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

Single Review: Chase Rice- "Three Chords & The Truth"

11/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
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

0 Comments

Single Review: LANco - "Greatest Love Story"

11/3/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​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. 
​
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

0 Comments

    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