don’t”, or “I’ve Got A Feelin’”.

Once we left that era of country music and headed into the “dark ages” of what the 2010’s has sort of been so far, I still sort of liked him. Sure, “Hey Girl” was a very stupid song, but once again, his charisma was able to help him deliver these bro songs with some real heartfelt sincerity and energy. I brought up Jake Owen earlier, and really, if there are two artists who did bro-country in a way that was likable, it was these guys.

Of course, we’re far removed from that era of country music, so what was a guy like Billy Currington to do? That’s sort of been the million dollar question. Don’t get me wrong, Billy has mostly seen success from his album Summer Forever, but there’s also a sense that he’s sort of beginning to fade into the background, and that’s a damn shame.

His newest single, “Do I Make You Wanna” probably won’t help that either. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like this song more than I don’t, but at the same time you have to wonder they’re releasing a song like this after the great “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” established some real momentum for him.

So alright, let’s get back to the song in question. “Do I Make You Wanna” is more enjoyable than it’s not. Sure, it’s more pop than country, but if you’re like me and don’t really care all that much about it then this is damn solid. The guitars are very crisp and breezy, and I swear to God there’s a mandolin buried in the mix supporting the verses and choruses even if I can’t really determine it. The drums, much like the guitars are very breezy and help to establish a light, easy-going atmosphere that’s easy to enjoy.

Vocally, Billy does a great job of selling this song as always. Sure, it’s nothing more than a straight forward hook up track, but Billy is selling this song in a manner that’s heartfelt and sincere. It’s easy to enjoy. It fits well within his range and while this song doesn’t necessarily require any real energy or anything, it’s also got that sort of relaxed vibe that Billy handles well.

Of course, I’ve already stated the problem with this song – it’s a straightforward hook up song. Don’t get me wrong, lyrics don’t necessarily have to be excellent in order for a song to be great, but the lyrics on this song definitely could use some more meat to them. They’re fine, but they also establish the foundation for a song that’s alright, but not really great. There’s no sense of urgency as the narrator wonders if his lover feels the same way about him that he does for her, and the hook is admittedly a little corny.Like I said, this song is very agreeable, but there’s really not enough here for me to warrant any higher praise than that. It will most likely do fine at country radio, but at the same time it’s not exactly a song that’s going to stick in the listener’s mind for long.

Grade: B-
Listen: "Do I Make You Wanna"

Author: Zackary Kephart

Prior to 2014, you really had to try hard to get me interested in hearing a Love and Theft song. They weren’t necessarily bad, they just weren’t all that distinctive, choosing to adopt a familiar country-pop styling that was frankly quite boring.

Of course, after they were dropped from Sony Music Nashville, I still had no interest to hear any new music from them. Then they released “Whiskey On My Breath”, a song that was enough for me to change my stance on the duo and acknowledge that they could create great music if they really put their mind to it.

Even the album that accompanied it in February 2015 wasn’t all that bad. Was it a good album? Well, almost. At the very least, it showed that the duo could create enjoyable (and interesting) country-pop songs like “Let’s Get Drunk and Make Friends”, and of course there was the stellar title track as well as “Everybody Drives Drunk”. As such, the duo managed to catch my attention when they announced they had signed with Curb Records this March. Curb isn’t exactly a good record label in any sense, but hey, they let Mo Pitney release his solid album, so surely Love & Theft would continue to make smart pop-country right?

Well if the lead single, “Candyland” from their yet to be named album is any indication, then no. If anything, “Candyland” finds the duo reverting back to the same uninteresting pop-country sound they were making back in their days at Sony. Now, keep in mind, I have no problem with pop flavored country music. As I said before when discussing their last album, this sub-genre can be done right. The problem is that it’s often not in mainstream country music.

So, ok, to the song’s credit (and the duo for the matter), this song does have a somewhat pleasant melody, and Stephen Barker Liles is certainly a good singer. The problem is that both him and Eric Gunderson don’t really seem all that invested in the song, choosing to adopt a more causal or even disinterested tone rather than passionate. It’s pleasant, but forgettable.

Of course, we can’t look at why it’s really forgettable until we dissect the other elements of the song. The production is fairly inoffensive, but that’s all I can really say about it. The acoustic guitars blend better with the drum loops better than you might think, but still, we shouldn’t be discussing drum loops in country music. That’s not even to mention the pretty gutless guitar work all throughout this song.

