Yeah, it feels like it's that time again. You know that the time of the year where the good-time party tunes give way to more mellow tunes and ballads. It's a trend that usually always happen but sometimes the songs aren't as good as the season will hope. Can any of these songs become 2012's "The House That Built Me?" Let's find out.
Joanna Smith - "We Can't Be Friends"
This song has already proven to be a hit at secondary radio stations (smaller towns and markets) and now it's finding its way to the big leagues and cities. A moody, brooding story song about a woman and guy who are oil and water to each other yet to somehow seem to end up in the "Friends With Benefits" zone. This is a beautifully performed song and not dissimilar from the great stuff Sunny Sweeney has released. When I talked about country artists taking more chances with traditionalist fare in my editorial [read here], this is one of songs I had in mind.
JT Hodges - "Sleepy Little Town"
Folks always say they want something different and that's what we get here. Written by Lee Thomas Miller and Chris Stapleton, "Sleepy Little Town" is a sweet little number which find the artist singing about the virtues (good and bad) about a small town and the people who live in the town. It's an unflinching story song told over a contemporary melody with interesting guitar work (from Kenny Greenberg, Tom Bukovac & Greg Droman) and a percussive radio ready beat that certainly should help it become the break-out hit one of the most unique artists to hit country music
Kix Brooks - "Bring It On Home"
I really liked "New To This Town," Kix Brooks debut single which touched the Top 35. The star is set to release New To This Town album, his first release since parting ways with Ronnie Dunn and like Dunn, his music isn't necessarily going to make the hits that they had as a duo. Sometimes, no matter how well-written the song is (which this one is), two voices work better together than apart (Big & Rich come to mind as well). Clearly that's the case with Kix, whose voice is an acquired taste and that alone makes this one likely to scrape the Top 40 but struggle to do much, if anything else.
The Farm - "Be Grateful"
Now here's a lyrical gem that fits not only traditioanl country music's mindset but also our modern times. Written by Rodney Clawson and Marc Beeson (and one of the band's few outside tracks on their self-titled debut), "Be Grateful" is a song which showcase all three vocalists in this band (Nick Hoffman first, Krista Marie second and Damien Horne third) as they sing a story of hardship and in a lot of ways it's similar to Ronnie Dunn's great "Cost Of Livin'" but instead of that song talking about the bad things and complaining, this song has a little more hopeful outlook in that works to remind us of the good things we have in our life ("every time you think you got it bad, you can find someone who has got it worse/all those things you take for granted now, theey started out as blessings first...if you're strong and able, be grateful"). This could and should be the band's breakthrough hit after their Top 15 "Home Sweet Home" put them on the map.
Bart Crow "Little Bit Of Luck"
Bart's been building up a strong career in Texas and now is working with Pat Green's band member Justin Pollard on the upcoming Dandelion and like other stars who crossed from Texas to Mainstream, including Pat, Wade Bowen and Eli Young Band, Bart Crow retains the DYI Texas work ethic while also showcasing a brilliant blend of country and rock that feels ready for prime time. Vocally he's unique with a little "Gary Allan" swagger and the lyrics are stone country relationship material.
Thomas Rhett - "Beer With Jesus"
Brad Paisley once said that country music was unafraid to sing songs about cancer and Jesus and Thomas Rhett's the latest artists to come through with a song about Jesus, or rather about a guy wanting to sit and pick Jesus' brain about the strong questions ("How did you turn the other cheek to save a sorry soul like me," etc.). This song absolutely redeems him from the clumsy ditty that was "Soemthing To Do With Your Hands" which I liked at first but then found grating after time. Still, it could be a tough road ahead for Thomas Rhett if this interesting albeit done before lyric doesn't help break him out with radio.
Craig Morgan - "More Trucks Than Cars"
Let's just forget that "Corn Star" ever happened, shall we? Clearly it was fun to sing and played well to a live crowd but not every song works well in a radio context and with Tim McGraw gaining the 'wink wink, nod nod' vote with "Truck Yeah," Craig smartly moves onto the much, much, MUCH better song in "More Trucks Than Cars." This is a song we can whole-heartedly get behind and while it does mention trucks, it does this more as a plot device for what 80% of North America is, a land of pick-up trucks because, honestly, they're more utilitarian than a traditional car (says the guy who drives a Euro-style hatchback). It's an ode to small town life and one of Craig Morgan's best vocals since "That's What I Love About Sundays."
Jordan Anderson - "Key To My Heart"
A 20 year old singer/songwriter working with Dolly Parton's producer Kent Wells, Jordan Anderson has a whole lot of talent and this song (Written with Rob Crosby) recalls earlier Taylor Swift in it's tight hooks but the vocals are a little more cleaner and recall late 1990s/early 2000s artists like Jennifer Day, Jenny Simpson and Meredith Edwards. Whether Anderson can steer clear of those one and done artist's fate remains to be seen.
Clinton Gregory - "Too Much Ain't Enough"
Take one listen to this song [here] and you know you're listening to a country song that should be able to contend with anything on mainstream country radio. It's not so traditional that it feels out of place next to mainstream's more 'trendy' songs but it's clearly a country song that also has a story that's relatable and one that's on par with stuff from Brad Paisley and It's such a great song that if Clinton Gregory can't score a hit with the song, then by God some traditionalist who CAN get on the air should cut the song. It's that good.
Randy Houser - "How Country Feels"
One of Country Music's best vocalists took some time to rearrange things in his life. Not only did he change his look a little bit (the hair is cleaner and more 'stylized') and change his record label but he also got married and is a new father. His music has more often than not had an edge of rock to it so it's not a surprise to hear that sound come through on "How Country Feels." While there's a rockin' feel to the song, it's no more rocking than anything else on Mainstream country radio and the catchy pop hooks are evident here as well. What then, grounds the song to Country Music? Well, it's the way that guitar is played in the solo, the lyrics and of course Randy's natural Mississippi twang. "How Country Feels" is a vibrant, mainstream country song and if this is what it takes to have one of Country Music's talented singer/songwriters continuing to make music, I don't mind for I know his albums will have great stuff like "Anything Goes" and "In God's Time."
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