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Lady Antebellum’s ‘Goodbye Town’ Is Underwhelming & Forgettable – Review

When I first listened to ‘Golden’, Lady Antebellum’s new album from which ‘Goodbye Town’ is the second single, I was significantly underwhelmed. True, I prefer music with a bit more twang and grit than is typically expected of Lady Antebellum, but I had enjoyed ‘Downtown’ and was hoping for more sass from their fourth record. However, ‘Goodbye Town’ accurately reflects an album which has few stand-out tracks, this one in particular not being one of them. I was surprised that this was to be the single, therefore, and disappointed that they chose to release a bland, predictable soft rock ballad over some of the more interesting songs on ‘Golden’.

It would probably be correct to assume that most of their fans will lap up ‘Goodbye Town’, as it does much of what they have done before: an atmosphere and guitar-led song about angsty love/heartbreak, with fairy standard lyrics that every teenage girl can post in a picture on their Tumblr with some romanticized imagery. In fact, much of the song musically reminds me of a single from their first album, ‘I Run To You’. If Lady A were looking to release a heartbreak ballad, they could have chosen ‘It Ain’t Pretty’, or if they were looking for something fuller production but similar tempo, ‘Get To Me’ is a fairly solid track.

Chart Roundup – Week of May 25th, 2013

Not a lot has changed at the top since last week, as Florida Georgia Line seem to have a pretty stable monopoly at #1 across Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Country Digital Songs, with their hit singles ‘Cruise’ (plus the remix featuring Nelly) and ‘Get Your Shine On’. They’re also occupying #5 on Hot Country Songs, #7 on Country Digital Songs and #6 on Top Country Albums, making them virtually impossible to avoid in country music these days. Also remaining static on the charts is Darius Rucker with ‘Wagon Wheel’, close behind at #2 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay and #3 on Country Digital Songs. To add to this little rivalry at the top, Blake Shelton (featuring Pistol Annies and friends) is at #3 on Hot Country Songs with ‘Boys Round Here’, and #2 on Country Digital Songs, while he has yet to climb past #7 on Country Airplay. Blake’s 2013 album ‘Based On A True Story…’ drops to #4.

Tim McGraw is also enjoying the rising popularity of his collaboration single with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, ‘Highway Don’t Care’. It’s at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #5 on Country Airplay, and #4 on Country Digital Songs. As you can probably tell, each chart reflects a fairly similar story this week. Good news for Lady Antebellum fans, as their fourth album ‘Golden’ has debuted in at #1 this week, with their lead single ‘Downtown’ still performing well across the charts, #8 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay and #10 on Country Digital Songs. Kenny Chesney is also enjoying success with ‘Pirate Flag’, reaching #3 on Country Airplay, #11 on Country Digital Songs and #7 on Hot Country Songs. His brand new album, ‘Life On A Rock’, drops to #3 this week.

In addition, Miranda Lambert is retaining her presence with ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, at #4 on Country Airplay and #6 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, although there are signs things are starting to drop off. This is not the case for Luke Bryan, whose lead single from his upcoming fourth record ‘Crash My Party’ is gaining momentum, reaching #5 on Country Digital Songs, #9 on Hot Country Songs and #14 on Country Airplay.

As for new releases, well there are plenty. The Pistol Annies’ ‘Annie Up’ came in at #2 on Top Country Albums, and its release date partner ABC’s ‘Nashville Soundtrack Volume 2’ came in at #5. This aided the gaining of 5 places for Volume 1. Another compilation makes it at #10, ‘Now That’s What I Call A Country Party’, and Craig Campbell’s ‘Never Forget’ debuted at #27, while Lenny Cooper is at #34 with ‘Mud Dynasty’. Dailey & Vincent just make the chart with ‘Brothers of The Highway’ at #40. But it’s not just about albums. Other new releases include Danielle Bradbery’s ‘Maybe It Was Memphis’ (#9 on Country Digital Songs and #25 on Hot Country Songs) and Lauren Alaina’s ‘Barefoot And Buckwild’ (#25 on Country Digital Songs).

Honorable mentions this week go to George Strait, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes, The Band Perry, Jason Aldean and Jake Owen.

Check back next Thursday for another chart roundup!

