Florida-Georgia Line "H.O.L.Y." Single Review

     There are a few things in life you can be sure of. The sun will come up in the morning, a politician will lie, and Florida-Georgia Line will put out a terrible song. Once again, the two biggest jokes of the genre have paired up to release another subpar, paint-by-numbers monstrosity that offends the ears of any sound-minded individual. The ambitiously titled “H.O.L.Y.” wants you to think it is a Contemporary Christian power ballad, but it is once again a farce. If there is one thing these meatheads are good at, it is pandering to the lowest common denominators of a genre in order to milk it for maximum profit. “H.O.L.Y.” is religious all right, but it is more aligned with hellfire and plagues rather than goodness and glory.

Tim McGraw "Humble And Kind" Single Review

     Tim McGraw has taken an unlikely role as the go-to guy for real country on the radio. During the mid 2000’s, he was one of the ones to draw the ire of most traditional fans. When he released “Truck Yeah”, he was squarely in the crossfires. However, after a string of strong singles, Tim has been quite the torch bearer for music of substance. His latest single, “Humble And Kind”, is no different. Once again Tim has released a great single to radio and had it perform well.

Eric Church "Record Year" Single Review

     Eric Church is at it again, releasing another great single to radio. His latest hit is “Record Year”, a well written sad song about the healing power of music. When Eric Church surprised everyone with an unannounced album drop last fall, many great songs were included. Right off the bat, this was the one I wanted to see released as a single. It has the “it factor”. “Record Year” continues Eric Church’s string of great songs and builds on his already impressive resume.

Zac Brown Band "Beautiful Drug" Single Review

     The Zac Brown Band is one of the most successful country groups of the modern era. They have sold out countless shows while sustaining great radio success. Most importantly, they have done all of this making mostly great country music that was often thought-provoking and poignant. Even their fun songs were interesting and fairly traditional. While Zac and the boys have always called themselves a southern rock band with strong country influences, they have always been one of the standard bearers for actual country music in the mainstream world. They were the ones to call out Luke Bryan and label “That’s My Kinda Night” as “the worst country song of all time”. Now, with the release of their latest album Jekyll + Hyde, The Zac Brown Band has sold out. Their latest single to country radio, “Beautiful Drug”, is an EDM driven disaster of a pop song, and not even worthy of one ounce of the word country.

Dierks Bentley "Riser" Single Review

     In 2015, country music has few ambassadors in the mainstream world.  George Strait and Alan Jackson are no longer relevant.  Traditional fans are looking for someone to show leadership in the genre.  While you won't hear Dierks speaking ill of his buddies in the genre, he will lead by example.  Dierks refuses to leave songs of substance on the cutting room floor.  Sure, he has "5-1-5-0" and "Drunk On a Plane", but those are peppered with "Say You Do", "Bourbon In Kentucky", and his latest, "Riser".  As the title cut of his current album, "Riser" is an anthem we can all get behind.

Carrie Underwood "Smoke Break" Single Review

     After spending some well-deserved time off with her first-born son, Carrie Underwood is back in the spotlight with her new single, “Smoke Break”. No one has ever denied that Carrie has one of the best, if not the best voice in country music history. She can sing anything and make it sound great. Throw in a cheerful disposition, stunning good looks, and a knack for crafting interesting songs and you have a bona-fide superstar. Carrie has it all. Lately she has been really bringing it hard with her song material, and “Smoke Break” is no exception. Carrie once again proves why she is the reigning queen of country music.

Cam "Burning House" Single Review



      Country radio has a female problem. This isn’t breaking news or a shocking development. Most country radio fans have realized for a while that if your name isn’t Miranda or Carrie, your chance at having a career at country radio is slim to none. Sure, Jana Kramer, Kacey Musgraves, and Mickey Guyton have had hits here and there, but nothing substantial. Kacey couldn’t even turn multiple CMA wins into a radio career. This is where Cam enters. Cam is a west coast singer who started out as a songwriter. Her single “Burning House” is setting the charts on fire right now. Can Cam spin this into a string of hits and make a name for herself? That remains to be seen, but for now, we can enjoy one of the best songs at country radio right now: “Burning House”.

