November 19, 2012 I am and intensely curious person. When there's tons of hype over something, I have to see what it is all about. I read '50 Shades of Grey' and now I've watch 'Magic Mike'. Yet again, I found myself wondering what all the hype was about.
Aaron Lewis seems capable of landing a country music hit, if he'd only quit looking inward and begin looking outward. The longtime rocker's outlaw sensibilities and genuine love of the country lifestyle resonated with fans on 'Country Boy,' his most successful solo single to date. On 'Forever,' we hear all about the struggles of life on the road. The story is hardly something the average fan can attach themselves to.
The title of Dustin Lynch's new single 'She Cranks My Tractor' will make the country boys snicker, but in case someone doesn't quite get the joke, the song doubles back with line after line of gratuitous innuendo. It's a rowdy good time, one that ends just before the singer finds it necessary to spell out S-E-X.
The title track to Toby Keith's 'Hope on the Rocks' album shows the singer's genuine understanding of the nuanced relationships between bartenders and their regulars. But it's not just barkeeps that will relate to the ballad. Servers, liquor store clerks, the dry cleaner, radio DJs... anyone who provides a service and a set of open ears will appreciate his story.
With her second single, 'Whiskey,' Jana Kramer proves the vulnerability she showed on 'Why Ya Wanna' was no fluke. It's tough to turn away from her hurt, which on this song is aided by a tight lyric and sensible mix of pop and traditional country styling.
Toby Keith's new album 'Hope on the Rocks' is a loud and sudsy collection of songs about beer, barrooms, heartbreak... and beer. Much like a Saturday night out at your favorite watering hole, it's rowdy and fun, but difficult to remember the next morning.
How do you convince a skeptical country audience that you're country? You get Vince Gill to sing and play guitar on your first true country single. That's what Kelly Clarkson did with 'Don't Rush,' a song she'll perform at the CMA Awards on Nov. 1. The pairing is magic.
Two notes and two hand claps into the Band Perry's new single 'Better Dig Two' and one finds assurance that the sense of drama and danger the sibling trio infused into the best songs from their self-titled debut album will be back on album No. 2. Some ambient knocking combined with thin, haunting plucking make this song an instant soundtrack for Halloween. But it will likely have legs long after Oct. 31.
Thompson Square's new single 'If I Didn't Have You' is the fifth straight love song from the married country duo. While some may yearn for more varied subject matter from Keifer and Shawna Thompson, an easy argument could be made for the "If it ain't broke ..." philosophy of life and country music.
Lady Antebellum are practically built for Christmas albums. There's a Captain and Tennille quality to their partnership that's made hip by youth and intriguing subject matter. The trio's take on standards like 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' and 'Silent Night' are timeless, in that they could really be transported to any decade of country music. For them, covering yuletide hits is as easy as looking good.