Lyrically, well it’s nothing you haven’t heard before. It’s a generic love song about how a girl makes a guy feel. That’s it. Given the title, there’s references to the girl’s lips tasting like sugar along with “tasting” them and other corny references, but even so, the pun about living in candyland certainly isn’t clever by any means. It’s not atrocious or anything, but it’s also not exactly good, and that’s unfortunately the way I feel about this song as a whole.

Overall, I get why the duo is releasing a song like this. They don’t want to be independent, they want to be radio stars. Hey, more power to them, but if that’s the case then I suppose I’ll go back to feeling about this duo the same way I did before – with disinterest at best. “Candyland” isn’t horrible by any means, but it’s not what I was hoping to hear from the duo.

Grade: C
Listen: "Candyland"

Author: Zackary Kephart

So I’m not alone in saying that Brad Paisley has felt a little “lost” recently, right? By lost, I’m speaking artistically and commercially. It’s no secret that Brad isn’t quite at the top of his game like he was a decade ago (or even just four or five years ago really), and that’s a damn shame.

Of course, I’m not surprised either. Even though I think I’m one of the few who actually thought Wheelhouse was an excellent album, it’s also that more creative experimental route he took that led to his stagnation on the charts. Again, that’s another shame too, because even though that album had that one atrocious song that unfortunately attracted all of the attention away from the album itself, that album also really felt like Brad was pushing himself to new artistic heights. As a critic, I love seeing that.

It didn’t help that his next album, Moonshine In The Trunk was released during the whole “bro-country” phenomenon either, even if I think Brad was able to handle it pretty well. Then of course you had the final singles from that album barely scraping the top ten along with his last single with Demi Lovato barely scrapping the top fifteen!

With that being said, it’s safe to say that Brad Paisley seriously needed a career rejuvenation, and what better way to do that then to return completely to your roots? That’s what he did for his newest single, “Today”, a song that from my understanding was written nine years ago. If you want my straightforward opinion, I would say it’s his best single in awhile.

Now, the best part of this song is undoubtedly its sound, and I know what you’re thinking, “Oh look, another country critic who’s happy that someone made a traditional country song”. To an extent, sure, it’s true, but I’ve been on record as saying I like experimentation within music, and while this song doesn’t do that, it’s also just got that classic Brad sound that I (sort of) grew up on and have always enjoyed.

The opening piano along with the guitar work opens its way to a song that’s got the room it needs to breathe, coupled with heavenly pedal steel and fiddle during the choruses. Along the way you get touches of mandolin in the background, which, I have to ask, I know that steel and fiddle is slowly making its way back, but when’s the last time we heard mandolin in a mainstream country single? Nonetheless, I also quite enjoyed the crescendo leading into the bridge that shows Brad playing a fine guitar solo, and even though it might get “louder” at that point, it still blends in with the mood of the song quite nicely.

Vocally, well look, we’re not going to crown Brad Paisley as one of country’s absolute vocalists (not a knock on the guy though), but one thing I’ve always applauded more than sheer vocal power is personality. We’ll get to the theme of this song later on, but it helps that Brad is able to sing this song with a lot of emotive passion and sincerity. You can tell he’s invested in this song and that it means a lot to him. I can totally respect that.

As for the song’s theme, well look, I’m glad that we’re finally moving back to an era in mainstream country music where artists are actually saying something with their music, but at the same time, I’d argue that the song’s lyrics and themes are its weak point. The theme of enjoying today and conquering the moment certainly isn’t new at all, but to be fair, the emotional nuance once again does a fair bit to win me over. I’m not quite sure the song’s lyrics and details dig quite as deep as they could though. It’s a good, if overused message, but it certainly doesn’t match the sound and emotional passion here.

But overall, this is a solid comeback for Brad Paisley. Heck, the best way to really re-evaluate your career is to return to your roots, and with the tides of mainstream country music shifting back towards more traditional and substantive music, Brad Paisley would be a welcome fit.

Grade: B
Listen: "Today"

Author: Zackary Kephart

​Oh Dierks…..

