Single Reviews – Page 105 – Country Universe

Emily West, “That Kind of Happy”

April 17, 2009 Guest Contributor 16

Emily West’s latest single “That Kind of Happy” genuinely makes me “that kind of happy” while somehow managing not to be “fake happy” (i.e., “country radio happy”) in the process. Finally, someone got it right. West shows us that a fun song, a fascinating vocal performance chalk full of personality and genuine talent are not mutually exclusive. This is far and away my favorite single of the year so far.

I wasn’t sold on West’s music with her last single “Rocks in Your Shoes,” but I was sold on the artist. Her personality was infectious. This time around, I’m sold on the music as well. Her appreciation for older artists isn’t superficial and that comes across in her production and vocal choices. This single is very modern, yet at the same time feels surprisingly traditional. It’s a good combo and it works very well for West.

Reba McEntire, “Strange”

April 14, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 21

The contrast between “For My Broken Heart”, a #1 single for Reba McEntire in 1991, and “Strange,” her new single, speaks volumes on how the portrayal of women has changed in country music over the past two decades.

When “For My Broken Heart” peaked, Reba McEntire was at the height of her amazingly long run as the genre’s most successful female artist, but she was also the last of the truly great heartbreak queens. When she goes to bed with grief over being left, she wakes up the next morning and notes, “The sun is blinding me as it wakes me from the dark. I guess the world didn’t stop for my broken heart.”

Eighteen years later, she’s going to bed with a heartache again, and the sun is waking her up in the morning once more. But “strange,” she now sings, “talk about luck! I woke up and the sun was shining. I oughta be in bed with my head in the pillow crying over us, but i ain’t.”

Heidi Newfield, “What Am I Waiting For”

April 14, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 2

The third single from Heidi Newfield’s solo debut is the strongest track on the album.

Rather than taking the traditional routes of empowered bravado or weak-kneed self-pity, Newfield is simply unsure of herself. “I’m five years into a two-year plan,” she notes, “still standing here with the walls closing in behind this open door. What am I waiting for?”

I love songs with bravado and I love songs dripping with self-pity, but this is one of those rare singles that just feels real. Life unfolds in a series of small moments where little opportunities for change are overlooked. It’s easier to put off that big step for one more day, to keep dipping your toe in the water without ever getting in.

Daryle Singletary, “Love You With the Lights On”

April 12, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 4

I really love everything that Daryle Singletary’s approach to country music represents. Sometimes it seems there are only two veins of country traditionalists: the ones who take the Haggard and Jones approach, and the ones

Jack Ingram, “Barefoot and Crazy”

April 12, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 3

Bryan Adams with a mild twang. I can imagine this sounding really great cranked up loudly, should you have an open road to tear down in the early days of summer. That said, this is

Bucky Covington, “I Want My Life Back”

April 9, 2009 Dan Milliken 41

You’re always treading on thin ice when you use encounters with the homeless for creative inspiration. Songwriters love to do it, but it’s the rare one who is able to present a homeless person with

Darius Rucker, “Alright”

April 9, 2009 Dan Milliken 18

I swear I’ve heard this song somewhere before, but that’s probably just because every writer in Nashville already has a version of it. You know the jist: “I don’t need luxurious things, ’cause I got

Marcel, "Believin'"

April 6, 2009 Leeann Ward 8

It is no secret that I have an unexplainable soft spot for Marcel. His songs are often silly and his voice is unpolished, though irresistibly charming, but he is also capable of turning a phrase.

Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin'”

April 5, 2009 Dan Milliken 8

One of the saddest things about the infamous “soccer mom soundtrack” mentality driving Music Row – whereby most singles are picked specifically because they require no real cognitive processing on your drive home from work – is how it scares most artists away from attempting any stylistic variety.

Thank goodness Lee Ann Womack is not one of them. In an era where “Stay” and “More Like Her” are considered risky radio releases simply for being un-chipper acoustic ballads that aren’t by Taylor Swift or a dude, Womack has gone ahead and picked a slow-burning lounge number about holing up in a bar and feeling sorry for yourself. Atta girl.

Joe Nichols, “Believers”

April 3, 2009 Leeann Ward 3

Joe Nichols’ latest offering, “Believers”, makes a valiant effort to feel significant and inspirational. Within its verses, the song tells three stories of people who display faith in various ways: A hundred people demonstrating for