Articles by Ben
February 13, 2013
After just enough time to catch our breath after the Grammys, this year’s ACM Awards are right around the corner. The 2013 nominees were announced today, and are presented here with brief commentary from yours truly. Eric Church leads the pack with seven nominations, followed by Hunter Hayes with six, and Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift with five each. Please share your thoughts on this year’s nominees in the comments section.
Entertainer of the Year
- Jason Aldean
- Luke Bryan
- Miranda Lambert
- Blake Shelton
- Taylor Swift
Thoughts: Luke Bryan’s career momentum culminates in his first Entertainer of the Year nomination, and – in what feels like a historical moment – we have two female solo artists competing in the Entertainer race.
Male Vocalist of the Year
- Jason Aldean
- Luke Bryan
- Eric Church
- Toby Keith
- Blake Shelton
Female Vocalist of the Year
- Miranda Lambert
- Martina McBride
- Kacey Musgraves
- Taylor Swift
- Carrie Underwood
Thoughts: Slim pickings in this category, as usual. As much as I like Kacey Musgraves, there’s no way a guy could get into the Male Vocalist race on the strength of one Top 20 hit alone. How about supporting more female artists, country radio?
Vocal Duo of the Year
- Big & Rich
- Florida Georgia Line
- Love and Theft
- Sugarland
- Thompson Square
Thoughts: Still on board with the argument that the Duo and Group categories should be merged to cut the slack, but wow, this year’s category is almost actually competitive. Four of these nominees had hits last year, with only Sugarland squeezing in on name recognition.
Vocal Group of the Year
- The Band Perry
- Eli Young Band
- Lady Antebellum
- Little Big Town
- Zac Brown Band
New Artist of the Year
- Florida Georgia Line
- Brantley Gilbert
- Jana Kramer
Album of the Year
- Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
- Eric Church, Chief
- Taylor Swift, Red
- Luke Bryan, Tailgates & Tanlines
- Little Big Town, Tornado
Thoughts: Is Little Big Town on fire this year or what? Good to see a well-deserved nomination for Blown Away. Don’t quite get the rationale for nominating Red.
Single Record of the Year
- Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
- Miranda Lambert, “Over You”
- Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
- Eric Church, “Springsteen”
- Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
Song of the Year
- “A Woman Like You” – Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, & Jon Stone (Performed by Lee Brice)
- “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Will Hoge & Eric Paslay (Performed by Eli Young Band)
- “Over You” – Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton (Performed by Miranda Lambert)
- “Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, & Ryan Tyndell (Performed by Eric Church)
- “Wanted” – Hunter Hayes & Troy Vergas (Performed by Hunter Hayes)
Thoughts: So fed up with all the over-praise for “Over You.” Tragic back story or not, a monkey could have written that song. By the way… where’s “Blown Away”?
Songwriter of the Year
- Rodney Clawson
- Dallas Davidson
- Josh Kear
- Luke Laird
- Shane McAnally
Video of the Year
- Eric Church, “Creepin’”
Produced by Iris Baker
Directed by Peter Zavadil
- Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round”
Produced by Perry Bean and Kacey Musgraves
Directed by Perry Bean
- Little Big Town, “Tornado”
Produced by Iris Baker
Directed by Shane Drake
- Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
Produced by Stephanie Reeves & Eric Williams
Directed by Traci Goudie and Patrick Hubik
- Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Produced by John Nguyen
Directed by Declan Whitebloom
- Zac Brown Band, “The Wind”
Produced by Ben Kalina
Directed by Mike Judge
Thoughts: It’s nice to see some love for “Merry Go ‘Round,” but why here instead of in the Song or Single categories?
Vocal Event of the Year
- Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill, “Don’t Rush”
- Rascal Flatts featuring Natasha Bedingfield, “Easy”
- Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, “Feel Like a Rock Star”
February 8, 2013
We’re only two days away from the annual event billed as Music’s Biggest Night – the 55th Grammy Awards. Among the live performances scheduled for the night, the country music genre will be represented by the likes of Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood. In addition, genre favorite Zac Brown is scheduled to participate in a star-studded tribute to the late Levon Helm along with Elton John, Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, while T. Bone Burnett will as musical director for the tribute performance.
We at Country Universe have busily pored over the list of this year’s nominees, and now we’re pleased to share our picks and predictions for the all-genre, country, and country-adjacent award categories. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and tell us who you think will emerge victorious. Tune in for the live broadcast on Sunday, February 10 at 8:00 pm Eastern on CBS. We will be live blogging the show here at Country Universe, and we hope you will drop by and join in the fun.
Album of the Year:
Should Win:
- The Black Keys, El Camino - Sam
- fun., Some Nights - Kevin
- Mumford & Sons, Babel
- Frank Ocean, Channel Orange - Dan
- Jack White, Blunderbuss
Will Win:
- The Black Keys, El Camino
- fun., Some Nights
- Mumford & Sons, Babel - Kevin, Dan, Sam, Ben
- Frank Ocean, Channel Orage
- Jack White, Blunderbuss
Kevin: I think that Mumford & Sons hit the Grammy sweet spot, and would already have a pair of general category trophies if they hadn’t been nominated during the year of Adele. I like the point of view presented on the fun. album.
Ben: I have no rationale for who should win, but I can’t see this going to anyone but Mumford & Sons.