Keith Urban’s ‘Little Bit of Everything’ – The Least Country Song This Year - Review

Let me get this straight: This is not a country song. I know these days classifying whether something is ‘country’ or not is subjective, but I’m laying down the authority on this one. I’ve never been a huge fan of Keith personally save a couple of songs, because I always found them too country pop in an overwhelmingly peppy way (and no, it’s not ‘country rock’ just because he has an electric guitar). However, when it came to listening to this song, and reading a fan’s comment, stating that this was ‘more country’, I pretty much lost faith in the state of country music today.

I don’t know what this fan was comparing ‘Little Bit of Everything’ to, but suffice to say I fail to align this song to anything remotely country. Apart from that token banjo that keeps popping up in everything laundry-list, the R&B beat, tinge of nasally autotune and technological edits that only serve to annoy simply sound like pop music to me. While the melody is sweet, it is bland; at best, this is cheery elevator or store music. Having said that, I did count my blessings when the bridge arrived, and the perfect conditions for a country rap presented themselves. Keith almost hints at it before dropping back into actual singing (remember that stuff?), and I breathed the biggest sigh of relief since Taylor Swift stopped winning country awards. Speaking of which, the explanation for Keith’s ‘new sound’ is clear: his new producer is Nathan Chapman, longtime producer of Swift. Maybe with his renewed popularity ‘with the kidz’ on American Idol sparked an interest, either from him or his label or both, in reaching that market with creative output. Because I honestly can’t imagine anyone older than the age of 21 taking this seriously as a great song, and frankly this is ridiculous coming from a man in his 40s.

Kacey Musgraves ‘Blowin’ Smoke’ Video Review

The video for ‘Blowin’ Smoke’, which is only Kacey’s second, is one that I was very much looking forward to. I hoped that Kacey would treat it with the same level of understated dry wit that she treats her music and this song in particular with, and luckily my wishes came true. The desaturation and vintage crackling film lines that we saw in the video for ‘Merry Go Round’ reappear here, flicking between color and black-and-white, with the characteristic clinks of glasses and plates that can be heard in the song elongated and emphasized. As the song tells a vivid story in itself there was not much need to deviate from that, and certainly Kacey merely builds on what she has already written.

Chart Roundup – Week of May 18th, 2013

Hey guys, my chart roundup is back after a month out! I hope you missed me.

Hot Country Songs remains oddly static at the top, with Florida Georgia Line continuing their successful run at #1 with ‘Cruise’, which also holds onto #1 on Country Digital Songs. What’s more, their most recent single ‘Get Your Shine On’, has the top spot on Country Airplay, #7 on Country Digital Songs and #5 on Hot Country Songs. Is there any chart this duo can’t dominate? Turns out that chart is Top Country Albums, as Kenny Chesney’s ‘Life On A Rock’ debuts at #1, while ‘Here’s To The Good Times’ trails at #5. The lead single from Kenny’s new record, ‘Pirate Flag’, is at #8 on Hot Country Songs and #4 on Country Airplay, nearing the top ten with #12 on Country Digital Songs.

Darius Rucker is also doing well, his hit ‘Wagon Wheel’ remaining at #2 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, and #3 on Country Airplay. The same goes for Blake Shelton, hot on his heels with ‘Boys Round Here’ (featuring Pistol Annies and friends) at #3 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs. He moves up to #9 on Country Airplay at a steady rise, while his album ‘Based On A True Story…’ drops to #2 this week. His wife, Miranda Lambert, sees ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ retain its position at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #5 on Country Digital Songs, and move up to the anticipation-filled #2 spot on Country Airplay. Will she top the chart next week?

Tim McGraw is also a key player on the charts, as his collaboration with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, ‘Highway Don’t Care’, holds onto #6 on Hot Country Songs, while it sits at #4 on Country Digital Songs and #6 on Country Airplay. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’, Tim’s latest album, is at #14. Luke Bryan is also rising up the charts with ‘Crash My Party’, at #6 on Country Digital Songs, moving up to #9 on Hot Country Songs, and #17 on Country Airplay. In addition, Hunter Hayes’ ‘I Want Crazy’ is right behind him, reaching #10 on Hot Country Songs, #8 on Country Digital Songs and #21 on Country Airplay. Also of note, Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown’ is hanging on in there in the top ten, at #7 on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs, and dropping down to #10 on Country Digital Songs. Their fourth album, ‘Golden’, has just been released this week and will impact the chart from next week. Also to impact next week include the Pistol Annies with ‘Annie Up’, and ABC’s ‘Nashville’ soundtrack, volume 2.

