If you’re a country/rock/pop artist I suggest you enter too :) http://www.ourstage.com/blog/2010/10/1/enter-guitar-centers-your-next-record-with-keith-urban-competition

This has always been the issue that keeps me from fully embracing him as an artist. He has incredible talent, but the way he choses to showcase it through his records, producers, and song choices is discouraging.

I really like this single, and I think it showcases personality and enjoyment that seems to get lost in dull production and vocals in a lot of his records.

On another note, I’m surprised his new album is coming out in November, considering the fact that most people had no idea he was even in the recording studio at all.

Also, is there any word on who’s producing the new album? If it’s Dann Huff, there might be hope for him after all, considering his recent balanced production in the new Rascal Flatts single. (:

This sounds like a more high-octane “Kiss a Girl” to my ears. Something about the guitar and bouzouki effects/distortion works in keeping this from sounding too Hot AC-centric. It’s almost as though both instruments cross-bred with steel guitar leanings, at least to my ears, to give this a distinctive twangy streamlined rocker sound……which is certainly welcomed in that the track otherwise lacks traditional country instruments, at least to what my ears could pick up on.

Urban also hits it out of the ball park once again as far as performance is concerned. As atrociously lame as many of the lyrics are, Urban, much as he did with “Everybody”, pulls it off again in lifting such mediocre material to emotionally-engaging effect………only this time in an up-tempo setting.

Really, the only thing I clearly don’t like about this track is the closing 80′s metal-esque guitar screams, which unnecessarily push it too far to rocking out just for the sake of rocking out. They are a distraction to me.

One thing I’ll add is that, if this track is any indication, this will definitely be a continuation of the “Defying Gravity” era soundscape, and I actually hope that doesn’t end up being the case. At least I hope we get some more textured tracks on “Get Closer”, as well as ambient tracks like what “Til Summer Comes Around” accomplished well.

I also hope Urban doesn’t push that cute boyish, hopelessly-in-love button throughout the breadth of tracks on “Get Closer” either, as I admit it’s starting to tire me out. I’m hoping he will handle more mature material and themes to counterbalance the more fun, loose cuts.

I might as well give a shout-out to 99.5 in Detroit since Mike brought it up. That was the first country station that I discovered, and I used to listen to it quite a bit when I lived in Michigan. Granted, they play about as much crap nowadays as the other stations do, but it does still hold a bit of sentimental valdue for me!