Dan: I’d love to see Ocean take it for his zeitgeister, and wouldn’t count out his and fun.’s chances. But Mumford have the broadest appeal in a fairly niche-y pool.
Sam: It’s more of an award for Sigh No More, which was really good, than it is for Babel, which was good but seemed like a holding pattern. But I think Mumford & Sons take it.
Record of the Year:
Should Win:
- The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
- Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
- fun., “We Are Young” - Kevin
- Gotye featuring Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know” - Dan, Sam, Ben, Tara
- Frank Ocean, “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You”
- Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Will Win:
- The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
- Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” - Kevin
- fun., “We Are Young”
- Gotye featuring Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used to Know” - Dan, Sam, Ben, Tara
- Frank Ocean, “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You”
- Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Kevin: This is a hard year to handicap, so I’m assuming that Kelly Clarkson’s name recognition with a wide number of voters will put her over the top.
Ben: Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” is the one that I enjoy listening to the most, but “Somebody That I Used to Know” is the one that strikes me as having the most staying power.
Dan: “We Are Young” could spoil, but Gotye’s hit is already a classic.
Sam: I couldn’t turn on a Top 40 station
and not hear the Goyte song, even more so than the fun. and Swift songs. A song that’s unique compared to the rest of the pop universe seems tailor-made for Grammy success.
Tara: “Somebody That I Used to Know” is one of those rare hits that captures an emotion so uniquely yet so universally. I think it’ll nab the award based on memorability.
Song of the Year:
Should Win:
- “The A Team” – Ed Sheeran
- “Adorn” – Miguel Pimentel
- “Call Me Maybe” – Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen, & Josh Ramsay - Kevin, Dan, Ben, Tara
- “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi
- “We Are Young” – Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost, and Nate Ruess – Sam
Will Win:
- “The A Team” – Ed Sheeran - Kevin, Tara
- “Adorn” – Miguel Pimentel
- “Call Me Maybe” – Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen, & Josh Ramsay - Ben
- “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” - Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi
- “We Are Young” – Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost, & Nate Ruess - Dan, Sam
Kevin: “The A Team” seems like Grammy catnip. I don’t think there’s a truly great song nominated, but I do think that teenybopper pop anthems are more difficult to craft than is usually acknowledged.
Ben: From a purely fannish perspective, there’s nothing that can topple my undying love for “Call Me Maybe.” But even with that tempered, I still consider Jepsen’s ubiquitous summer smash to be a well-written, memorable, and deceptively creative song with a hook that’s pure pop magic, so… Grammy maybe?
Dan: Though Carly Rae doesn’t command the same level of respect as Beyoncé, I think “Call Me Maybe” could win for the same reason “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” did a few years ago. It’s a universally liked song that really should be up for Record, but strangely isn’t – so voters could turn here to reward it instead. But fun.’s anthem is a little easier to take seriously, so…
Tara: What the boys said. Confused that it’s nominated for “Song,” but nonetheless impressed by Jepsen’s smart, shameless approach to pop music.
Best New Artist:
Should Win:
- Alabama Shakes
- fun.
- Hunter Hayes
- The Lumineers - Sam
- Frank Ocean - Kevin, Dan
Will Win:
- Alabama Shakes
- fun.
- Hunter Hayes
- The Lumineers - Kevin, Sam
- Frank Ocean - Dan
Kevin: Voting has been going on while the Lumineers are peaking with “Ho Hey”, so I’ll give them the edge. But Ocean seems to be the talent built best for long-term success.
Dan: As Bon Iver and pre-21 Adele proved, It helps to have nominations in the general fields when you’re up for New Artist but not yet universally known. I think that makes it a battle between fun. and Ocean – and I’d wager the latter will rally more support.
Sam: Unless 10 million teenage girls infiltrated the Grammy voter ranks this year, I don’t see Hunter Hayes winning this one. Considering the Best New Artist award has been going to the most obscure artist nominated, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Alabama Shakes win.
Best Country Solo Performance:
Should Win:
- Dierks Bentley, “Home” - Leeann
- Eric Church, “Springsteen”
- Ronnie Dunn, “Cost of Livin’” - Dan, Sam, Jonathan
- Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
- Blake Shelton, “Over”
- Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away” - Kevin, Ben, Tara
Will Win:
- Dierks Bentley, “Home”
- Eric Church, “Springsteen” - Leeann
- Ronnie Dunn, “Cost of Livin’”
- Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
- Blake Shelton, “Over”
- Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away” - Kevin, Dan, Sam, Jonathan, Ben, Tara
Kevin: I don’t think it’s even close. Underwood’s performance blows all the competition away.
Ben: It’s hard to choose between Dunn and Underwood, but for me the latter has the edge. Underwood has always had a strong, powerful voice, but “Blown Away” finds her using it more effectively than ever before. It’s as if she’s finally realized that she’s capable of more than just power notes – that she can use her voice to imbue added layers of emotion and complexity to an already striking song. At any rate, I think she’s the most likely winner – with Underwood’s Grammy record, this category is her turf.
Dan: In my dreams, Dunn takes it for a terrific single that flew sadly under the radar. But Underwood’s performance is one of the best of her career so far, and this will be her most deserved win in this category.
Jonathan: Ignoring the fact (as the voters did) that it should’ve been eligible last year, Dunn’s graceful, understated turn on the best-written song here is easily the class of this field. But if Underwood could beat far more deserving competition to win for “Last Name,” there’s no reason to think she can’t win again for something significantly better, especially when she stands out even further as the only woman nominated against five men. Any other outcome would be a huge surprise.
