Kevin John Coyne

Single Review: Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Sebastian, “My Eyes”

June 27, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 15

“My Eyes” Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Sebastian Written by Andrew Dorff, Tommy Lee James, and Josh Osborne Is a play on words really that romantic? I can imagine being asked, “If I said you had

Single Review: Hunter Hayes, “Tattoo”

June 25, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 13

I want to preface this by saying, as I’ve said before, that Hunter Hayes is tremendously talented. “Tattoo” is further evidence that he can assemble all of the necessary components for an entertaining record, and

Single Review: Kenny Chesney, “American Kids”

June 25, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 11

If you’re going to keep revisiting the same themes, you might as well take some risks with your delivery. Kenny Chesney’s new single sounds fresher and more engaging than anything he’s done in a very

Single Review: Kacey Musgraves, “The Trailer Song”

June 24, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 6

A new Kacey Musgraves track with co-writes from Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally is not a bad way to start your day. “The Trailer Song” has been a live staple for Musgraves, and it sounds

Album Review: Dolly Parton, Blue Smoke

June 16, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 2

Dolly Parton Blue Smoke A big step up from her last few projects, Dolly Parton’s Blue Smoke is her most balanced album since Backwoods Barbie. While it lacks cohesion due to so many different

Album Review: Miranda Lambert, Platinum

June 8, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 26

Miranda Lambert Platinum Miranda Lambert’s life experience has caught up with her talent. Platinum is a confident, intelligent record that weaves the themes of nostalgia, femininity, and celebrity together over sixteen tracks. It’s a cohesive

100 Greatest Men: #26. Roy Acuff

June 1, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 3

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Roy Acuff is responsible for not only some of the genre’s foundational recordings, but for helping to put Nashville on the map as a star of the Grand Ole

Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists: Carlene Carter

May 29, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 13

It’s easy to forget just how talented Carlene Carter is. In the last eighteen years, she’s only given us two albums to remind us. But with a career that stretches back to her 1978 eponymous

Album Review: Emmylou Harris, Wrecking Ball: Deluxe Edition

May 26, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 0

Emmylou Harris

Wrecking Ball: Deluxe Edition

Nonesuch has released an impressive deluxe edition of the landmark Emmylou Harris album, Wrecking Ball. For those who are new to the set, this is the edition you should buy. But it’s also worth the upgrade for those who already have this set in their collection.

Produced by Daniel Lanois, this album was a stunning departure for Harris, so much so that she personally requested that it not be eligible for the country charts. That’s funny in retrospect, given that alongside legends like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, the album was anchored by compositions by up-and-coming songwriters like Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams, and Julie Miller. With further cuts by writers like Anna McGarrigle, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell, Wrecking Ball helped set a template for what would become a vibrant Americana scene over the years that followed.

Single Review: Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”

May 21, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 36

Miranda Lambert’s tempting fate with her titles, calling her upcoming album Platinum and her high-profile collaboration with Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad.”

No word for a while yet on whether the album will sell a million copies, but as far as the single goes, it lives up to the promise of the two singers more than it does to its title.