Recent Posts
Luke Bryan is one of the countless young males to emerge in recent years. He like many has experienced admirable but moderate success on radio while still labouring away in an effort to become one of the mainstays.
After making a name for himself with singles such as the up-tempo and rowdy “All My Friends Say” and the bucolic “Country Man”, Bryan in “Do I” has returned with a sound that we hadn’t yet encountered from him.
“Do I”, co-written by Bryan with Dave Haywood and Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum is a slow reflection. It is the kind of song that might sound great coming from the Lady Antebellum but comes off as slightly forced from Bryan. Not because Bryan does not have the capacity to slow it down, but because this is not the kind of slow it down track that Bryan should be delving into as the first “exposed” single of his career.
With that said, Bryan’s vocals are both distinctive and domineering whereas the subtle backing vocals of Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott add some much necessary depth. This vocal meeting unfortunately fails to meld well with the song requiring a much more understated lead vocal as Bryan neglects to offer any sense of despondency in his voice despite the song’s subject content. Put simply, this is the kind of song that should be released by a different kind of artist.
Right off the bat this is something that I would not have expected to hear from Bryan and while a more vulnerable side of Bryan is definitely worth exploring (especially to the country radio audience), “Do I” should not be the avenue to do so.
“Six words: Kenny Chesney’s “Who You’d Be Today.”
And finished.
Okay, maybe that was a little overzealous. Sure, they share a melody. Sure, they’re eerily similar in sound. But that’s simply a coincidence, right?
“Living For The Night” is the lead single from George Strait’s forthcoming record, Twang. The irony of course being that this track is one of the least strummin’ and twangin’ songs that Strait has ever released. Another interesting fact is that “Living For The Night” is potentially Strait’s tenth number one single for this decade, keeping pace with his previous efforts in both the 80s and 90s. With that said, this is also one of the rare tracks that Strait has cut where he has contributed to the writing credits (along with son Bubba Strait and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon).
Ultimately the song follows an expectant (but still likable) formula to what one has come to expect from King George and Dean Dillon who has written on various other Strait tracks including “Easy Come, Easy Go” and “Ocean Front Property.” The melding of the soft steel and classic guitar make for a fine and smooth instrumentation to support Strait’s vocals making this track another home run.
Also notably, for the first time in a while, Strait is singing about calamity and heartbreak (and maybe the loss of his daughter Jennifer). With "Living For The Night”, once again, we come to realise that the man can do little wrong, even with an arguably cast-off melody.
Miranda Lambert is often associated with fuming and rancorous anthems, which include radio hits such as “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder & Lead”. Her sophomore album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was routed in such themes as anger and reprisal. However, upon hearing “Dead Flowers” it would seem that Lambert is embarking on a more reflective nature of songwriting and it is fair to say that "Dead Flowers" is a level transition from her previous disposition.
In country music, it is common to hear stories of a love ending in heartbreak and tragedy or simply two lovers growing apart overtime and eventually reaching some form of coda. Lambert explores a relationship that has not reached its end but instead sits there, going through the motions, existing but depleted.
The verses in the track illustrate images of defeated symbols including dead flowers “I feel like flowers in the vase/He just brought them home one day, “ain’t they beautiful” he said/They’ve been here in the kitchen and they water’s turning grey/They’re sitting in the vase but now they’re dead” and burnt out Christmas lights, “They lit up our house on Christmas Day/But now it’s January and the bulbs have all burnt out/But they still hang”. Within the opening verses, the narrator finds symmetry in these images and the vacant relationship.
However, as the second verse progresses into the chorus, it becomes apparent that the emotive verses fail to meld comfortably into the chorus, sounding slightly awkward as the sullen subject content is coupled with an upbeat arrangement and weakened melody (which in the past has often been regarded as one of Lambert’s strengths).
“Dead Flowers” arrives at a standstill as the sullen heartrending verses become over-ridden by the unbefitting energetic chorus. However, the poised delivery as well as restrained vocal on this track have the makings of impending brilliancy, reflecting Lambert aging as a songwriter, vocalist and artist in a positive course.
Due to currently living outside the good ol’ United States, I was unable to watch the ACM Awards that took place earlier in the month until this morning. There were various noteworthy, insightful and witty live blogs (including those by Country California, The 9513 and Country Universe) that provisionally filled the void in my lack of viewer-ship.
