Country Universe

Single Review: Mandy Barnett featuring Alison Krauss, “Blue Blue Day”

February 21, 2014 Ben Foster 9

The awesomeness of this release has a definite air of inevitability. If Don Gibson wrote it, and Mandy Barnett and Alison Krauss sing it, it’s pretty hard to imagine it not being great.

Single Review: Thomas Rhett, “Get Me Some of That”

February 11, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 10

Better than it has any right to be.

The mind-numbingly dull lyric has nothing new to offer, with details that sound more like a pitch for an Axe commercial than an actual documentation of a realistic human experience. The band also phones it in, with nothing more distinctive than a Karaoke backing track.

Single Review: Tyler Farr, “Whiskey in My Water”

February 10, 2014 Sam Gazdziak 29

Tyler Farr’s debut single, “Redneck Crazy,” became a hit in spite of the fact that it was about a good ol’ country boy stalking his ex-girlfriend, along with public drunkenness, loitering and probably half a dozen other punishable offenses. As good ol’ country boys do when they get dumped.

Single Review: Frankie Ballard, “Helluva Life”

February 5, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 7

A surprisingly philosophical take on the “drinking in the country with a girl” theme that is apparently the only thing that new male artists are allowed to sing about.

Single Review: Jerrod Niemann, “Drink to That All Night”

February 5, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 24

Any time a country single not only reminds you of Rebecca Black’s “Friday”, but also falls short of it in charm and vocal delivery, something has gone horribly wrong.

Single Review: Nickel Creek, “Destination”

February 3, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 5

Unless the Dixie Chicks suddenly decide to put out some new music, Nickel Creek just nailed down the title for most exciting reunion of the year. In February.

Single Review: Dierks Bentley, “I Hold On”

February 3, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 5

Dierks Bentley has done a lot of growing up since his young man’s anthem, “What Was I Thinkin'”, launched him to stardom.

Single Review: Hunter Hayes, “Invisible”

February 2, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 23

Hunter Hayes scored a killer Grammy performance slot to debut this song, which has all of the necessary components to become a career record.

Showing solidarity with the outcasts in high school halls is as timely as ever, and his youth helps him be the ideal vessel for the heartwarming message. There are moments which come perilously close to the maudlin, with shades of Billy Gilman’s “One Voice” or the Mark Wills hit, “Don’t Laugh at Me.” Thankfully, he’s sounding a lot more like a young Keith Urban than a young Bryan White, and the song is just vague enough that it can become a personal anthem for pretty much anyone who feels unnoticed or noticed in all the wrong ways.

Single Review: Brantley Gilbert, “Bottoms Up”

February 2, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 4

A month of single reviews into 2014, I’ve never been more aware of just how many songs there really are about partying with a girl out in the country.

2014 ACM Nominations

January 29, 2014 Ben Foster 29

Having had just enough time to catch our breath after the Grammys, we now find ourselves gearing up for ACM season. This year’s Academy of Country Music Award nominees have just been announced today. Not surprisingly, this year’s nominees are wildly uneven, with “bro country” scoring ample representation. Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw lead with seven nominations each.