Leeann: I’d be happy with a win for Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Dunn or Eric Church, but I feel Church has had a great year, though I wouldn’t be surprised if young Hunter Hayes took this one in the end.
Sam: Sorry Blake, but the Grammy Awards doesn’t have the same incentive to heap awards on you as half of country music’s top power duo that the CMAs and ACMs have. I don’t think any of the other nominees have the same visibility as Carrie Underwood.
Tara: “Cost of Livin’” is far and away the best song in this category, but Underwood’s performance is the most intriguing. I’m not as convinced as the others that Underwood’s a shoo-in, but she’s my best guess.
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
Should Win:
- Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” - Sam
- Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
- Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, “Safe & Sound” - Leeann
- The Time Jumpers, “On the Outskirts of Town”
- Don Williams featuring Alison Krauss, “I Just Come Here for the Music” - Kevin, Dan, Jonathan, Ben, Tara
Will Win:
- Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
- Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
- Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, “Safe & Sound” - Leeann
- The Time Jumpers, “On the Outskirts of Town” - Sam
- Don Williams featuring Alison Krauss, “I Just Come Here for the Music” - Kevin, Dan, Jonathan, Ben, Tara
Kevin: Because it’s Alison Krauss, who has seven wins already in the history of the two categories that have been combined into this one for the past two years. Great performances by two legends of the genre.
Ben: A formidable lineup indeed, but my favorite record of this lot is “I Just Come Here for the Music,” which is nothing short of a classic performance. That aside, Alison Krauss is one of the biggest Grammy magnets in history, so I imagine the voters would gravitate toward her name anyway.
Dan: Can’t count out Little Big Town’s commercial breakthrough or the Swift-Wars combo. But I’m still voting with the pack.
Jonathan: Top-to-bottom, this may be the strongest set of nominees in any of the 5,749 categories this year, and it’s a great example of how and why the ACMs and CMAs should combine their duo and group categories to trim the fat. But that also makes for a tough prediction, with two big commercial hits from Eli Young Band and Little Big Town squaring off against two of Grammy-voters’ all-time favorite artists (Krauss, Vince Gill as part of The Time Jumpers), leaving the lovely collaboration between Swift and the Civil Wars, both of whom have solid Grammy track records. This really could go to any of the five – and none would be an outright terrible choice – but it’s foolhardy to bet against Krauss.
Leeann: The popularity of The Hunger Games movie paired with the continued popularity of Taylor Swift, not to mention the cool factor of The Civil Wars, makes this a sure win.
Sam: It’s a Grammy favorite (Alison Krauss) and a veteran singer who may not get another nomination (Don Williams). That’s like heroin to voters.
Tara: Strong set. I’ll put my vote and money behind the most charming of the collaborations.
Best Country Song:
Should Win:
- “Blown Away” – Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins
- “Cost of Livin’” – Phillip Coleman & Ronnie Dunn - Leeann
- Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Will Hoge & Eric Paslay - Dan
- “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” – Jay Knowles & Adam Wright - Kevin, Jonathan, Ben, Tara
- “Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, & Ryan Tyndell
Will Win:
- “Blown Away” – Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins - Kevin, Dan
- “Cost of Livin’” – Phillip Coleman & Ronnie Dunn
- “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Will Hoge & Eric Paslay
- “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” – Jay Knowles & Adam Wright
- “Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, & Ryan Tyndell - Sam, Jonathan, Ben, Tara, Leeann
Kevin: I think “Blown Away” will win because it’s topical and it’s performed by Carrie Underwood. The recent history of the category has been winning by writing a big thematic number and/or writing for a crossover star. My personal favorite is “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore,” which is my favorite country single from the past few years.
Ben: I believe any one of these nominees would make a worthy winner for Best Country Song, but “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” is easily the one that impacts me the hardest.
Dan: Another category stacked with five legitimately strong nominees, two of which weren’t hits; it reminds you why the Grammys were once the class of the country music awards, and makes you hope they can be again. The Will Hoge/Eric Paslay co-write is my personal favorite, but I’ll be content with any winner here.
Jonathan: Though it would be my choice here without reservation, “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” isn’t nominated elsewhere, which the other four songs all have in their favor, so it’s probably the longest-shot to win. Based on the broad crossover appeal that, as Kevin said, usually wins in this category, this one likely comes down to “Blown Away” and “Springsteen.” Grammy voters have never been shy about showing their love for The Boss, a fact that works in Church’s favor. That Church is both the songwriter and performer on his track will likely give “Springsteen” the edge with enough voters who get hung up about whether or not that kind of thing matters over the Underwood hit.
Leeann: I just can’t fight the feeling that Eric Church will continue his good run.
Tara: I’d be happy with any of these, but the quietly potent “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” has my heart. I think Church may take this based on both his rising star and the strength of The Boss.
Best Country Album:
Should Win:
- Zac Brown Band, Uncaged - Jonathan
- Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes
- Jamey Johnson, Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran - Kevin, Dan, Sam, Ben, Tara, Leeann
- Miranda Lambert, Four the Record
- The Time Jumpers, The Time Jumpers
Will Win:
- Zac Brown Band, Uncaged
- Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes - Kevin
- Jamey Johnson, Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran
- Miranda Lambert, Four the Record - Dan, Jonathan, Ben, Tara
- The Time Jumpers, The Time Jumpers - Sam, Leeann
Kevin: I only find the Johnson and Hayes sets interesting. I think Hayes’ higher profile will help him win. Underwood’s lack of a nomination is a shame, but also makes the competition a bit more unpredictable.