New releases include ‘Hey Girl’ from Billy Currington, at #9 on Country Digital Songs, as well as ‘Trouble’ the new album from Randy Rogers Band at #3, and ‘Rose Queen’ by William Clark Green, #34 on Top Country Albums. After George Jones’ passing, his album ‘The Great LOST Hits’ jumps 16 places to #35. There is a re-entry from Carrie Underwood’s new single ‘See You Again’, which being so new is struggling to match the chart power of her previous singles.

Honorable mentions go to Thompson Square, George Strait, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift.

Come by next Thursday for another instalment of my Billboard chart roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Sara Mann’s Country-Infused ‘Lullabies’ Is A Welcome Break From Life – Review

Sara Mann is a woman of many musical influences. She has worked with Miley Cyrus and Pop/R&B American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee as a backing vocalist, yet her own music weaves folk, country, pop, jazz and blues among others in a complex tapestry of serene sounds. Her new record, 'Lullabies', is a perfect concept for the kind of music Sara creates; after losing a child to ARPKD (Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease), and being diagnosed at the time she was ready to give birth to twins, she decided she had to share her story, and raise awareness about kidney disease. 'Lullabies' is what came out of this tragic occurrence in her life, in the hope of bringing comfort to all of those who are living with kidney disease, or have lost a loved one to the disease, at the same time raising funds and awareness for the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation.

The music is gentle and comforting, full of melodic piano, expertly picked acoustic guitar and creates a much-needed space to pause and consider life. Some songs, like 'Big Day Little Boat', will fill your senses and make you gently move to the swung beat and fuller production, others, like 'You Belong To Me', you’ll want to listen to alone in order to fully appreciate the deep thoughts the song will provoke. Full of covers, some you’ll recognise, others you won’t. 'Baby Mine' is a particularly nice rendition with some pretty electric guitar, and fits Sara’s understated, warm vocals, in addition to the Eric Clapton track 'Tears In Heaven' (which features Billy Ray Cyrus, a good friend of Sara’s who supports the cause). This track is one of the album’s highlights, and clearly a great deal of care has been taken over covering such a famous and revered song. Sara’s and Billy Ray’s harmonies work really well here, and the song building over time is very effective.

'Lullabies' is an album to take time over, and requires a quiet space in order to fully appreciate its gentle approach and meaningful songs. And of course, it is perfect for its intended use; sending children straight to peaceful sleep. If you’re looking for an album to create a sea of calm in your life and allow you to explore your thoughts at leisure, this is the one for you. Plus, it’s all for as good cause.

You can visit Sara Mann’s website here, and follow her on Twitter @SaraMann. You can also buy ‘Lullabies’ on iTunes, and donate separately to the PKD Foundation here.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

 

Little Big Town – ‘Your Side of The Bed’ – Review

Little Big Town have had a moderately successful year (deliberate understatement). After the release of ‘Tornado’ the album last October, they’ve gone from strength to strength, selling more than ever before and picking up award after award. Nobody can deny it; right now, Little Big Town are hot stuff, and big money for that matter. There are multiple tracks on ‘Tornado’ worthy of being a single, including ‘Sober’, ‘Leavin’ In Your Eyes’, ‘Front Porch Thing’ and ‘Can’t Go Back’, which is why I was a little surprised when they chose ‘Your Side of The Bed’. Clearly they wanted to release a ballad, to truly showcase the power of their individual vocals and 4-part harmonies more clearly, and as they’ve had two upbeat singles from the album, this makes logical sense. However, for me, although it’s a beautiful track, I’m not sure if it’s dynamic enough to be a single, especially off the back of songs like ‘Pontoon’ and ‘Tornado’.

