Single Reviews – Page 57 – Country Universe

Single Review: Cassadee Pope, “Wasting All These Tears”

June 30, 2013 Ben Foster 8

While her pop-punk band remains on indefinite hiatus, former Hey Monday frontwoman Cassadee Pope attempts to re-start her career through the reality show strategy, having now been packaged into a country music star with a little help from The Voice. Her debut country single “Wasting All These Tears” is weighed down by problems that tend to be common among former reality show contestants, foremost among which is a failure to stay out of the way of the song.

Single Review: Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan, “I Know What You Did Last Night”

June 11, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 10

Great singers. Great title. Great song.

Would you expect anything less from a collaboration between Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan, especially one that has them officially being billed as Grits & Glamour?

Single Review: Keith Urban, “Little Bit of Everything”

May 31, 2013 Ben Foster 9

Keith Urban launches his upcoming new album Fuse with a little ditty called “Little Bit of Everything,” written by The Warren Brothers with pop singer-songwriter Kevin Rudolf.

Single Review: Kellie Pickler, “Someone Somewhere Tonight”

May 28, 2013 Ben Foster 8

A new chapter begins in Kellie Pickler’s career as she prepares to release her first music on her new record label Black River Entertainment. She kicks things off with a true beauty of a song with the Dave Raines – Walt Wilkins ballad “Someone Somewhere Tonight.”

Single Review: Jana Kramer, “I Hope it Rains”

May 26, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 6

The coolest thing “I Hope it Rains” has going for it is a piano melody that is mildly reminiscent of Bonnie Tyler’s cover of “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”

Single Review: Justin Moore, "Point at You"

May 16, 2013 Ben Foster 3

A song about a narrator whose woman completes him is a worthwhile concept, so long as one avoids pouring on the syrup. But in this case, the execution falls very flat.

Single Review: Hunter Hayes, "I Want Crazy"

May 11, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 7

Hunter Hayes just scored a decently big pop hit with “Wanted”, which was initially his first big country hit. Perhaps that’s why he’s taking a cue from the pop market, and re-releasing his first album in an expanded edition called (Encore) this summer.

Single Review: Chris Young, "Aw Naw"

May 11, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 8

It’s hard not to root for Chris Young. He can really sing and his music would sound identifiably country if it was released twenty years ago, making it sound like Hank Williams in comparison to what’s passing for it these days.

Single Review: Scotty McCreery, “See You Tonight”

April 24, 2013 Ben Foster 6

Scotty McCreery has stated in interviews that his main goal with his upcoming second album is to get a Top 10 radio hit. First single “See You Tonight” makes that goal a little too obvious.

Single Review: Lori McKenna, "Salt"

April 18, 2013 Kevin John Coyne 7

“Hearts don’t fly, but they can run like hell when they have to.”

Lori McKenna’s greatest gift as a writer is her ability to weave brilliantly constructed metaphors together with remarkably specific and quite often mundane details of small town, working class life.