August 2013 – Page 2 – Country Universe

Album Review: Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan, Dos Divas

August 8, 2013 Ben Foster 6

Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan
Dos Divas

If you have a soft spot for the great country artists of the nineties – particularly the generation of mature, articulate women who ruled the genre for much of the decade – the announcement of a duets album between Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan was likely a tremendous cause for excitement. With both ladies being second-generation country stars, Opry members, touring partners, and great friends, a studio collaboration would seem a natural progression, and the lofty potential is obvious.

Single Review: Danielle Bradbery, “The Heart of Dixie”

August 7, 2013 Ben Foster 12

The debut single from The Voice Season 4 winner Danielle Bradbery has one of best productions you’re likely to hear on terrestrial country radio, heavy on the sweet sounds of fiddle and mandolin. “The Heart of Dixie” also boasts an effective melody which rises and dips in a manner most fitting for a story about a woman leaving an unsatisfying life and finding newfound freedom on the open road. And while the interpretive abilities of an artist still in her teens are often limited (see early LeAnn Rimes as an example), Bradbery at least sounds genuinely engaged in the story she’s telling.

Single Review: Carrie Underwood, “See You Again”

August 6, 2013 Dan Milliken 21

You’d be forgiven if Carrie Underwood’s current hit left you a little underwhelmed. After the one-two murderoo of “Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs,” the releases that announced Underwood’s ascension from superstar singer to potentially cool artist, the Narnia-inspired “See You Again” may feel like a retreat back to simpler days. Actually, with its mechanical piano, bloated chorus production, and vague celestial imagery, it almost sounds like a descendant of “Inside Your Heaven,” Underwood’s sappy American Idol single. Uh oh!

Single Review: Randy Travis and Joe Nichols, “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum”

August 5, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 6

Could there possibly be a more emotionally and sentimentally charged record released this year?

Single Review: Lee Brice, “Parking Lot Party”

August 5, 2013 Ben Foster 17

It’s fun to imagine the songwriting meeting that produced this. It sounds like somebody just said, “So let’s write a song about a parking lot party before a concert”… so they did.

Single Review: Danielle Car, “Turn You On”

August 3, 2013 Ben Foster 6

The Motor City might not exactly be known as a hotbed of country music talent, but it happens to be the home of one talented country voice by the name of Danielle Car. She has yet to ink a record deal, but has been actively making the rounds and building a fan following with her independent efforts.

Single Review: Taylor Swift, “Red”

August 3, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 18

Being a great songwriter can be just as much about being distinctive and unique as it is about writing great songs. Being a great songwriter that records her own material requires not getting in the way of your own song.