Nonetheless, upon my viewing, there were a few prevalent moments at the 2009 ACM Awards (for me) including
[ Click here to read more ]
When discussing program director's play lists it is not unreasonable to conclude that a cyclical roll of names govern much of the real estate on mainstream country radio. For many, the sounds that dominate the airwaves are at times infuriatingly reminiscent of each other, bleeding into one ostensibly droning pop country ode. Thus, when I come across something that is both commercially viable and distinct in it’s own right; I desperately hope that country radio will pick it up in an effort to fight the war against some of the current mainstays. In this case, the recently formed vocal group Gloriana might just be that.
As new kids on the block, Gloriana bring to the table a number of admirable qualities including but not limited to impressive harmonies, memorable hooks and a gleaming sound. As a measuring stick, Gloriana are a little less marshy than Little Big Town and make use of pop overtones whilst failing to sound quite like anything else currently on country radio right now which has the potential intrigue listeners
[ Click here to read more ]
The listing choices...
Rodney Crowell - Funk and the Farm-Boy: A sexually charged bluesy track from one of the best albums of the past twelve months
[ Click here to read more ]
Chris Gray of the Houston Press posted a colorful review of Toby Keith's set at Rodeo Houston last week...here are some of the highlights:
"But OMG, Keith probably couldn't pass the audition for your average high school senior musical. Tuesday night at the rodeo, his voice - which has almost no range to start with - was consistently flat, with wrong notes littered across songs like "I Wanna Talk About Me" and recent country No. 1 "She Never Cried In Front of Me" like beer cans on the floor of his extended-cab F-150 after a weekend at the lake."
[ Click here to read more ]
Carrie Underwood has emerged as one of the more notable music success stories in recent memory. Graduating from American Idol in 2005, Underwood has sold a plethora of records and has been the recipient of both popular and critical acclaim. Her most recent offering is the fifth single from her 2007 sophomore album Carnival Ride, a cover of the Randy Travis hit "I Told You So" from his 1988 Always & Forever album.
Upon first listening to "I Told You So", it might almost seem like the track specifically constructed for a vocal like Carrie's. The breathtaking vocals of Underwood are present in "I Told You So", however, the emotional depth and investment that the song requires to draw from Underwood falls slightly short. A concern reflected in the recording is the question of whether Underwood has yet mastered the art of vocal and emotional interpretation. This of course can be open to discussion and is a skill that Underwood will likely learn in time. Also working against the track is the sensationalised steel guitar and production both of which fail to match the soaring yet restrained live performance of "I Told You So" that Underwood consistently delivers
[ Click here to read more ]
Following local media reports about a house he purchased in Key West, Fla., Kenny Chesney has decided against moving in and now plans to sell the property. Photos and details of the house were widely circulated on the Internet, and one Web site based in Key West printed the exact address of the estate. Chesney reportedly paid $5.7 million for the 7,000-square-foot house. In a statement released by his record label, Chesney said, "It's funny how you can be moving out before you even move in. I may have been naive to think I could just go down to the Keys and disappear, because that was the idea. I wanted to find a place where I could just be and thought I'd found it. But with all the buzz since we signed the papers, the last thing I want to do to some place I love as much as Key West is change the dynamics, especially for the locals who have been so good to me, so I'm stopping the insanity before it begins. The 'for sale' sign is back up, and I'm just not going to be able to take possession of the house." Source
The above CMT article led me to wonder: What is the price of fame for a country music artist in terms of maintaining any semblance of normality
[ Click here to read more ]
The promise of returning home to a blistering forty-five degrees celsius day was not something that I was looking forward to in any way, shape or form. However this morning for the first time in a month I turned on the ignition in my car longing for the air conditioner to provide some temporary relief from the blistering heat. Instead I was more taken aback by Ashton Shepherd's "Sounds So Good" as it blurred through the speakers: "We'll ride and watch for lightnin' bugs/We'll ride with the windows let down/There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now." Suddenly, summer was looking good again. Memories of previous summers instantly popped into my mind as I happily recalled seemingly endless nights of driving with my best friend down to the beach at three in the morning with my feet on the dashboard listening to everything from the Dixie Chicks' "Long Time Gone" to Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" to Sunny Sweeney's "Please Be San Antone" and Brooks & Dunn's "Red Dirt Road" with the windows rolled down, the sun roof open, the pitch black roads, a maximised stereo system and a minor deficit of petrol.
Summer for me is equated with music and while I have been dreading my return to the heat, I forgot how interwoven country music (sorry, and Kelly Clarkson) is (and will be) with my past, present and future summers.
|
|
|
Add Comments
Read More
Comment by Julia Hughan
on Ray LaMontagne in Concert
The Nashville Sound
I have his "Trouble" record...I have definitely taken to it more in the past twelve months. Shelter is in my Top 25 most played. Great song.
J.