Single Reviews

“Gunpowder & Lead” Miranda Lambert Songwriters: Miranda Lambert & Heather Little Listen     There are two villains in country music songs about spousal abuse: the man who does the abusing, and the society that allows

“Workin’ For a Livin’” Garth Brooks & Huey Lewis Songwriters: Chris Hayes & Huey Lewis Listen   It’s not a good sign when you’re listening to a cover song and wondering, “What’s the point?”  Garth Brooks

The second single from Carrie Underwood’s sophomore album is a bit better than the first.  “So Small” was drenched in production, but “All-American Girl” keeps it simple. There’s fiddle instead of strings, and Underwood opts for

Holy early eighties, Batman.   Tim McGraw revives a smooth ballad from the catalog of Urban Cowboy deity Eddie Rabbitt with satisfying results.  It’s not exactly difficult to imagine McGraw suspecting that every guy in

Kenny Chesney singing about the monotony of shiftwork, and it still manages to end up a song about getting drunk in the Caribbean. Strait’s presence livens things up a bit, and the “big ol’ pile

This is smart, in a nineties grunge kind of way. It has a melancholy undercurrent that pulsates throughout the track. There’s almost a Rubber Soul quality to the melody, and the vocal goes for authenticity

I like the driving beat and the tight vocals.     The grammar in the chorus (“Not a day go by”) makes me shudder.     This is the kind of radio filler that never goes out of style,