Ben: The Time Jumpers album is a hard one for me to pass over, but between the tracklist of Hank Cochran classics, and the who’s who of legendary talent behind the mic, Living for a Song is just too much to resist. There’s no clear frontrunner for who will win, but my gut says that voters will seize the opportunity to recognize Lambert.
Jonathan: I was glad to see the voters’ restraint and good taste in passing over Lambert in the Solo Performance and Song categories for either of the two worst singles of her entire career, but I think she’s still likely the favorite to win in this category. There’s some sentiment that she’s due here, after Crazy Ex-Girlfriend failed to score a nomination and Revolution indefensibly lost to Lady Antebellum. Though it’s by far her weakest album by several orders of magnitude, Four the Record would still trump some of the recent winners in this category in terms of quality, even if it’s only the fourth-best album nominated this year.
Leeann: I’d be very happy if either Johnson or The Time Jumpers won, but I’m thinking Vince Gill will help The Time Jumpers have an edge, since Grammy voters have been historically supportive of him.
Sam: I think enough Grammy voters will have figured out that Vince Gill is in The Time Jumpers, which is almost as compelling to them as an Alison Krauss nomination. I love the Jamey Johnson but can’t see it getting enough support.
Tara: I’m enamored by the Johnson album, but agree with the rest that Lambert is likely the voters’ favorite. Four the Record is an odd one for me; what was once my favorite album of the year is now somewhat unlistenable. I can’t figure it out.
Best Americana Album:
Should Win:
- The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
- John Fullbright, From the Ground Up
- The Lumineers, The Lumineers - Sam
- Mumford & Sons, Babel
- Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream - Jonathan, Leeann, Ben
Will Win:
- The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
- John Fullbright, From the Ground Up
- The Lumineers, The Lumineers - Leeann
- Mumford & Sons, Babel - Sam, Jonathan, Dan, Ben
- Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream
Ben: Slipstream is my favorite of this lot, but is it any match for the red-hot momentum of Mumford & Sons? I doubt it.
Jonathan: The Raitt album is uneven (and not a particularly good fit for this category), but its spectacular opening run of four songs is still far, far stronger than anything on any of the other four albums combined. Given the Album of the Year nod in the general field, though, there’s no way Babel loses this one.
Leeann: I wouldn’t be surprised if either the Lumineers or Mumford and Sons took this considering the big buzz around them, but Bonnie Raitt’s quality, though more under the radar, album seems most deserving to me.
Sam: Not a super-strong category, as there are a few albums that are good, not great. The Lumineers is probably the best of the bunch with catchy tune after catchy tune, but Mumford & Sons gets the name recognition.
Best Bluegrass Album:
Should Win:
- Dailey & Vincent, The Gospel Side Of
- The Grascals, Life Finds a Way
- Noam Pikelny, Beat the Devel and Carry a Rail - Jonathan
- Special Consensus, Scratch Gravel Road
- Steep Canyon Rangers, Nobody Knows You
Will Win:
- Dailey & Vincent, The Gospel Side Of
- The Grascals, Life Finds a Way - Jonathan
- Noam Pikelny, Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail
- Special Consensus, Scratch Gravel Road
- Steep Canyon Rangers, Nobody Knows You
Jonathan: Pikelny’s album was one of my favorites from 2011, so its nomination is one of the most pleasant surprises on the Grammy ballot. A win isn’t out of the question, either: This category can go anywhere in a Krauss-less year. The Grascals and Dailey & Vincent are the two biggest “names” in the field, but it’s questionable whether or not there’s a huge amount of overlap between the Grammy voters and the diners at Cracker Barrel, where the Dailey & Vincent set was an in-store exclusive album.
Best Folk Album:
Should Win:
- Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
- Ry Cooder, Election Special
- Luther Dickinson, HamboneG’s Meditations
- Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions – Sam, Jonathan, Leeann
- Various Artists, This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark
Will Win:
- Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
- Ry Cooder, Election Special
- Luther Dickinson, HamboneG’s Meditations
- Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Sam, Jonathan
- Various Artists, This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark
Jonathan: The Goat Rodeo album seems like Grammy-bait that’s almost too good to be true. Even if the album weren’t as impressive as it is, the pedigree alone would make it the presumptive frontrunner here. Still, this is a very strong line-up overall: Dickinson, though he’s a terrific guitarist, is the only nominee out of the five who would be a surprising (though not undeserving) winner, based upon his comparatively lower profile.
Leeann: I can’t even venture a guess on who will win this category. I’d be happy for The Guy Clark tribute album or the Carolina Chocolate Drops to win, but my personal favorite is the crisp, bright Goat Rodeo Sessions album.
Sam: It would be a toss-up between the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Guy Clark tribute, as both were just excellent. The tribute album probably gets the nod just because the songs were matched so perfectly to the singers, which is no small feat. However, the star power on Goat Rodeo Sessions is tough to beat.
