Single Reviews
Single Review: Lady Antebellum, “Compass”
A lot of country music lovers want to claim Mumford & Sons and Philip Phillips as their own.
There’s a joy, a rootsiness, and killer musicianship in the best records of those acts, despite them not being what we’d traditionally consider country artists. Lady Antebellum has never had much connection to what’s historically been considered country music, either. So it’s not entirely surprising that their path from pure, glossy pop to a more grounded, earthy sound, still takes its cues from the top forty music scene.
Single Review: Jon Pardi, “Up all Night”
Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
It’s been a long week, girl. It’s time to let loose. Let’s get together everything we need, and take a dirt road out into the country. Don’t forget your flip-flops, and don’t worry, we’re going to be all alone. Hope there’s a great song on the radio. Maybe a nice sunset, too.
Single Review: Cole Swindell, “Chillin’ It”
Here’s the dilemma.
Cole Swindell has turned in an excellent record by many measurable standards. It’s well-paced, he’s got some charisma behind the mic, it’s identifiably country, and intelligently structured. Any song these days that has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and also manages to get it all done in under four minutes, feels like manna from heaven.
Single Review: Keith Urban, “Cop Car”
One hallmark of a great singer is the ability to suspend the listener’s disbelief.
The storyline of “Cop Car” is very far-fetched, one of those Nashville compositions that takes fantastical lengths to try and tell the story of a young couple falling in love. In this case, they’re doing so right after being arrested for trespassing, while in handcuffs in the back seat of a police car.