Articles by Ben Foster
“Let There Be Cowgirls” = “Got My Country On,” Part 2
Single Review: Hunter Hayes, "Wanted"
With song titles like “Storm Warning” and “Rainy Season,” one might very well wonder if Hunter Hayes had at one time been an aspiring meteorologist. At any rate, the frosty-haired twenty-year-old has been gradually making inroads on country radio with the support of his hordes of cheering female fans.
So far, it’s a familiar story: A strong voice crying out for strong material.
2002 | #7
What ever happened to the Rodney Atkins that put out a string of interesting and memorable singles in 2006-2007? Is he now content to remain a continually middlebrow purveyor of radio filler?
1999 | #1
So let’s talk about hooks and melodies for a minute.
Album Review: Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Carrie Underwood
Blown Away
At this point, it’s easy to forget that Carrie Underwood first kicked off her country music career as an American Idol graduate. Besides being one of country music’s most technically gifted female vocalists, she’s gone on to become one of its strongest commercial forces, with a seven-year-long string of Top-2 hit singles, not to mention albums that consistently sell like hotcakes. But a noteworthy gap has often been seen between the impressiveness of Underwood’s talent and success and the quality of her material. In terms of lyrics and production, at least, Underwood’s new album Blown Away finds her taking steps forward that are small, but steps forward nonetheless.