Truth be told, I've never been a big fan of Chase Rice. I know the upside is there, certainly. He has a handful of absolutely killer songs, but the vast majority of the time, he's been putting out half-hearted bro retreads. With his latest record, "Three Chords & The Truth", however, he has put forward an effort of greater depth.

On the surface level, the song may present as an unexciting ode to partying and tailgates, and while it certainly verges on this territory, it handles the subject with a bit more intricacy than that. It details the narrator's journey to Nashville, and describes what country music has meant to him over the course of his lifetime. While bro-esque tinges are there, certainly, it comes off as more personal and reflective, rather than mindless pandering. Lyrically, it manages to blend anthemic concepts with storytelling muscle behind it, and the results are fairly effective.

Rice, while not the most technically proficient vocalist, sells it with a decent amount of authenticity. His mild rasp assists in helping the lyric come off as genuine, rather than phoned in. Melodically it soars, with an engaging structure and a hooky chorus to help it stand out, while the production blends country, pop, and rock to make for a captivating and atmospheric listen.

Chase Rice has rightfully been the victim of much criticism over the years, and in his defense, there may have been some label politics behind some decisions. That said, with "Three Chords & The Truth" and hopefully the subsequent Lambs & Lions album, we may be seeing him turn an artistic corner in his career. 

Grade: B+
Listen: "Three Chords & The Truth"

Author: Markus Meyer

​I think I feel the same way about Lanco right now that I did with Seth Ennis and Russell Dickerson. While "Greatest Love Story" is not their debut single, it is undoubtedly their breakout single. Much like the aforementioned artists, Lanco have released a single that is relatively solid, but you also have to wonder if it really is the best thing this band will release to radio.

I say that only because their debut single, "Long Live Tonight" was pretty terrible, and while I have not sought out their other material floating around, judging from comments I've seen from fellow music fans, I don't think I will. However, that's for another time and place. For right now, let's talk about a song that's relatively solid and has a lot more going right for it than it does wrong.

Now, Brandon Lancaster isn't the strongest vocalist around, but he's got enough of a personality to sell the story being portrayed here, even if calling it the "greatest" love story is a stretch. Even when the lyrics fall into common country tropes (we'll get to those), he always comes across as sincere and likable given the setting. The best element of this track though is the instrumentation and production. Surprisingly enough it's comprised of mostly acoustic elements. The banjo that creeps up during the first chorus (and sticks around afterwards) and the spacious electric guitar definitely gives it more of a light folk-rock vibe. 

Like I said though, this is far from the "greatest" love story out there, and while it's a pleasant thing to listen to, it's not because of the words used. It's essentially a cheesy love story you'd expect a movie to be made out of by framing this romance as a high school fling. He's a bad boy, she's a good girl, and of course there's the obligatory reference to sneaking off somewhere (in this case, it's not a spot nobody knows but rather a river, so...progress?). Eventually college rolls around. The female goes off to make a better life while the male stays back to get a job. After she graduates they meet back up and...viola. It sounds like it could be a pretty cool story honestly, but the imagery and details used are never all that stunning. It's mostly vague and generic, ESPECIALLY during the chorus. 
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Still though, it's a pleasant listen, and while it remains to be seen whether or not this is the best LANco can do, for now it's one of the better songs on the radio. Now if only they could change their name to something that doesn't sound like your father's favorite hardware store...

Grade: B-
Listen: "Greatest Love Story"

Author: Zackary Kephart