I’d imagine that to young fans who have discovered country music in the last couple of years, the new Ty Herndon single will sound remarkably dated.
That’s a lot like how I felt when I watched the latest Bellamy Brothers music videos in the early nineties. I wondered why they were holding on so tight to a sound that had gone out of style a decade ago and thinking that building a song around a Wayne’s World catchphrase would make them relevant.
Ty Herndon’s new single, “Lies I Told Myself” sounds exactly like every other song he put out in the late nineties, as if production values and song structures were frozen in time and the last fifteen years had never happened.
I’m now old enough to think that this is a good thing. The clean and simple presentation does what a country record is supposed to do: let the singer showcase the song. Herndon’s got a solid song here, one that documents how a man can be his own worst critic if he allows his insecurities to keep him from chasing his dreams.
It’s a bit thought-provoking and a bit inspiring. But mostly it’s just a solid song that’s easy to understand and is sung by someone who knows how to deliver a performance without the bells and whistles.
Grade: B+
Lies I Told Myself from Ty Herndon on Myspace.
Ironically, a song like this sounds refreshing rather than dated, though it certainly is not a modern production.
Solid song. Solid review. To me, Herndon was one of the best vocalists of the 90’s. I saw him in concert when “Steam” was his new hit. His 2006 song “Right About Now” is one of my most frequently played songs on i-Tunes although it had no chart success.
What Leann said.
What John said about what Leann said. I’m buying this CD and mailing, with a copy of the lyrics, this to Dallas “That’s My Kind of Night” Davidson’s place of residence to remind him how to actually write a country song.
I’m enjoying this song as well, particularly for Herndon’s performance.