More than thirty years into his legendary career, George Strait has released the most compelling single of his career with “Drinkin’ Man.”
An alcoholic examines his past and present with clear eyes, looking into the mirror while still holding on to the bottle. With sad resignation, he remembers the parents who worried about him, the friends that tried to save him, and the woman who loved him in spite of his affliction.
Strait isn’t known for dealing with such challenging subject matter, but his experience as a singer and remarkable growth as a songwriter have resulted in the genre’s best drinking song in recent memory. It’s something that Merle Haggard or George Jones would have produced at their peak.
I don’t know if radio can handle something this substantive from an artist that they tend to love most when he’s frivolous these days. But whether or not it receives wide airplay, this is the finest single that George Strait has ever released.
Written by Dean Dillon, Bubba Strait, and George Strait
You know what’s one of the best ways for a contemporary country song to worm its way into my heart? To display a mature and insightful perspective, or to tap into some universal truth, while dressing itself up with the catchiest of melodies and hooks.
That particular sweet spot is one that the female artists in country music tend to hit more often than the males – See “Deep Down,”“Hey Cinderella,” and “The Fear of Being Alone” for case studies. However, Tim McGraw’s 1999 chart-topper “Something Like That” hits it, and hits it dead-on.
The song recounts the narrator’s youthful experience of falling in love for the very first time at age seventeen. The verses are replete with little details – a barbecue stain, a miniskirt, a suntan line, etc. Such details may seem to have little meaning, but in this particular context, they mean everything. In the second verse, the narrator has a chance encounter with his old flame while traveling on a plane, where she says “I bet you don’t remember me, to which he replies “Only every other memory,” thus assuring her that she is hardly forgotten. “Like an old photograph, time can make a feeling fade,” he sings during the bridge, “but the memory of a first love never fades away.”
Through its vivid, detail-laden approach, the lyric effectively hones in on the fact that the experience of one’s first love is, in itself, unforgettable. Every little aspect of the encounter feels significant in its own way, because it’s a lifetime milestone that leaves a lasting impression. Indeed, “a heart don’t forget something like that.”
The point is driven home by a sprightly piano hook, toe-tapping rhythm, and wildly catchy singalong-friendly chorus – a one-two punch that helps the record make an impression both as a great lyric and as a fun, catchy listen.
A lush and gorgeous ballad that is elevated by a Patty Loveless harmony vocal, this is arguably Tim McGraw’s finest moment on record.
Originally recorded by co-writer Rodney Crowell, “Please Remember Me” was also covered by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville before McGraw included it on his 1999 album, A Place in the Sun.
His pleading performance gives the song its urgency, and the pop-flavored production, complete with strings, harkens back to the glory days of the Nashville sound.
Loveless once said that her job as a singer was to not get in the way of the song. McGraw’s best moments are when he finds a great song like this and gets out of the way.
“Get a life, get a grip, get away somewhere, take a trip
Take a break, take control, take advice from someone you know
“Come on over, come on in
Pull up a seat, and take a load off your feet
Come on over, come on in
You can unwind, and take a load off your mind.”
Hmm. So the lyrics don’t seem to have a whole lot to say. The song is primarily simple series of feel-good platitudes.
And yet, the package as a whole is hard to resist. The lyrics are not outstanding on their own merits, but Twain sells them with enthusiasm, and Mutt Lange’s production complements them effectively. The Cajun-flavored accordion-laced arrangement and catchy piano hook lend the record a fresh and infectious sound that still holds up well today.
“Come On Over” is not one Twain’s biggest or best hits from the album of the same title, but Twain and Lange’s musical treatment makes it an entertaining and inviting musical experience, if not a particularly substantive one.
Written by Shania Twain and Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Emerging with the slow-blooming Top 20 debut single “Amen” last year, Arkansas trio Edens Edge introduced themselves to the country audience as one of the genre’s brightest and most refreshing new talents. Their follow-up release “Too Good to Be True” lacks the distinct lyrical freshness that made “Amen” a winner, but continues to showcase the group’s unique, left-of-center musical style.
The character in this song is one we’ve seen before – You know, that one “Cowboy Casanova” whom every “Good Girl” would do well to steer clear of. Similarly, the song’s hook of “Too Good to Be True” is not particularly interesting. However, it’s a testament to this group’s talent that they are able to elevate a somewhat average song through their fiery performance. Dean Berner’s dobro and Cherrill Green’s banjo are each given a generous spotlight through which to imbue a rootsy, swampy flavor into the song, while Hannah Blaylock’s lead vocal delivery is firm and commanding. The song’s sprightly, punchy rhythm makes for a fun, infectious listening experience.
A little added lyrical cleverness could have made the difference between a fun, upbeat radio hit, and a truly great record. Still, ”Too Good to Be True” displays a level of musicianship and performance value which reminds us that these are some talented kids who have great potential when paired with worthy song material. “Amen” might not have been a runaway hit, but a #18 peak is still enough to get a foot in the door at country radio, and “Too Good to Be True” could be just accessible enough to build on that momentum. Here’s hoping radio holds onto Edens Edge, as they could make the scene a heck of a lot more interesting.