The Band Perry "Live Forever" Single Review

     The Band Perry has been a pretty decent bright spot in the country music world the past few years.  Songs like "Better Dig Two" and "All My Life" were unique and fresh.  "Gentle On My Mind" was a great cover of a classic and a gutsy single release.  Of course, "If I Die Young" is a modern classic, one of the last truly great songs to be released to radio before the onslaught of crap took over.  Throw that out the window.  The Band Perry took any shred of credibility they had and chucked it out the window in favor of a generic pop train wreck.  "Live Forever" is pathetic, worthless, soul crushing garbage that qualifies as audio torture.

Turnpike Troubadours "Down Here" Single Review

     Back in 2012, I decided I wanted to start a country music blog.  I was inspired by some other great websites, but mostly I was inspired because I wanted to tell my friends about the great country music they were missing.  At the forefront of those thoughts were the Turnpike Troubadours.  These guys have been doing absolutely everything right in country music, and this site was a way to tell people about them and so many others.  So if you love (or hate) my ramblings, you can thank (or blame) these guys for a large part of the inspiration behind it.  Well, finally, the guys have released some music and I can review it.  "Down Here" is the lead single from their self-titled album due out in September. As usual, "Down Here" finds the guys making great country music that is fresh and fun.

Keith Urban "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" Single Review

     Oh boy.  Where do we even begin?  Keith Urban has been toeing the line between country and pop for years now, but he managed never to offend too strongly or ruffle too many feathers.  Sure, a hardcore Waylon fan probably doesn't enjoy "Kiss A Girl", but they don't go out of their way to criticize him like they would Luke Bryan or Florida-Georgia Line.  Perhaps it is his easy-going attitude, his encyclopedia-like knowledge of traditional country, or his commitment to the Country Music Hall Of Fame.  Whatever it is, Keith has managed to find his niche in the country music world to little dissonance.  Well, Keith better be prepared, because his new single is going to get some traditional fans hot and bothered.  "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" is a jumbled, incoherent, ill-conceived mess of a song that isn't interesting, isn't smart, and isn't country.  

Thomas Rhett "Crash & Burn" Single Review

     Do you like Bruno Mars?  I know I do.  His smooth vocals and throwback arrangements are bringing new life to the classic Motown Sound of the late 60's and 70's.  His brand of pop is exactly the kind of stuff I can get behind and promote as pop music that is artistic, fun, and worthwhile.  I am a big Bruno Mars fan.  He is a lot of things, but one thing he absolutely is not is country.  Thomas Rhett did not get that memo.  In his latest attempt to jump on any trend possible to make a buck, Thomas Rhett has decided that he is a soul singer who lost his way.  "Crash And Burn" is the latest in a long line of country singles that prove that our genre has completely lost its identity.

Luke Bryan "Kick The Dust Up" Single Review

      The past few months have seen a significant downturn in the amount of bro-country being thrown mercilessly at our tender eardrums. With the exception of the clueless Florida-Georgia Line, most artists have learned that the public has grown tired of the party that never ends from artists who never grow up. Apparently, Luke Bryan missed the memo. After announcing his latest Spring Break EP would be is last, there were thoughts that maybe he was finally going to attempt to put out some songs of substance as he did on his first two albums. We were wrong. Luke’s new single is an uninspired, unoriginal, and unbalanced mess that further pushes the genre towards irrelevancy. 

Kacey Musgraves "Biscuits" Single Review

     Kacey Musgraves has brought her unique style back to country radio again with her newest single, “Biscuits”. While much of her music has brought her critical appeal and awards, she has yet to have a big smash hit that eclipses the charts. Maybe country radio just isn’t quite ready for her unapologetic attitude and twangy arrangements. “Biscuits” fits firmly in line with the rest of her material, which in reality, is what makes and breaks this song.

