Kenny Chesney – “Live a Little”
“Live a Little,” the third single from Kenny’s current album Hemingway’s Whiskey, is a safe and predictable up-tempo with a simple message: “Live a little, love a lot…. Have some fun.” Sound familiar? Possibly because half of Kenny’s hit catalog trumpets that same message? Or because the melody sounds like a carbon copy of “Keg…Read More
Thompson Square – “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”
Husband and wife duo Thompson Square is a new duo on country radio, but not actually a new duo in Nashville. Keifer and Shawna Thompson have been married for 11 years now, living in Nashville for the better part of the past decade. At first they worked as solo artists and honed their songwriting skills. Eventually, they…Read More
Ronnie Dunn – “Bleed Red”
Ronnie Dunn has one heck of a good singing voice. That much is made obvious by one listen to any of those platinum selling Brooks & Dunn records. Ronnie’s first post-Brooks & Dunn single finds him still in fine voice. “Bleed Red” is a pop-infused power ballad that calls for world peace and reconcilation of makind. …Read More
Billy Currington – “Let Me Down Easy”
“There’s a little moonlight dancing on the sand,” sings Billy Currington in the opening line of “Let Me Down Easy”, the 2nd single from Billy’s Enjoy Yourself album. Have we heard these words before? Maybe not exactly, but I can’t help but feel some déjà vu, almost as if I’m listening to the sequel of…Read More
Keith Urban – Without You
This is a slightly modified version of the review of Keith Urban’s new single, “Without You,” originally published as part of a review of the Get Closer album back in November. Our format for the review is an exchange between Dev G and yours truly, JN, in which we both write at some length about the song….Read More
Sara Evans – “A Little Bit Stronger”
After a few delays, we finally have new music on the way from the lovely and talented Sara Evans. Her sixth studio album Stronger is slated for a March 8 release date, and the lead single “A Little Bit Stronger” (which also appears on the Country Strong soundtrack) has already gone on to become Sara’s first…Read More
Steel Magnolia – Steel Magnolia
The second-season winners of CMT’s Can You Duet kick off their self-titled debut album with some fun and catchy fluff. Despite a title that immediately screams “ditty,” “Ooh La La” is actually pretty good fluff, with a sprightly banjo line and some flirty interplay between members Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey. Top Five debut…Read More
Keith Urban – Put You In A Song
Put You In A Song’s going to move to #2 on the chart next week, and it’s getting a lot of support right now. Rather than write a new review, I’m going to reproduce the relevant section of this site’s review of the album, Getting Closer, written a couple of months ago. You can read…Read More
Jerrod Niemann – What Do You Want
Releasing What Do You Want as the follow-up to Niemann’s big #1 Lover, Lover was a smart move, showcasing his remarkable range – both vocal and emotional. He told me here that it wasn’t a difficult choice, given the positive feedback the song had generated on the net. But I think it was risky, offering…Read More
Sunny Sweeney – From A Table Away
It’s hard to think of a singer whose chart debut sounds more solid than this one. In From A Table Away, Sunny Sweeney combines strong vocals with just the right tone, giving her a traditional country hit with strong emotional impact. It’s not as if Sweeney found her way to Billboard’s top 15 overnight. Her…Read More