Reviewing mainstream country singles can be mighty depressing these days. It often seems like we’re hearing the same song over and over again. Conversely, I often feel as if I’m writing the same review over and over again.
So how can I find a fresh angle from which to approach this new Scotty McCreery single?
This song is yet another case of a genuinely strong singing voice being wasted on cheap, disposable song material. Then again, no. I’m pretty sure I’ve written that before.
This song offers nothing but vague rural imagery strung together with no discernible narrative, nor any real point to make. No… scratch that. I believe I’ve written that before as well.
This song is nothing more than a factory-assembled radio hit with no purpose but to sail to the top of the charts only afterwards to be instantly forgotten and replaced by the next radio flavor of the day… Never mind. I’m absolutely positive I’ve written that before.
I’ll tell you what, Scotty. When you say something that hasn’t been said a million times before, then I’ll say something I haven’t said a million times before.
Written by Cole Swindell, Tammi Kidd, and Lynn Hutton
I’ve always liked Kix as a singer, so I was happy to see that this single exists. He’s got one of those modest-but-charming Everyman voices, the kind that makes every song feel like a conversation with your ol’ pal.
He also sounds positively thrilled to flex it for us again, which is just infectious. Listen to how he relishes every note of “New to This Town,” like he doesn’t want waste a moment of this reintroduction. Love that! I love that.
Just want to hear it on a different song. This one’s got some good bones – the main chorus cadence (before it becomes a crutch), the theme of wishing you could rewrite a history gone wrong. But the first verse about the younger man doesn’t set up a compelling launching pad for the rest of the song, and I don’t know if I buy Kix Brooks with this sound – pulsing verses, big rock chorus. Plus, the subject matter invites comparison to Tim McGraw’s dazzling “Old Town New,” and there aren’t a lot of songwriters who can go head-to-head with Bruce Robison or Darrell Scott, much less the two of ‘em together.
So as an appetizer, I can’t say it kix ass but…….! (I’m done writing forever.)
Written by Kix Brooks, Marvin Green & Terry McBride
Proof positive that what T. Swift pulls off only looks easy.
Because in theory, this should work better. Very relatable – if vanilla – premise, and melody with some real hooks. And these vocalists could probably out-sing Swift technically, right?
But the humanity, the vulnerability, the joyful spark that could have driven this micro-romance home – they’re simply absent, in lyrics and performance. It’s fine, but it’s flat. It’s here, but then it’s gone, and it’s whatever.
Own the Night, thy legacy cometh quickly. (But not swift…ly. K anyway:)
Nothing like a good country music driving song, right? I could make a whole road trip playlist full of them. Ostensibly, Sara Evans’ upcoming single “Anywhere” is seeking a spot on my road trip playlist. It’s a bit off-putting, unfortunately, that the lyric plays more like a watered-down knockoff of Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California.”
At the very least, the single earns points for a committed vocal performance on Evans’ part, as well as a cool banjo-rocker of a production, which could have made for a pleasant little slice of pop-country. But the song structure is totally not there.
Here’s the main problem: “We can go aaaaaannnyyyyyyyyywheeeeeeeeeeeeere!!!” You call that a hook? That is so not a hook. It says nothing. It doesn’t tap into any sort of emotion, or convey anything beyond what it says on paper. It’s just… there. It’s hardly worth building a four-minute song around, plus stretching a three-syllable word over four seconds just makes it sound grating. From there, Evans rattles off “California, Mississippi, all the way to New York City…” which basically amounts to lyrical wheels-spinning. “I’m tired of living my life in Park; I want to live it in Drive,” is a good line, but outside of that, the lyric comes across as uninspired and forced.
I can’t get behind this. I just can’t.
Evans is a mighty fine singer with some memorable hits under her belt – “Born to Fly,” “Suds In the Bucket,” and “A Real Fine Place to Start” still sound just as endlessly entertaining as ever, and last year’s chart-topper “A Little Bit Stronger” was a solid effort as well. She tries her darndest hard to sell this one, but ultimately, “Anywhere” still feels like an astounding waste of perfectly good vocal talent.
Evans’ radio airtime is already limited enough as it is, and with a pair of gems like “Alone” and “What That Drink Cost Me” vying for single release, there’s no need to waste it on this.
More than thirty years into his legendary career, George Strait has released the most compelling single of his career with “Drinkin’ Man.”
1999 | #1
1999 | #6
Emerging with the slow-blooming Top 20 debut single “Amen” last year, Arkansas trio Edens Edge introduced themselves to the country audience as one of the genre’s brightest and most refreshing new talents. Their follow-up release “Too Good to Be True” lacks the distinct lyrical freshness that made “Amen” a winner, but continues to showcase the group’s unique, left-of-center musical style.
Reviewing mainstream country singles can be mighty depressing these days. It often seems like we’re hearing the same song over and over again. Conversely, I often feel as if I’m writing the same review over and over again.
Nothing like a good country music driving song, right? I could make a whole road trip playlist full of them. Ostensibly, Sara Evans’ upcoming single “Anywhere” is seeking a spot on my road trip playlist. It’s a bit off-putting, unfortunately, that the lyric plays more like a watered-down knockoff of Jo Dee Messina’s “Heads Carolina, Tails California.”
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