Summer Single Round-Up

Ah yes. Summer time. The time where anthems and up-tempos rule the airwaves and where ballads go to die. It is time for our summer single round-up.

Eric Church - "Cold One"

This was the standout from The Outsiders for me. At first glance it comes across as just another drinking song. But it's actually a breakup song. The production is funky but not overly thick and Church sells it. Good stuff.

Grade: A

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Brantley Gilbert feat. Thomas Rhett and Justin Moore - "Small Town Throwdown"

I'll admit, "Bottoms Up" really grew on me, but I can't get into this one. Rhett sounds terrible on here (I actually usually like his voice) and the lyrics are ridiculously cliched. Solid performance from Moore but overall, meh.

Grade: C

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Danielle Bradbery - "Young In America"

This is pure fluff, but good fluff. Bradbery sounds good here and sounds like she is legitimately enjoying herself. Production is restrained and an infectious melody. I can get into this.

Grade: B

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Thompson Square - "Testing the Water"

Why? Just why? For an album full of fun, infectious tunes why this? A song like "Here's To Being Here" has so much energy and charisma. This is dull. I don't say that about much of Thompson Square's stuff.


Grade: C

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Brad Paisley - "River Bank"

Lyrically clever, takes the interesting production traits of Wheelhouse and makes it a bit more radio friendly, a performance reminiscent of Paisley's early work. I was hoping it wouldn't be a copy of "Water". It wasn't.

Grade: B+

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Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan - "This Is How We Roll"

The rapping here is crap. It seriously sucks. So do the lyrics. But I find myself jamming to it. It's catchy as hell. I like it. Can we forget I ever said that now?


Grade: B

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Dustin Lynch - "Where It's At"

This is very, very average. Boring lyrics, boring production, boring melody, boring vocals, boring single cover. ZZZZZZZZZ.

Grade: C-

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