Single Reviews – Page 117 – Country Universe

Gretchen Wilson, "Don't Do Me No Good"

July 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 2

I don't think I've ever heard Gretchen Wilson rock out quite this much. There's a driving energy to “Don't Do Me No Good” that is relentless, and it helps gloss over the fact that once

Carrie Underwood, “Just a Dream”

July 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 41

The music Carrie Underwood has released since her stunningly successful debut album has been an interesting contrast between commercial music recorded with a clear eye for radio and compelling cover songs recorded for charity. While

Review: Billy Currington, "Don't"

July 7, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 33

I would like to know who is responsible for trying to turn Billy Currington into a lounge singer. The man is blessed with a rich, expressive voice that can easily deliver pure country songs, and

Donna Fargo, "We Can Do Better in America"

July 4, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

My favorite song of Donna Fargo’s is “You Can’t Be a Beacon (If Your Light Don’t Shine)”, which is a celebration of Christian values that simultaneously pushes those claiming to have them to live to

Phil Stacey, “Old Glory”

July 4, 2008 Leeann Ward 6

While I’m confident that Phil Stacey is absolutely sincere in his attempt to pay tribute to the American flag, “Old Glory” is actually sung too earnestly. His voice is pleasant, but he needlessly adds syllables

James Otto, “For You”

July 3, 2008 Leeann Ward 14

James Otto’s third single from Sunset Man is a pretty solid effort. “For You” is sung with the emotion and soul that is reminiscent of Travis Tritt. This, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t some

Phil Vassar, “I Would”

July 3, 2008 Leeann Ward 3

Phil Vassar’s, “I Would” kicks off with up-tempo piano and fiddles. In fact, the whole song moves at a pretty fast clip. The problem with this is that the supposed regret of the lyrics isn’t

Trisha Yearwood, “They Call it Falling For a Reason”

July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 25

My last Trisha Yearwood single review was exactly one word long, so I’ll try to embellish a bit more here. Let’s see. How’s this? “A well-written, expertly performed and tastefully produced single that showcases Yearwood’s

Little Big Town, “Fine Line”

July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 4

There’s a big difference between homaging Fleetwood Mac and imitating them. Little Big Town is at its best when it does the former, but on “Fine Line”, they’re definitely doing the latter. It’s not a

Jewel, “I Do”

June 30, 2008 Leeann Ward 4

It’s interesting that Jewel’s official second country effort, “I Do”, sounds less country than some of her songs on previous albums that were not specifically marketed as country music. While sounds of steel guitar can