February 5, 2013
1989 | #1
Written by veteran songwriter Sanger D. “Whitey” Shafer (who had previously supplied Strait with hits such as “Does Forth Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” and “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”), “Overnight Success” was released in the fall of 1989 as fourth and final single from George Strait’s album Beyond the Blue Neon. It peaked at a respectable #8, breaking a streak of eleven number-one hits, but continuing Strait’s run of Top Ten hits that stretched back seven years.
It’s a beautiful lyric, as one would expect from a songwriter such as Shafer, and Strait sings it effectively. Where the song comes up short is in the repetitive, limited-range melody, which lacks the pull needed to match the lyrical potency. The steel guitar imbues a fittingly mournful undertone to the song, but the composite recording has a lackadaisical feel that keeps the record from being as satisfying a listen as it could have been, or from being as memorable as Strait’s similar efforts in this vein.
Written by
Sanger D. Shafer
Grade: B
Listen: Overnight Success
Next: 1990-1991
Previous: “Ace In the Hole”
February 2, 2013
Randy Houser
How Country Feels
Randy Houser impressed the critics with 2010′s They Call Me Cadillac, but country radio yawned, and neither of the album’s two singles cracked the Top 30. Houser’s Stoney Creek Records debut thus comes across as a mea culpa of sorts, as Houser shrugs his shoulders in defeat, and gets ready to do some good old-fashioned pandering.
The title track and first single, which recently became Houser’s first number one hit, was a most accurate preview of the project to follow. Producer Derek George swaps out the tasteful, traditional-leaning arrangements of They Call Me Cadillac for spit-shine polished productions tailor-made for endless airplay. The album is peppered with odes to country living and rural romance. Trucks! Tailgates! Hollers and hills! Country girls! Skinny dipping! Houser shouts Aldean-style over a pounding bass line in “Sunshine On the Line,” and shoehorns in some arena-rock chants in the vapid backwoods come-on “Running Outta
Moonlight.” Lyrical formulas and clichés abound, from “Hands up, rockin’ like a boat… We’re gonna live this never-ending summer like we’re just growin’ younger” to “This kiss, this moment, yeah I just wanna stay in it.” It’s unfortunately fitting that one of the songs finds Houser singing, without a hint of self-awareness, “I wrote a song ’bout absolutely nothing with my toes tapping in the sand,” as the majority of the album’s tracks seem to be about exactly that – nothing.
Even when the songwriters’ aspirations seem to be slightly higher, the songs rarely rise above one dimension. ”Route 3 Box 250 D” grasps at domestic violence to create a semblance of emotional heft, but leans on a bare-boned narrative that fails to channel the narrator’s inner struggles and emotions, while the songwriters awkwardly attempt to create a title hook out of the narrator’s home address. Though “Along for the Ride” is one of the better-produced cuts, the lyric offers only dime store pseudo-philosophy with a boring, cliché-driven take on what Iris DeMent said far more eloquently with “Let the Mystery Be.”
The album’s only truly outstanding cut is one unlikely to see the light at radio. ”The Singer,” co-written by Houser with Cory Batten and Kent Blazy, is by far the album’s best-written song, utilizing a clear-cut, accessible hook in detailing the struggles behind a marriage in the spotlight. “She loved the singer; she just couldn’t live the song,” Houser sings, effectively summing up the heartache of a woman who loves her famous spouse, but can no longer settle for being “just one of a million screaming his name.” “Power of a Song” speaks to the power of songcraft with a melody that draws out an evocative performance from Houser, but the lyrics don’t pack the punch of past gems like Trisha Yearwood’s “The Song Remembers When” or Sara Evans’ “Three Chords and the Truth.”
The problem of weak material is compounded by the album’s length – a whopping fifteen tracks, roughly half of which are interchangeable. What’s with the need for today’s artists to fill an album up with fourteen, fifteen, sixteen-plus songs when barely five of those songs have anything substantial or authentic to say? Of course, Randy Houser’s performances are consistently solid - unsurprising, as he is in command of one of the strongest male voices on country radio. He even manages to elevate the formula-driven title track into something mildly enjoyable. But the problem remains that there’s no voice strong enough to save a fifteen-track album that’s stacked with poorly-written songs.
How Country Feels will likely succeed in keeping Randy Houser on the radio for the next two years. Nonetheless, we might observe a moment of silence for the early artistic potential that this album leaves largely buried.
Top Tracks: “The Singer,” “Power of a Song”
Buy: How Country Feels
January 29, 2013
Sara Evans
Playlist:
The Very Best of Sara Evans
While Sara Evans is reportedly in the studio hard at work on her forthcoming seventh studio album, Sony Legacy has released a new fourteen track retrospective of her sixteen-year career – the latest installment in the label’s Playlist series. Coming nearly five and a half years after Evans’ 2007 Greatest Hits package, Playlist: The Very Best of Sara Evans intersperses several of her biggest hits with a few less expected inclusions. While there is some great material to be heard, there are a few missed opportunities as well.
The most glaring omission is Evans’ 2011 smash “A Little Bit Stronger,” which returned her to the top of the charts after a six-year dry spell, and became the first platinum-certified single of her career. Its absence is made particularly disheartening by the fact that the song post-dated Evan’s original Greatest Hits album. Her other four number one hits – “No Place That Far,” “Born to Fly,” “Suds In the Bucket,” and “A Real Fine Place to Start” – are all present and accounted for, as are Top 10 hits “I Could Not Ask for More,” “I Keep Looking,” and “Cheatin’.” Her 2003 #2 hit “Perfect” is curiously omitted, while “Backseat of a Greyhound Bus” gets the short shaft for the second time.
