Review: Joe Nichols, “Gimmie That Girl”

joenichols33-x600Certain country songs have a vibe so inviting that you’re immediately pulled in – such is the case with “Gimmie That Girl.” Its sound is fresh and almost organic, laced with a catchy beat and a charming sexiness that few male country artists can pull off.

Thematically, the song doesn’t tread unchartered waters with its “I love you just the way you are” sentiment, and it doesn’t pack a punch like some of Nichols’ previous singles. But he nails the warm, rich vocal performance, infusing the lyrics with just enough kick and swing to make them come alive. There are even a few endearing, stand-out lines: “Dancing around like a fool/starring in her own little show/gimmie the girl that the rest of the world ain’t lucky enough to know.”

Ultimately, “Gimmie That Girl” isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a tasteful balance of traditional and mainstream country, and there’s certainly a place for songs like this in the industry.

Grade: B

Listen: Gimme That Girl

13 Comments

  1. “believers” was pseudo-christian. this is pseudo-today’s pop country. can we expect anything real from joe nicols, sooner or later?

  2. The title cut off his new album coming out in 2 weeks, should be real enough for you, its traditional country and it’s called ‘Real Things’ so you can’t go wrong.
    Great song, can’t wait for the album.

  3. My favorite song from his old cd “Real Things” is “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”. Just played the new single on his MySpace and I agree with your “B” rating but I may grow to like it better after a few more plays.

    from Wikipedia:

    Old Things New is the sixth studio album recorded by country music artist Joe Nichols. It will be released on October 27, 2009 on Universal South Records. The album has produced two singles: “Believers,” which peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and “Gimmie That Girl.”
    [edit] Track listing

    1. “Gimmie That Girl” (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip)
    2. “It’s Me I’m Worried About” (Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, Tom Shapiro)
    3. “Old Things New” (Bill Anderson, Paul Overstreet, Buddy Cannon)
    4. “Man Woman” (Shawn Camp, Marv Green)
    5. “Believers” (Ashley Gorley, Wade Kirby, Bill Luther)
    6. “Cheaper Than a Shrink” (Anderson, Cannon, Jamey Johnson)
    7. “The Shape I’m In” (Akins, Davidson, Hayslip)
    8. “This Bed’s Too Big” (Gary Burr, Victoria Shaw)
    9. “We All Go Home” (Jimmy Melton, Neal Coty, Michael Mobley)
    10. “An Old Friend of Mine” (Rick Tiger, Brock Stalvey}

  4. I was actually factually wrong, Tom, What I meant to say was check out, ‘Old Things New’ the title cut from his upcoming album, and ‘Real Things’ the title cut from his previous, both real and traditional. But the main this is you found your way to one of them.

  5. Def looks like a good list of songwriters on that tracklisting. I loved his “Real Things” album. There were a few cuts that I didn’t care a whole lot for, but the ones I did like really knocked me out.

  6. It’s trivial, but I’m surprised by the brevity of the album, since it’s not standard practice to only have ten songs these days. Quality over quantity is what’s important though. This song doesn’t do anything for me and I really didn’t like “Believers”, so I’m not feeling too excited for the release.

  7. I don’t want to comment too much on Joe-related things, but I’ll say this: the album is a lot more interesting, in my opinion, than either of the two singles would have you believe.

  8. Go to i-tunes and check out Old Things New, the title track is awesome, I’ve heard most of the songs live from Joe’s show last week and can’t wait to get my hands on it.

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