Daryl Wayne Dasher’s ‘great big sky’ Is One To Take You Back – Review

Daryl Wayne Dasher is undeniably a child of the old school. His music is certainly of the traditional country mindset, even down to the voice, with sounds strangely raw and grinding compared to the smooth edited vocals of modern country singers. Listening could take you back to a simpler, more authentic time in the history of country music, with Daryl’s glaringly honest emotion being conveyed in tracks such as ‘Soldier’ (admitting he’d rather the war was over so he could just go home). There are a multitude of musical influences on display too, from mainstream country of the 1960s and 1970s (‘Hello Sky!’, ‘I’ve Tried (I’m Dry)’, ‘What Does It Mean’) to bluegrass (‘Ride Along’, ‘Mountains of Montana’). Overall Daryl constructs a long-disappeared nostalgic musical landscape, peppered with introspective musings and heart-breaking laments, with a firm traditional structure that would put other contemporary artists’ claim to tradition to shame.

Are Blackjack Billy Set To Be The Rolling Stones of Country Music? [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

They’re a band who bill themselves as something brand new and revolutionary and say they’re “on the verge of taking over the world”. Big claims, especially when they also call their music a melting pot of country, blues, soul, rock and hip hop, and that they sound like Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Lynyrd Skynryd, Eric Chuch and Brantley Gilbert.

So just who are these guys, so sure of their place within the country rock canon? Meet Rob Blackledge (vocals & guitar) and Noll Billings (vocals) – they are the key and founding members of Blackjack Billy. From Madison, MS and Kennett, MO respectively, Rob started off touring as a solo artist and attending Belmont School of Music Business, while Noll signed a publishing deal as a songwriter with EMI Music Group, also attempting a solo career. Neither were very successful until they met in Nashville in January 2011, and began writing together. They teamed up with producer Jeff Coplan and signed to Vandermont Music, and added a few members to the band, including their producer Jeff Coplan (guitar), Patrick Cornell (bass, they met him when he moved to Nashville from LA) and Brad Cummings (drums). Since then they have shared the stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Justin Moore, Dustin Lynch, The Doobie Brothers, Trent Tomlinson, The Usual Suspects, Lady Antebellum, One Republic, Tonic, Josh Hoge, Will Hoge, Chris Young, Easton Corbin and Lo Cash Cowboys. The last few months they’ve been touring around the south, and are on the rise with some great press.

So in the wake of all this hype and success, I decided to interview the band, to find out what’s to come, where it’s all come from and what makes them tick. Read the full exclusive interview after the jump.

Scotty McCreery’s ‘See You Tonight’ Set To Be His First Top 10 Hit? - Review

Scotty McCreery is known for his catchy feel-good love songs, and this song is certainly no exception. ‘See You Tonight’ is his first non-Holiday single since ‘Water Tower Town’ last year, and it’s been long overdue. The direction they appear to be going in with this is one that takes influence from Luke Bryan, and seeing as Scotty is still lacking a top 10 country hit under his belt, I can’t blame them for wanting to follow in the footsteps of the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year.

‘See You Tonight’ is more country pop than Scotty’s previous releases, but his trademark deep country drawl is still evident, gliding over the top of mandolins and guitars that are held together by a solid drum beat. This song screams summer, and that’s clearly what they’re aiming for, even including a little mandolin instrumental at the end, punctuated by gentle guitar licks and a tinkering of piano. It’s built from simple chords, sweet-sounding verses, and rockier elements to pack the chorus with a punch.

Lyrically it’s a love song, that beginning-of-relationship type that is so popular in country, highlighting all the possibilities for the future. It’s fairly youth-orientated in its approach, and will appeal to Scotty’s fanbase of teenage girls, and just about manages to escape the feeling of generic that often haunts this type of song. I’m not sure if it’ll reach number one; that accolade tends to be shared around the biggest artists, and a few novelty smash hits. However, what I am sure of is that this song will put Scotty back on the map for a lot of people. I’m hoping for a more regular output of singles that’ll see Scotty rise up the radar, and with the right promotion among its target audience, ‘See You Tonight’ should reach the top 10. It certainly follows musical trends in country, reaches the youth market, and is catchy, sweet and summery enough to have a good few months.

I’m hoping that his new album will have more traditional sounds on there as well, but ‘See You Tonight’ is a great way to kick things off and I wish Scotty the best of luck.

You can listen to ‘See You Tonight’ here:

 

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.