A strong vocal performance from Tae Lewis is today’s highlight.
“Best Thing”
Tae Lewis
Written by Jonathan Gamble, Tae Lewis, and Matthew Morrisey
Jonathan Keefe: I’ve been rooting for Lewis since I saw him perform with The Black Opry Revue a few years ago, and “Best Thing” sounds like his surest bet to date for an actual radio or streaming hit. He’s a spectacular singer: His tone recalls a young Keith Urban, but he has a greater range and far more power.
And it’s his singing that elevates “Best Thing.” I love the unexpected lapse into his falsetto in the chorus here and how his phrasing really emphasizes the natural cadence of the lyrics in time with the beat. He really does have great instincts as a vocalist, and Lord knows that singing this good would elevate playlists overrun with Wallen and Bryan clones.
Still, the song itself couldn’t be more generic Music Row fodder. It’s something that any current B-lister– think Russell Dickerson or Jordan Davis– might spend 60 weeks trudging to a #1 Mediabase / #5 Billboard split peak that would then get zero recurrent airplay. And, gifted as he is, Lewis needs to be lending his talents to better material than this. C+
Kevin John Coyne: I also thought of a young Keith Urban when I heard this, with a little bit of Hunter Hayes in the mix. But when that falsetto kicks in, it’s hard not to think of a young Charley Pride.
The vocal performance is definitely the highlight here, as it takes a paint by numbers sentiment and infuses it with a heartfelt enthusiasm. Lewis has as strong a country singing voice as I’ve heard come along in recent years, and as his craft develops over time, he’s only going to get better. B
“Heart of Stone”
Jelly Roll
Written by Shy Carter, Zach Crowell, Jason Deford, and Blake Pendergrass
KJC: I’m starting to feel bad for Gretchen Wilson. I keep dragging her name into these things.
But man, is her one note career starting to look a lot like Jelly Roll’s current trajectory. He’s a decent singer who compensates for his limitations by singing with extreme intensity.
But when you’re using that same intensity on every record, and every record is about the exact same thing, you can’t avoid diminishing returns. We’ve heard this Jelly Roll song thirty times already. C
JK: I was kind of hoping this was a Cher cover.
Alas.
I’m deep into my Jelly Roll fatigue, and this does nothing to change that. I can appreciate that hammering home the same points as nauseam has allowed him to create a persona that resonates with his fanbase, and there’s something to be said for that. But that persona isn’t one that I personally connect with, so he needs quality material to hold my attention.
And, well, when it comes to country-rock, I’d rather listen to this. C
Leave a Reply