Single Reviews – Page 136 – Country Universe

Amy Dalley, “Let’s Try Goodbye”

May 10, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 7

Amy Dalley, “Let’s Try Goodbye” Curb Records is continuing its maddening approach with Dalley’s debut album: keep throwing singles at radio until one sticks, and keeping the album shelved until one does. The travesty is

Travis Tritt, “You Never Take Me Dancing”

May 6, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 24

Travis Tritt, “You Never Take Me Dancing” Good Lord, this is good. I’ve always thought Tritt was trying too hard when he did the southern rock thing, but with age, he’s really grown into the

Sarah Johns, “The One in the Middle”

May 6, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 113

Sarah Johns, “The One in the Middle” Too long, too drawn out and not nearly clever enough to sustain an entire song. Johns has a nice, twangy voice that is being wasted on this futile

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, “I Need You”

May 5, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 8

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, “I Need You” Most of the time, these two superstars just take turns singing backup and call it a duet. This is only the second full-fledged collaboration the two have

Jamie Slocum, “Say Hello to Heaven”

May 5, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 4

Jamie Slocum, “Say Hello to Heaven” This is beautiful, a man speaking to his wife who died in a car accident because of a reckless drunk driver. He’s asking for strength to raise the daughter

Gretchen Wilson, “One of the Boys”

May 5, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 3

Gretchen Wilson, “One of the Boys” “Woo hoo hoo.” That’s a catchy little hook there. Wilson sounds more fully engaged in the material here, much more so than anything that was released off of the

Carrie Underwood, “I’ll Stand By You”

April 29, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 65

The original version of “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders is a love anthem that is part tenderness, part defiance. In covering this standard from the early nineties, Carrie Underwood transforms it into a

Joe Nichols, “Another Side of You”

April 27, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 11

Joe Nichols, “Another Side of You” Nichols is the perfect singer for material like this. The song manages to sing of loving a woman’s weaknesses without condescension and of her daily challenges with quite a

Carmen Rasmusen, “Nothin’ Like Summer”

April 27, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 0

Carmen Rasmusen, “Nothin’ Like Summer” Sweet and nostalgic, the debut single from season two American Idol finalist Carmen Rassmusen bounces along pleasantly. Her vocal is actually stronger when she isn’t squeezing in the high note

Martina McBride, “How I Feel”

April 23, 2007 Kevin John Coyne 4

Martina McBride, “How I Feel” This is the most generic love song I’ve heard in a long, long time. She sings it beautifully, and with more restraint that she’s been known for recently.