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Single Review: Brantley Gilbert- "One Hell of an Amen"

3/6/2015

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Brantley Gilbert's latest single is without a doubt the best thing he has ever released to radio. "One Hell of an Amen" tells the stories of two men, one of whom died at war while the other is passing due to cancer, through the point of view of a close friend. It's a moving, inspirational song that shows depth that usually stays hidden in the land of album tracks.

While some songs of this vein can come across as sappy and unconvincing, "One Hell of an Amen" has enough bite in the production to sell it, while Brantley conveys raw emotion in spades.

The enjoyment of this single for many may come down to if you can tolerate Gilbert's style and vocals. I can, so I find it to be nothing short of a masterpiece. This track is downright fantastic, and is the best single at radio right now, bar none.

(On somewhat of a side note, the video is definitely worth a watch.)

Grade: A+
Listen: "One Hell of an Amen"

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Single Review: Darius Rucker- "Homegrown Honey"

3/6/2015

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My expectations weren't exactly high going into this one. I mean, how much good could possibly come from a song titled "Homegrown Honey"? And yet, Rucker still managed to deliver a failure of epic proportions. 

This is a disaster on all fronts, but the lyrics stick out as especially terrible. Listen, as poorly written and mind numbingly stupid as lots of material from the likes of Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett is, at least they make it seem relatable. They're young. They sell it from that viewpoint. When Darius sings it, it comes as off as creepy. The man is 48-years-old. 48! And he's singing "I dig the way that you move"? I know you're not supposed to judge the music off the artists themselves, but this is just unacceptable.

The production and melody are just as bad. Yes there's banjo, yes there's fiddle, but sounding country does not always equate to being good. From a sonic standpoint, "Homegrown Honey" is grating, while the melody is choppy and jarring.

I like Darius an artist. He has delivered some quality songs on multiple occasions. But nothing about this single is good, and should the rest of his upcoming album be anything close to similar, I will not be picking it up.

Grade: F
Listen: "Homegrown Honey"

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5 Second Single Reviews

11/8/2014

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Brett Eldredge - "Mean to Me"

Sometimes it's good to keep things low key. The latest hit from CMA New Artist of the year won't knock your socks off with any one element, but it's the endearing simplicity that makes "Mean to Me" a pleasant listen,

Grade: B+


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Kenny Chesney - "Til It's Gone"

It's not nearly as good as it's predecessor "American Kids", but "Til It's Gone" is still unoffensive, well executed radio fodder. The melody's a bit clunky, but this is still a very listenable effort.

Grade: B-


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Lady Antebellum - "Freestyle"

After delivering an excellent album like Golden last year, their newest album, 747, is a huge disappointment. It's clear they felt Golden wasn't commercially successful enough, so they threw together an album full of middle of the road, radio friendly material. Their new single "Freestyle" is a good example of what kind of song makes up the album. It doesn't feel like any effort was put into the creation of the song, from a lyrical and vocal standpoint, and ends up feeling half-a**ed and sloppy.

                                                  Grade: D+

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Kristian Bush - "Trailer Hitch"

The lesser known male half of Sugarland has delivered a single that encapsulates everything that made Sugarland so enjoyable. Charisma, charm, and a whole lot of fun without sacrificing lyrical integrity. I'm unsure of how much further it's going to get on the airplay chart, but if Bush's debut project is as good as his debut single, I will most certainly be picking it up.

Grade: A-


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Scotty McCreery - "Feelin' It"

There's nothing particularly bad about "Feelin' It". It is what it is, a feel good summer song, but it still doesn't catch my interest in any way. I'll give it points for capturing the escapism feel melodically, but this is still only mildly enjoyable at best.

Grade: C

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Single Review: Garth Brooks- "People Loving People"

10/18/2014

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There was going to be a lot of hype for new Garth Brooks music in the first place, but the constant delays on a new single only increased the anticipation. Did it live up to the hype? Well... sort of. "People Loving People" features some positive elements, and some bad ones.

The positives? The message is a good one, about the only way to help this world is to all get along and stop our petty arguing. It's one that I wholeheartedly agree with, and one that likely resonates well with many listeners. The other positive element is the strong melody, which perfectly portrays the feeling intensity the song attempts to portray.

The negatives? The vocal here is so incredibly thin and weak. I've never been a huge fan of Garth Brooks as a vocalist. I wouldn't say he's a poor vocalist, but he's never blown me away either. However, he has always been front-and-center in his recordings, and that quality is missing completely here. He honestly sounds like an amateur. Likewise, "People Loving People" sounds like it was recorded in someones garage. It's like watered down arena-rock. I get what they were going for here, but they failed miserably.

There are enough positive components here to not make it a station changer, but too many negative elements to keep it from being classic. As it is, we're left with a middling result.

Grade: B-
Listen: "People Loving People"

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Single Review: Easton Corbin- "Baby Be My Love Song"

9/13/2014

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After "Clockwork" failed to make an impact at country radio, peaking at #32 on the airplay chart, Easton Corbin is back with a single that would fit seamlessly into either of his first two studio albums.

Let's get one thing straight: "Baby Be My Love Song" is not revolutionary. It is the very definition of light and fluffy. However, there are two components that make "Baby Be My Love Song" work. The first one that Easton delivers it with the charm and charisma that made hits like "Lovin' You Is Fun" and "Roll With It" so strong and enjoyable. The second is that the production sounds very much like it belongs on country radio. The guitars are a bit heavier than a typical Easton Corbin record, but it still very much the neo-traditional flavor that made Easton a favorite among traditional country fans.

