Jonathan Keefe

Single Review: Chris Lane, “Fix”

January 11, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 26

Combining the absolute worst lyrical tropes of peak bro-country with the faux R&B production Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett have popularized, Chris Lane’s “Fix” is the harbinger of another dreadful year at country radio.

Sunday Selections: January 10, 2016

January 10, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 3

… And we’re back!

Single Review: Drake White, “Livin’ the Dream”

January 5, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 3

As a would-be anthem for the contemporary working class, “Livin’ the Dream” is perhaps a bit too unassuming for its own good.

Single Review: Maren Morris, “My Church”

January 4, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 14

The most obvious points of comparison for singer-songwriter Maren Morris and her single “My Church” are to Sheryl Crow’s self-titled masterpiece and its follow-up, The Globe Sessions. Though Crow spent the 1990s as a pop star, her ties to the country genre were clear. “If It Makes You Happy” was always a honky-tonk anthem waiting to happen, while “The Difficult Kind,” “Home,” and “Mississippi” all sound more recognizably country than do current chart-topping hits by Sam Hunt, Kelsea Ballerini, and Thomas Rhett.

Year-End Rodeo 2015: Individual Ballots

December 29, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 5

Now that our final lists of the 40 Best Singles of 2015 and 20 Best Albums of 2015 are posted and open for discussion, we have decided to post each of our seven writers’ individual

The Best Albums of 2015, Part Two: #10-#1

December 28, 2015 Jonathan Keefe 6

The upper half of our albums list reflects the revitalization of country music in 2015, courtesy of mostly younger artists with fresh perspectives in their lyrics and arrangements. There is still a legend or two in the mix, but if this year has proven anything, it’s that the genre’s future is in good hands.