I’ll say it again. Gary Allan has one of the most interesting and compelling voices in country music right now. Furthermore, he is able to convey emotion with an ease that should be the envy of his peers. Thankfully, he has also been particularly good at selecting equally engaging songs that have been worthy of his gifted talent. Unfortunately, “Today happens to rank among the few songs that do not rise to the challenge.
With a moody piano to serve as the foundation for the swelling strings and over all dramatic angst, Allan sings of the pain of losing his former lover to another man. He knows that his chance has officially passed as he laments her wedding day: “Today is the happiest day of her life./I should be happy for her today./So, tell me, why are these tears in my eyes?/I know I should be happy for her./But I lost everything/I lost everything I ever wanted today.”
While Allan’s voice is still in typical fine form, which heroically saves the song from utterly disastrous melodrama, the production is more like what one might expect from a Rascal Flatts song rather than what we’ve come to hope to hear in a Gary Allan song. Sadly, this is what seems to plague the greater portion of today’s country music. “Today” is actually a good song, but it is severely weakened by a disappointingly generic, overblown production.
Grade: C+
Listen: Gary Allan, “Today”
Totally disagree with it not rising to the challenge!! Awesome song by Gary!! Will definitely go down as one of my favorite GA songs..
I totally love this song by Gary–gives me goosebumps everytime I listen. Nobody can sing w/ more emotion than Gary
I think this is one of the best songs Gary has put out in a long time. I can listen to it over and over without tiring. I love the strings.
Great review Leeann.Thematically this song and “Songs About Rain” are very similar,but when it comes to quality this song falls so far short of that masterpiece it isn’t funny, mostly because of the production as you stated.Also to me at least it seems he didn’t quite connect with the material. Don’t get me wrong he sounds great but there doesn’t seem to be the emotion in his voice that’s present in many of his other heartbreak songs (Which again could be because of production choices). That being said this is still a very good song and better than most of what is coming out of Nashville these days, it’s just not as good as some of Gary’s past greatness in my opinion.
Totally agree with this review. This songs ranks right up there with “Don’t Take the Girl” on the melodramatic, please don’t play it anymore meter.
Yep, the production is what most definitely ruins this song. He does still sound really good, though. I just hope this isn’t what the rest of the album is like. All of his other albums, except for “Living Hard,” prove that he is capable of much better.
Gary sounds as great as ever, but jeez, I can’t stand some of the singles that his label picks. “Today” is just fine as a vocal performance, but I’m sure there are bound to be 4-5 other ones on this upcoming album that are just flat out better songs. I agree that the song is overproduced and would sound better if they just let Gary’s raw vocals pull the listener through the song.
i love love this song. makes me think about my own life right now.. very good but sad song..
C+……really? YOUR FIRED!!!! This song is an A+++!!! One of his best!! Only singer that I can listen to over and over, every song on every album.
i agree i can listen to him over and over he has a super sexy voice and bod
You spelt “losing” wrong, so I cannot trust your review
Thanks for the correction.