Easton's music, for the most part relies heavily on a lyrical formula that isn't offensive by any stretch of the imagination, but would never be mistaken as deep by most peoples standards, and "Baby Be My Love Song" is no exception. Take it for what it is, a well executed sing-a-long toe tapper. World shifting? No, but I'll take it.

Grade: B
Listen: "Baby Be My Love Song"



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Single Review: Keith Urban- "Somewhere In My Car"

8/24/2014

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At this point Keith Urban has mastered the art of creating lightweight, banjo filled, pop-country. He does it better than anyone else currently on the radio dial, and it actually has staying power, it doesn't just fade into oblivion. With his new single, Urban takes his typical banjo driven, melodic formula and backs it up with a sold lyric and a different type of sound.

The narrator has just been through a breakup, but keeps imaging him and his ex in his car like they did back when they were together. Brilliant lines like "driving home tonight, catchin' all the red lights, that's alright 'cause I, don't wanna be alone" add another dimension to it. The production is definitely poppier than a lot of Urban's material but the signature banjo keeps it remotely country, and the radio edited piano intro is absolutely fantastic and matches up very well with the storyline.

Likewise, he adds conviction and somberness to the lyrics to keep them feeling genuine, and when Keith lets it rip on the line "you got your lips on mine, it's gasoline on fire" it sends chills up your spine.

"Somewhere In My Car" may take Urban in a different direction in terms of sound, but in this case it's a good thing. It's a sterling effort.

Grade: A
Listen: "Somewhere In My Car"


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Single Review: Jon Pardi- "What I Can't Put Down"

8/7/2014

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A country-rocker that's firmly planted on the country side of the fence. Jon Pardi is bringing the honky-tonk style back and I'm loving it.

"What I Can't Put Down" is fun, rocking country music, but not at the expense of lyrical quality. "What I Can't Put Down" tackles the lyrical theme of always getting into things that you can't give up, some of them possessing consequences (cigarettes) whereas other have changed the narrators life for the better (getting into performing music).  
Pardi sounds fully in control here, attacking the content with the right amount of bounciness and authenticity to keep it both fun and real at the same time.
The production is equal parts modern and traditional, keeping a good balance between the electric guitars and the steel guitars while making him stand out among his peers.

If his debut album, Write You a Song, is a sign of things to come for Pardi, we may have a keeper on our hands. Jon Pardi is here to stay man.

Grade: B+
Listen: "What I Can't Put Down"


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Single Review: Maggie Rose- "Girl In Your Truck Song"

8/7/2014

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From a technical standpoint, this isn't bad. The production is fresh and uncluttered, the melody flows nicely throughout the song and Rose sounds as good as ever. But I really can't get behind the lyrical content here.

Just because it's being sung from a female perspective doesn't change the fact that it's yet another checklist of cliches. Beer? Check. Trucks? Check. Tailgates? Check. And yet I find "Girl In Your Truck Song" to be an even weaker lyrical effort than most radio fare, the reason behind that being that "Girl In Your Truck Song" doesn't exist to be another party in a truck anthem, but to promote them. The last thing this genre needs is someone promoting what has become a tiring theme these days, and especially not from an artist who has proved to be a bright spot on radio playlists.

Maggie Rose has proven she has what it takes to be a quality, true country artist, so it's a damn shame it came to this, because she is clearly more than just a girl in a truck song.

Grade: C
Listen: "Girl In Your Truck Song"

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Single Review: Chris Lane- "Broken Windshield View"

8/4/2014

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Chris Lane's debut single gets a couple things right, and a lot of things wrong. 

Let's start with the positives: Lane sounds fully committed here, like he really believes in what he's singing, something I greatly appreciate. Furthermore, he clearly has the vocal chops to be an effective artist. 
The chorus is also melodically sound. It's not insanely catchy but little nuggets like "our Friday nights might get a little black and blue" get lodged in your brain for hours.

That's where the positives abruptly stop. Despite the occasional catchy hook, it's yet another bro-song hidden beneath a big title hook. Think of the most average country-pride anthem you can imagine, then think of the most average bro-country song of all time. That is basically what "Broken Windshield View" is.

It doesn't help matters that Joey Moi smothers it with the loudest, most obnoxious production in existence. Yes, there is some token banjo thrown in, but Mr. Moi cranks up the guitars to make sure you can't hear it. Can't have country instruments on a mainstream single now can we.

Chris Lane might have potential to be a decent artist one day, but first he has to ditch Joey Moi and find a different producer, then he has to branch out lyrically. For now I'll file him in with the other Florida Georgia Line wannabees. This is just one big (loud) pile of blah.

Grade: D+
Listen: "Broken Windshield View"

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Single Review: Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood- "Somethin' Bad"

7/27/2014

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Oh the potential this duet held. Two of country musics elite vocalists pairing together could have been something for the ages. Both of these artists recent output has been nothing short of stellar. And we get... this? How disappointing.

This was a golden opportunity to get lyrical quality back on country radio. These are the artists behind recent masterpieces such as "Mama's Broken Heart" and "Two Black Cadillacs", not to mention two of the only female A-listers. Why did they have to record a bad-girl anthem? And not a very good one at that. It doesn't even really say anything, it's pretty much a feminized Brantley Gilbert bad-ass rocker. 

I will give it this: despite the obnoxious production, below average melody and hollow lyrics, Miranda does sound pretty good here. There was the potential here for a shout-fest but that doesn't happen. That said, I'm not a fan of Underwood on this one. Never been a fan of her performances on her bad-girl stuff before ("Undo It", "Before He Cheats", "Last Name") and "Somethin' Bad" does nothing to change my feelings on that. Too exaggerated for my liking.

*sigh* What could have been legendary adds up to nothing more than irritating radio filler. How disappointing.

Grade: C-
Listen: "Somethin' Bad"


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