Among the lesser-known cuts, the most worthwhile inclusion is Evans’ 1997 single “Three Chords and the Truth,” from her critically acclaimed, commercially unheralded debut album of the same name – a project which Greatest Hits pretends never existed. Another pleasant surprise is Evans’ rendition of the Barbara Mandrell hit “Crackers,” from the 2006 Mandell tribute She Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool. Two unreleased album tracks (“You Don’t” from Born to Fly and “Niagara Falls” from Restless), one hymn (“The Sweet By and By,” after which Evans’ first novel was titled), and the pretty but forgettable Jim Brickman collaboration “Never Alone” round out the set. The collection closes on an unnecessary sour note, tacking on the mediocre non-hit “Feels Just Like a Love Song,” from a 2009 album project that never materialized.
In theory, Sara Evans should be well served by a compilation that mixes hits with hidden treasures – especially considering that many of her finest moments never made it to heavy radio rotation. Unfortunately, Playlist all too often includes questionable choices at the expense of superior material. In some cases the songs included are decent, but pale in comparison to what might have been included instead. If you’re going to include an unreleased track from Born to Fly, why “You Don’t” instead of “I Learned That from You”? If you’re going to include a track from Restless, why “Niagara Falls” instead of “Rockin’ Horse”? If you’re going to include one of her cover songs, why “Crackers” instead of “I Don’t Wanna Play House”? Why not include excellent underrated singles like “Coalmine,” “Tonight,” or “Fool, I’m a Woman”?
Evaluated purely on the merits of its content, Playlist: The Very Best of Sara Evans is an enjoyable listen with many fine tracks. It’s a decent introduction to Sara Evans’ music, but it neither adequately summarizes her hit-making career, nor offers an effective representation of her best work. Her 2007 Greatest Hits remains an overall better value.
Track listing: 1. Born to Fly/ 2. I Could Not Ask for More/ 3. I Keep Looking/ 4. No Place That Far/ 5. You Don’t/ 6. A Real Fine Place to Start/ 7. Sweet By and By/ 8. Three Chords and the Truth/ 9. Suds In the Bucket/ 10. Niagara Falls/ 11. Crackers/ 12. Cheatin’/ 13. Never Alone (with Jim Brickman)/ 14. Feels Just Like a Love Song
January 25, 2013
If a song has nothing to say beyond what’s said in its title phrase, what’s the point of writing the song in the first place?
Jake Owen’s new single “Anywhere with You” takes a concept many times used before, and does nothing with it. We’ve all heard the country song about the starry-eyed narrator willing to live or travel absolutely anywhere
so long as he/she is joined by his/her significant other. Jo Dee Messina perhaps pulled it off best and most memorably with “Heads Carolina, Tails California.”
Owen offers a take that never aspires to be anything more than perfunctory. With a dull-as-a-brick title hook of “I’ll go anywhere with you,” the song lets listeners know what it’s about, and asks them to accept it without scrutiny. The chorus’ listing of random U.S. states in particular feels like an obvious crutch. The thick, un-country, radio-chasing production similarly earns no points for originality.
In light of Owen’s recent successes at radio, “Anywhere with You” will likely be a sizable hit. But it still fails to offer any answer to the fundamental question of “Why does this need to exist?”
Written by Ben Hayslip, David Lee Murphy, and Jimmy Yeary
Grade: C-
Listen: Anywhere with You
January 24, 2013
Independent country artist Amber Hayes released her first EP C’mon in the summer of 2010, and has since been covering all media ground, building up a solid fan following without the support of a major label. She had already added “theater performer” to her resume back in 2008, when she was cast as Kathy in the Conway Twitty musical. The year 2012 brought about the release of her second EP Any Day Is a Good Day, as well as her screen debut in the film Cowgirls ‘n Angels. Amber Hayes recently spoke with Country Universe to discuss her accomplishments over the past year.
Ben Foster: How would you describe what your journey has been like in the two years since you released the C’mon EP, and how is that reflected on Any Day Is a Good Day?
Amber Hayes: I think it definitely reflects in the song “Any Day Is a Good Day,” because I just feel so blessed for all the opportunities I’ve gotten over the last two years. I’ve gotten to perform overseas and be in a movie and sing the National Anthem at two NFL games. It’s just been really exciting, and I’ve been really blessed.
What kind of lyrical themes do you deal with on this record?
I think it’s pretty diverse. I’ve got “Somewhere Out West” which is a story song about a girl trying to find her father. When I was on WSM the other morning, Bill Cody said “I see ‘Somewhere Out West’ as not just a story song about a little girl.” “Somewhere Out West” is like what they’re looking for in their life, so I think it definitely doesn’t just have to be about that storyline. “Suspicious” is just fun – kind of a laid-back feel to it. “Built This Wall” is more like in your face, independent. Then we have “Far Far Away,” and it’s definitely towards the love side of it all – a little vulnerable. So I think it definitely shows different sides.
What can you tell about your inspiration for writing the title track “Any Day Is a Good Day”?