Sam Hunt "Take Your Time" Single Review

     I have yet to take on the newest problem facing country music, Sam Hunt. I’ve been hoping that if I ignored him enough, this stupid EDM craze would fade into obscurity. I’m still confident it will, but not before it further erodes the traditions of country music. While I do think that, overall, true country music is beginning to step back into the forefront, there are a few leftover pop wannabes that can hold up the inevitable change. Sam Hunt is the biggest of those hurdles. With his latest single shooting up the charts, he is one of the top dogs in mainstream country right now. His video for that single, “Take Your Time”, was just released to much fanfare. While it has the mainstream dolts heaping praises on him, I find it a pathetic and shameless plug to gain attention. Be impressed all you want, but I refuse to be patronized.

Love & Theft "Whiskey On My Breath" Single Review

       Love & Theft have been the epitome of what Nashville has been looking for lately: two nice looking guys who look edgy enough to get girls to swoon, but still safe enough to take home to mama. They haven’t put out any music that was incredibly inspiring, but they haven’t had anything too terribly offending either. In all honesty, that’s almost like a win when you look at some of Nashville’s worst. All that has changed now. Love & Theft’s latest has all the makings of a modern classic. If you haven’t heard “Whisky on My Breath” yet, you are missing out.

Sunny Sweeney and Will Hoge "My Bed" Single Review

 

     Sunny Sweeney is one of the most talented female artists out there, and Will Hoge is one of the most talented men. Put them together and you get one heck of a song. Sunny Sweeney released one of the best albums of 2014 with Provoked, and “My Bed” was one of the most engaging tracks on the stellar collection. Following in the footsteps of Johnny and June, George and Tammy, and Conway and Loretta, Sunny and Will have created a duet that is honest, heartfelt, and will stand the test of time.

Kip Moore "I'm To Blame" Single Review

      Kip Moore may have broken onto the scene with one of the worst bro-country anthems on record, “Somethin’ Bout A Truck”, but he has proven to have a little something more than your average frat-boy country star. Songs like “Mary Was The Marrying Kind” and “Hey Pretty Girl” were solid efforts that showed off his artistic merit. Now, Kip is back with his latest single, “I’m To Blame”. In another solid outing, Kip is making sure we don’t judge our country artists by one hit, because he has a lot to offer.

Mickey Guyton "Better Than You Left Me" Single Review

      Mickey Guyton is certainly living the dream right now. This Texan has a new single getting a lot of airplay and even more buzz for its cool, throwback sound. As far as debut singles go, this is as good as they get. “Better Than You Left Me” is the breezy, cool, intelligent country-pop that is sorely missing from the radio. Like Lee-Ann Rimes and Patsy Cline before her, Mickey is making soulful country very hip again.

Zac Brown Band "Homegrown" Single Review

     The Zac Brown Band is easily at or near the top of the line of mainstream country music. Since their debut record, The Foundation, they have been writing and recording some of the best songs in music and putting on a rip-roaring live show. The most interesting thing is that Zac Brown and the boys make all this music that is very well received by traditional fans, and they don’t even claim to be a country band! They consider themselves a southern rock band with strong country influences. Their latest single, “Homegrown”, takes on that southern rock image straight on, but keeps its country sound. This should be a big hit for the Zac Brown Band.

Dierks Bentley "Say You Do" Single Review

     Don't let "Drunk On A Plane" fool you.  Dierks Bentley's latest album, Riser, is a very deep and introspective record.  Throughout the entirety of his career, Dierks has done an excellent job of mixing thought-provoking songs with the laid back songs.  He is still at it with his latest.  "Say You Do" is a sad, heartfelt song with no happy ending and no party.  I've said it before, but it needs to be repeated: when it comes to mainstream country, few do it better than Dierks Bentley.