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Single Review: Terri Clark, “The One”

October 28, 2011 Ben Foster 4

Terri Clark’s new release “The One” retains many of the familiar features that have made Clark’s music so enjoyable. It has a pleasant restrained production arrangement, and a nuanced, sincere vocal performance, along with an interesting lyrical scenario with some clever turns of phrase.

What it’s missing is a good hook.

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Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, “Midnight in Montgomery”

October 23, 2011 Leeann Ward 3

If you’re looking for a genuinely spooky song for the Halloween season, look no further than Alan Jackson’s chilling “Midnight in Montgomery.”

From the very first strains of the downbeat acoustic guitar followed by the eerie steel intro, it’s evident that this is no typical country love song or drinking ditty. Instead, it’s set at Hank Williams’ grave at midnight whereupon the narrator, presumably Alan Jackson, sees Hank’s ghost.

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Retro Single Review: George Strait, “Let’s Fall to Pieces Together”

October 16, 2011 Dan Milliken 0

1984 | Peak: #1

One of those great country titles that says it all upfront.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of those country titles that carries an entire song. The melody here lands just shy of memorable, and ditto to the story, which never takes its characters deeper than their charming first encounter at the jukebox. (Instead it does that annoying second-verse thing where it just rephrases the chorus and spells out a few obvious inferences the listener has already made.)

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Single Review: Lauren Alaina, “Georgia Peaches”

October 13, 2011 Ben Foster 15

In sharp contrast with the sensitive balladry of “Like My Mother Does,” American Idol graduate Lauren Alaina does a total 360 with her follow-up release “Georgia Peaches” – a spunky, loud, in-your-face uptempo that’s all about the southern beauties who hail from the state of Georgia.

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Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, “Home Ain’t Where His Heart Is (Anymore)”

October 11, 2011 Ben Foster 4

1996 | #28

In the years after the release of Shania’s runaway success of an album The Woman In Me, she largely focused her creative efforts on relentlessly positive upbeat pop-country material, rarely delivering sorrowful country ballads.

But in listening to the ballads included on The Woman In Me, it’s easy to wish that Shania had offered a few more such efforts in following years. Country heartbreak was not a style that she did often, but it was definitely something that she could do well.

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