I wish I could tell you exactly what it was, but when we got into the room that day, we just started talking and throwing out some ideas, and nothing was really going anywhere. Somebody just said something about it being a good day, and wanting to write a positive song, and so we just kind of came up with that. But what’s cool about that is one of the co-writers with me, he’s blind. He has a different outlook on “Any Day Is a Good Day” because his day compared to ours is a little bit harder. I think when we got done writing that song, it was pretty cool because he sang the work tape, and we were like ‘Oh my gosh, you know this is pretty awesome.’ Our day compared to his is so much easier, but his outlook on it is just like ‘I’m not going to worry about it. If I can wake up, it’s a good day.’
What kind of experience was it for you being involved in the Cowgirls N’ Angels film?
It was so fun. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because people will say ‘You were in a movie,’ and it’s like almost kind of hard to believe a little bit, but it was definitely a really cool experience – something I had never been around. I had done theater, but had never done any kind of movie or TV or anything like that. It was pretty cool. The scene that I’m in is a bar scene, and I am the girl singing in the bar, so it kind of made sense. But I got to sing two of my songs from the C’mon EP, and the stars actually line danced to “C’mon,” so it’s very cool.
What was it like working with Richie McDonald?
He’s very nice. He’s so nice. When we wrote this song ["Always There for Me"], and we were trying to decide who to sing it with, he came to mind because I love his voice. It’s soothing, plus it commands, and I thought it sounds like a dad. He was just very easy to work with, and so nice. It’s pretty cool. He’s done so many great things in his career. That I got to record with him and perform with him was awesome.
You’ve also branched into television with having four of your songs selected for use in The CW’s Heart of Dixie. How did that feel?
I’ve been a fan of Heart of Dixie since it actually started coming on TV. I’ve just always loved the show because it reminds me of where I grew up, and I just always knew that they had a lot of great country music in there, and I kind of in the back of my mind thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if I actually got some music on that show?” Then we did, and it was really awesome. I was watching the first season a couple of weekends ago, and all of the placements we got are in the first season, so it really cool to watch that, and then it’s like “Oh gosh, there’s the song!” So it was neat!
What can you tell us about your contribution to Liam Sullivan’s new book Making the Scene: Nashville?
Well, Liam came to my album release show that we did with WSM at Station Inn. I met him then, and he asked if he could interview me for this book, so we just sat down and talked, and I just kind of told him my story like an interview type thing. I kind of just forgot about it, and then when I found out it came out, I just started looking into it, and come to find out I actually made the book, so it was really cool. So it’s a great book about Nashville, what you should do when you come to town, and great places to go – even if you’re not into the music industry, but just visiting.
Let’s talk about some of your musical heroes. In what ways do you endeavor to carry on the musical legacy of the women in country music who have inspired you?
My biggest influences are Reba and Dolly and Barbara Mandrell probably, but I love people like Jeannie Seely and Jean Shephard, and I’ve also had the big honor of knowing both of those women and working with them. I just am so grateful to people like them who still to this day get to go on the Opry every week and sing country music, and they’re so proud to represent country music in such a great way. They’re so classy. I think that’s the deal with all these people that I love. If I could say one word that sums them up, it’s class. They’re great entertainers. I think that every single one of those women, when they walk out onstage, they have you right in the palm of their hand. Of course, Dolly and Reba and Barbara Mandrell have all done a little bit of everything, and that’s what I want to be, and that’s what I want to do. I definitely want my fans to go away from a show
thinking ‘Wow, this was so fun’ and ‘She puts on a great show,’ and I can’t wait to go back again.
You pay tribute to one of your heroes with the song “Me and Loretta.” How did that song come about?
Well, I wrote that song with Brian Eckert and Brady Seals, and Brady is a huge traditional country music fan. He said “You know, we should write a song about your love for country music, or somebody that you love.” He loves Loretta, and he knows Loretta and has worked with her in the past. He said “You know, every song of Loretta’s that you hear you’ve gone through, somebody has lived. Let’s just make it where you’re like talking to her, or in the car with her or something,” and we came out with “Me and Loretta.” I think it’s a pretty cool story. I think it’s just kind of like with “Somewhere Out West.” Loretta can be whoever you want it to be, but to me it’s just Loretta. Every one of her songs is just so real, and like I said, you’ve lived it at some point in your life.
What’s next for Amber Hayes?
“Any Day Is a Good Day” is the single, and we’ll see what happens with that. Just booking stuff for 2013, and I don’t know. I guess I’ll just see what happens! I’m just so excited to get new music out, just because it’s been two years, and I’ve done a lot since then. I feel like I’ve really built up a lot of new fans, and old fans that need to hear some new music, so it’s exciting!
Official website: www.amberhayesmusic.com
January 22, 2013
Contest closed. Congratulations to winner Seth Isley, whose favorite Randy Houser song is “Anything Goes.”
Randy Houser’s third album How Country Feels, featuring the hit title track, drops today. Country Universe is pleased to offer one autographed copy of this release to give away to one of our readers, courtesy of Girilla Marketing.
To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite song Houser has recorded. A winner will be chosen via random number generator and informed via email, which means all eligible comments must include a valid email address. Comments must be submitted by Saturday January 26, 11:59 p.m. EST.
So without further ado, go ahead and comment away.
