Single Reviews – Page 85 – Country Universe

Single Review: Josh Kelley, "Georgia Clay"

January 12, 2011 Dan Milliken 7

He may be the latest of many pop dudes gone country, but I’ve got a feeling Josh Kelley could actually stick around for a while. Just because it makes business sense. He’s famous enough to enjoy name recognition, but not enough to seem like a desperate has-been for switching teams; plus you don’t need your music to be especially “country” to market it under that name now anyway; plus I suspect that lots of Lady Antebellum fans will be willing to give Charles’ big bro a shot.

Single Review: Darius Rucker, “This”

January 12, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 8

Back in the nineties, radio remixes became widely prevalent in the pop, rock, and R&B formats. You couldn’t just send a song to radio as is, and call it a day.

Instead, programmers would get the same song in five different versions. Top 40 Mix, AC Mix, Dance Mix Edit. All the same song at the core, I suppose, but when the only thing left from the original is the artist’s vocal, it’s hard to know what the core of the song is.

Single Review: Lady Antebellum, “Hello World”

January 11, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 17

A running narration of the most boring drive through town ever.

I realize they’re trying to go for something deep and meaningful here, but it sounds like little more than Bruce Springsteen at his most self-indulgent.

Single Review: Billy Currington, “Let Me Down Easy”

January 10, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 9

I think if we can give Blake Shelton the award for Male Vocalist in 2010, we might as well start thinking about giving it to Billy Currington in 2011. He’s giving Shelton a run for his money in putting out milquetoast material that’s elevated into listenable by a charming vocal performance.

“Let Me Down Easy” is not going to appear in one of those deluxe coffee table books of song lyrics. Coffee napkin, maybe.

Single Review: Miranda Lambert, “Heart Like Mine”

January 8, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 24

It’s hard to tell when Miranda Lambert is being herself and when she’s posturing. I think on “Heart Like Mine,” she’s doing both, which makes my head heart a little bit.

The chorus is solid, the second verse about her father and her brother are quietly revealing and fully believable. I love the message about Jesus and how he’d very well love her just the way she is.

Single Review: Trace Adkins, “Brown Chicken Brown Cow”

January 7, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 19

Every time I think it can’t get any worse, it does.

This better be the worst single of 2011.

Single Review: Zac Brown Band, “Colder Weather”

January 6, 2011 Kevin John Coyne 12

There hasn’t been a great song in this vein for a good long while. The last one might have been “The River and the Highway.” It’s the classic lover’s triangle: the man, the woman, and the impossible dream.

In this case, it’s the man who is chasing his dreams and cannot settle down, and it’s the woman who won’t wait around while he’s left her behind. It’s structured well enough that you can’t anticipate if they will reconcile by the end of the song, if the man will give up the dream or the woman will chase it with him.

Single Review: Chuck Wicks, “Old School”

December 27, 2010 Kevin John Coyne 17

Chuck Wicks continues his career as Mark Wills 2.0 with “Old School”, a boring retread that is like “19 Somethin'” with less cleverness, energy, and personality.

Single Review: Ashton Shepherd, “Look it Up”

December 11, 2010 Kevin John Coyne 44

Karmic retribution for every boring vocabulary lesson I ever bored my students with during my years as an English teacher.

I’d call this Jo Dee Messina’s B-material, but I’m pretty sure she’d have passed on this one, even though she’d sing it a lot better. I get that Ashton Shepherd is bringing country back to country, but a dull vocal isn’t improved by exaggerated twang. It just sounds forced.

Single Review: Alan Jackson featuring Lee Ann Womack, “Ring of Fire”

November 30, 2010 Leeann Ward 16

I am not one who typically embraces extremes, but I must make an exception for Johnny Cash’s recording of “Ring of Fire.” It’s the definitive version; it’s an untouchable. Sure, some people have made valiant attempts, even changing things up so as not to try to mimic Cash, but make it their own, and I even like some of these other versions. None of these other efforts, however, has surpassed or even come close to touching Cash.