When it comes to Dierks Bentley, I’ve always been a big fan of his. In fact, he’s always been one of my favorite artists in mainstream country music. Hell, his albums have always delivered consistent quality, and his singles have always been good to great (minus a few duds, looking at you “5-1-5-0”)

In 2010 he released a bluegrass album of all things at a time when he was looking to break into the “A-list”. That’s really when he earned my upmost respect as an artist. You could tell the project came from passion rather than dollar signs, and when the album was as good as it was, it was a huge victory for mainstream country.

Now let’s flash forward to earlier this year, more specifically January. When Dierks Bentley released the lead single to his album, Black titled “Somewhere On A Beach”, I wasn’t worried. Despite that song being absolutely awful, I had hopes that Dierks would still deliver. Well, he didn’t really on his new album, and to be honest, it was a disappointing listen for me. So on that note, how do I feel about his newest single, the title track of this album?

Well I’ll say this, I probably like it more than I should. I don’t think Black in and of itself is a great song or one of Bentley’s better singles, but I also think there’s a little more effort present here compared to your other slew of sex songs on country radio.

What I can appreciate about this song is the atmosphere it’s trying to convey. It begins with some honestly pretty good drum work that leads into a darker, spacier atmosphere. That atmosphere is also bolstered by smoother, more liquid guitar work. Hey, if nothing else, there’s at least an emotional passion here. Depending on how far you want to take the whole “country or not country” argument will definitely make or break this song in regards to this element however. For me, I can appreciate it.

When it comes to the lyrics, well, look I’ll give Bentley credit here and say that while this song focuses on nothing but the act in question, at least the album expands more on the feelings of love. In other words, it’s somewhat of a concept album. As a stand alone song however, I’m left wishing we had a little more meat to this song besides just “hey, I really want you. Let’s do it”. It’s not lyrically bad per se, it just could have been better.

The one element that I don’t feel holds up all that well however is Dierks Bentley’s vocals. Like I said, the song is trying for more of an emotional passion, and that extends to Bentley’s vocals. You can tell he’s trying to really throw himself into this song. The problem is that there’s parts such as the chorus where they just sound very jarring next to the production. In other words, his vocals aren’t a good fit for this type of song.

Like I said though, there’s a limit to how hard I can be on this song. It’s not as if there isn’t some effort present here. The problem for me is in the execution. It’s better than his last two singles at least, so that’s something to appreciate.

Grade: B-
Listen: "Black"

Author: Zackary Kephart

So as I said in my review of Midland’s newest EP, it seems as though Nashville is experiencing somewhat of a revival in authentic country music in the mainstream. From the looks of emerging young acts to even a few industry veterans taking charge of a more mature sound, mainstream country music seems to be on the right path.

One of the biggest leaders of this movement has arguably been Jon Pardi. Back when every male country start was recording bro-country songs back in 2014 set to loud rock guitars, Jon kept his music in a slightly more traditional vein. Actually, it was more like an authentic fusion of neo-traditional country with rock and roll.

Jon finally caught some success earlier this year when his song, “Head Over Boots” became his first number one hit, a sign of hard work and a determination to stick to one’s roots.

As for my opinion on the guy, I’m not quite sure what to think. I really liked his debut album a lot, but his latest album, California Sunrise was more of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand you had genuinely great songs like the title track and “Outta Style” to the downright incredible “She Ain’t In It”. On the other however, you also had way too many songs playing it safe along with a few noticeable duds. One of the few duds on that album was his current single, “Dirt On My Boots”.

Many have been quick to point to this song’s sound as its biggest offense, and that’s fair. It’s got a hip-hop beat all while being accompanied by a fiddle. That’s not a pleasant combination in country music unless your name is Yelawolf. However, there’s also a pretty great, bombastic guitar solo that may be one of the few redeeming factors of this song. Hey, at least it’s got SOME bite to it.

My pick for the biggest offense of this song however is the lyrics. For God’s sake, quit telling us about how country you are and how you can’t get too fancy for a night on the town because you’re so country. No, just no. I suppose it’s inoffensive as a theme, but the delivery just comes across sloppily. There’s absolutely no meat to this song outside of that guitar solo I mentioned.

I’m glad this is shaping up to become a huge hit for Pardi. I just wish he could have this same impact with another song off of his album. This is beneath his talent. 

Grade: D
Listen: "Dirt On My Boots"

Author: ​Zackary Kephart