January 17, 2013
Katie Armiger
Fall Into Me
By now, Katie Armiger’s country music career comprises six years, four studio albums, and still zero bona fide radio hits. Her label Cold River Records has nonetheless stuck with her since 2007, with her previous outing, 2010’s Confessions of a Nice Girl, producing her first chart singles in the #55 “Kiss Me Now” and the #42 “Best Song Ever.” Her new album Fall Into Me has yet to reverse her fortunes at radio – Lead single “Better In a Black Dress” topped out at #42 on Billboard Country Airplay – but it no doubt contains more than enough tasteful, likeable pop-country material to keep current fans interested.
At its best, Fall Into Me combines effective melodies with clever lyrical turns of phrase and colorful vocal readings. By such rights, “Man I Thought You Were” is arguably the album’s finest track, casting Armiger as a jilted young woman who’s had her heart broken by a man who didn’t fulfill expectations. She turns the song’s concept on its head in the second verse, musing that she wishes she could hate the woman she lost her love to, but can’t because she knows that the same outcome awaits her successor. The song’s story is enhanced by a compelling melody, and a performance that exudes vulnerability. A similar interplay of elements is heard on “Merry Go Round,” in which a frantic melody and performance pulse in a way that mirrors the tumult of the relationship chronicled by the lyric.
The album is produced by Chad Carlson, who also produced Confessions of a Nice Girl. Though the musical stylings often skew heavily toward the pop side of the country-pop spectrum, the album largely steers clear of the over-audacious pop arrangements that at times pervaded Confessions (with the noisy “So Long” being the glaring exception). The project boasts several standout instrumental hooks and clever production touches, as well as some increased stylistic variety. A brisk tempo and hand-clap section underscores the sense of urgency in album opener “He’s Gonna Change,” in which Armiger warns a woman not to hang her hopes on a man who will never grow to fully appreciate and respect her. A prominent bazouki and harmonica imbue a swampy feel to the single woman anthem “Better In a Black Dress.” Though “Merry Go Round” has the misfortune of sharing a title with one of the best songs currently on country radio, it boasts a catchy guitar hook anchoring a crisp, lightly infectious pop-country arrangement.
While Armiger has often shown herself to be a gifted vocalist worthy of rubbing shoulders with Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood on country radio, Fall Into Me finds the 21-year-old continuing to make artistic strides as a songwriter. The themes of empowerment and belief in self recur throughout the album, evident in the cautious optimism of “Okay Alone,” and in the straight-up swagger of “Better In a Black Dress.” Unfortunately, though the album serves up a generous fourteen songs, it doesn’t quite fill them out with fourteen songs’ worth of content. Armiger appears as a co-writer on every track, but some benefit might have been derived by interspersing her own cuts with some quality outside material. Though the figurative “A” side is fairly solid, the album loses steam around the tenth track, and starts serving up some filler. The rather bland love song “Baby You’re Everything” hardly warrants explanation, while the forced thematic concept of “Stealing Hearts” comes off as something like the poor woman’s “Hell On Heels.” There are also moments when she creates a solid foundation for a great song, but doesn’t quite tie it together with an effective hook. A biting line such as “Look down on me and criticize/ It’s easy to do from up on high” seems to call for a greater payoff than “I’m free, free/ Like a raging wildfire through the trees,” and a refrain of “I’ll find a way to be okay alone” doesn’t quite match the potency of Armiger’s nuanced, falsetto-enhanced delivery.
Even though Katie Armiger has three albums already behind her, one doesn’t generally become a fully realized country artist by age 21. At this point, she sounds like she’s flexing her creative muscles and having fun doing so. Fall Into Me continues to hint at Armiger’s lofty potential as a creative force – at times wanting for consistency, but not for lack of heart. Furthermore, it finds Armiger continuing to develop her own point of view as a songwriter, acting as a voice for strong, independent young women, which may very well blossom further with future releases. Without a doubt, there is much that Fall Into Me gets right, even if it does feel like a fourteen track album that should have been a ten track album.
Top Tracks: “Man I Thought You Were,” “Better In a Black Dress,” “Merry Go Round”
January 11, 2013
This finely crafted gem of a country song was co-written by Country Universe staff favorite Ashley Monroe, and was released as a single in 2005 by Australian country artist Catherine Britt, whose own version is well worth seeking out. The song was also a highlight of the charming Edens Edge self-titled debut album released last summer, and now looks like it might be one of the most enjoyable singles with a prayer of radio airplay in 2013.
The central metaphor strikes a perfect balance of simple accessibility and dead-on effectiveness. Indeed, it’s hard to think of a more fitting way to illustrate a noncommittal relationship in which a man walks in and out of a woman’s life as he pleases.
Moreover, the single could hardly be a more apt showcase of the force of musical talent that is Edens Edge, with the dobro- and banjo-picking of Dean Berner and Cherrill Green featuring prominently throughout the song. Lead vocalist Hannah Blaylock gives a subdued reading of the opening verse, and tackles the high notes in the chorus with clarity and style, even giving a bit of a growl as the song crescendos to a finish, but doing so without breaking character – demonstrating dynamic interpretive skills not commonly found in younger, newer artists.
Now two Top 30 hits into their career, only time will tell if Edens Edge is to enter the automatic add club at radio. But if the country music industry were a meritocracy, “Swingin’ Door” would be a surefire hit – well-written, beautifully sung, tastefully produced, and actually country.
Written by Terry Clayton, Brett James, and Ashley Monroe
Grade: A-
Listen: Swingin’ Door
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