Country Universe

Single Review: Little Big Town, "Pontoon"

April 29, 2012 Dan Milliken 12

This new Little Big Town single sounds cool. Surprise? Nah – they always sounded cool with Wayne Kirkpatrick producing, and new helmsman Jay Joyce brings the same quirky groove-sense he brought to Eric Church’s Chief. It’s a good sonic match.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Rock This Country!"

April 28, 2012 Ben Foster 1

2000 | #30

The eleventh single from Shania Twain’s Come On Over was one of the least successful in the U.S., barely scraping the bottom of the Top 30. This was due in part to a lack of promotion for the single, though it did go Top 5 in Twain’s native Canada. In some ways, “Rock This Country!” comes across as a standard Twain up-tempo – peppy, with a fun Mutt Lange-style pop-country production, but the lyrics are surprisingly flavorless.

Single Review: Keith Urban, “For You”

April 25, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 12

I want to like this a lot more than I actually do.

“For You” does well enough for what it is, even though the production is a bit overblown, in a Bryan Adams kinda way. Urban is typically sincere, and there are some good attempts at pathos.

Album Review: Marty Stuart, <i>Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down</i>

April 24, 2012 Ben Foster 4

Marty Stuart
Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down

The casual listener may remember Marty Stuart for the string of country radio hits he enjoyed in the late eighties and early nineties. However, Stuart’s legacy was cemented by groundbreaking projects released after his commercial heyday had drawn to a close, particularly 1999’s landmark The Pilgrim as well as 2010’s career-best effort Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions. Through such critically lauded work Stuart has built up a reputation as an elder statesman of country music, acting to preserve country music’s heritage and traditions, while simultaneously working to move the genre forward.

Single Review: George Strait, "Drinkin' Man"

April 22, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 17

More than thirty years into his legendary career, George Strait has released the most compelling single of his career with “Drinkin’ Man.”

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, "Something Like That"

April 18, 2012 Ben Foster 18

1999 | #1

You know what’s one of the best ways for a contemporary country song to worm its way into my heart? To display a mature and insightful perspective, or to tap into some universal truth, while dressing itself up with the catchiest of melodies and hooks.

Retro Single Review: Tim McGraw, "Please Remember Me"

April 15, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 10

1999 | Peak: #1

A lush and gorgeous ballad that is elevated by a Patty Loveless harmony vocal, this is arguably Tim McGraw’s finest moment on record.

Retro Single Review: Shania Twain, "Come On Over"

April 13, 2012 Ben Foster 4

1999 | #6

“Get a life, get a grip, get away somewhere, take a trip
Take a break, take control, take advice from someone you know

“Come on over, come on in
Pull up a seat, and take a load off your feet
Come on over, come on in
You can unwind, and take a load off your mind.”

Hmm. So the lyrics don’t seem to have a whole lot to say. The song is primarily simple series of feel-good platitudes.

Single Review: Edens Edge, "Too Good to Be True"

April 11, 2012 Ben Foster 3

Emerging with the slow-blooming Top 20 debut single “Amen” last year, Arkansas trio Edens Edge introduced themselves to the country audience as one of the genre’s brightest and most refreshing new talents. Their follow-up release “Too Good to Be True” lacks the distinct lyrical freshness that made “Amen” a winner, but continues to showcase the group’s unique, left-of-center musical style.

100 Greatest Men: #56. Bobby Bare

April 9, 2012 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List

With a career that has spanned seven decades, Bobby Bare’s body of work has made him one of the genre’s most influential and critically acclaimed recording artists.