“Waste of a Whiskey Drink”
Gary Allan
Written by Michael Hardy, Mark Holman, and Josh Kear
A cautionary tale delivered at the bar by a scorned lover? Gary Allan’s back, y’all.
Some of Allan’s best records have been about the worst people, and “Waste of a Whiskey Drink” paints a stark picture of a woman who has done him so wrong that he can’t help but warn the next guy before he’s reeled in.
I love so many details about this lyric, particularly how she’s “gonna flirt with all your friends” suddenly escalates to she’s “gonna sleep with all your friends” in the final chorus. I guffawed.
And because it’s a Gary Allan record, his intricate vocal gives away that he can’t help remembering how he enjoyed the ride, even as he is trying to convince someone else not to climb on board.
My only critique of “Waste of a Whiskey Drink” is that’s unnecessarily loud, which is a trend that mainstream country music is finally moving away from. He could’ve done this in the style of his earlier records and been more successful in the end.
But it’s great to have him back and I’m looking forward to hearing more new music from him.
Grade: B+
This single was actually released last year, but I loved everything about it from the first listen. If this song was written by/for today’s Top 40 Country radio, there would have been some kind of love song cliche twist at the end, but because it’s Gary Allan, and he doesn’t give a damn, there’s never a twist at the end. It’s just “women are awful and you should avoid them at all costs”……..I love it so much. WELCOME BACK, GA!!
I liked it better when Ingrid Andress did “waste of lime”