At first, I was uncertain about what to think of a song with a title like "Giddy On Up," sung by a Broadway actress making a crossover to country. Never mind that she's signed to Mercury Nashville; the song's silly title and silly cover art (Bundy on one of those grocery store kiddie-ride horses) suggested a high frivolity factor. It didn't even take twenty seconds for my expectations to be exceeded.
The song starts off pleasantly with a driving, bouncing, banjo-heavy riff, somehow leading into a funky bass line and a few brass blasts without sounding disjointed. Her voice is twangy, sassy and playful as she gives her man the kiss-off through lyrics that are simple without being cringe-worthy: "Love, love, you let me down, let me down / No, you won't string me along / You better be moving on / Giddy on up, giddy on out." At times, her phrasing comes off as a cross between Dolly Parton and Jennifer Nettles. And somehow, we've ended up with what has to be the first song in any genre to name-drop Bath & Body Works. This isn't your mama's cheatin' song, but it certainly isn't bad.
"Giddy On Up" is certainly better than its title and cover art indicate. Bundy seems to have a handle on both her singing and songwriting (she wrote the song with Jeff Cohen and Mike Shimshack). While there has been no shortage of songs in this same vein, it has a different enough sound to stand out in a nearly saturated market, but it's still radio-friendly enough to have significant pull as a hit.
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