We don’t do as many discussions as we used to at CU, and it’s possible that we already did this one. But seeing the title of this week’s #1 country album, I couldn’t resist:
Jerrod Niemann, Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury
I’d call it juvenile, but I don’t think I would’ve laughed as a kid, either. But I’m sure some people found it funny.
Here are a few others that make me wince:
Pam Tillis, Above and Beyond the Doll of Cutey
Radio has never been my primary way of receiving country music. Growing up in NYC, we had a decent country station in 103.5 WYNY. But 24-hour CMT was better, back in the days when it played everything from the hot new artists to the legends to Canadian imports in roughly equal rotation. By the time that the station folded, I was heading to Nashville and attending college. By the time I was back to NYC, the internet had replaced the video outlets as my preferred method of discovering new music.
But radio is the way most country fans have discovered new music for generations now. So why not give it another try? Normally, I wouldn’t, but as we began an overnight drive up the east coast, I was growing weary of the easy listening station that was on. Air Supply will do that to you. So I went up to the next station, and the radio displayed that it was a country station.
There’s a small pool of mainstream country artists whose careers I watch intently, patiently awaiting the day their material catches up to their incredible talent. Darius Rucker falls into this pool, but if “Come Back Song” is any indication of his sophomore album, due out in October, it’ll be another few years before he hits that magic moment.
I’ve written it before, but full disclosure requires me to reiterate my biased stance toward Joey+Rory. Their debut album with Sugar Hill Records was organic and delightful. They were my first and only (so far) interview for Country Universe.
Anyone who is aware of the down-to-earth couple can instinctively assume that they were genuine and gracious and made the experience one of the highlights of my Country Universe tenure. Therefore, I will not feign detachment regarding the trajectory of their career. I simply want them to succeed and I make no apology for my steadfast position on the matter.
Chesney’s made a career out of nostalgia trips like this one. Here, he’s reminiscing for the glory of being on the high school football team. He’s been down this road before, more times than I can count at this point.
But I dare say this one’s just a little different. Chesney sounds older, much older. Not wiser, mind you. Just older.
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