A good example of the youthful, current sound is "Feelin' It," a hook-filled arena-ready sing-a-long summer song (written by Scotty's producer Frank Rogers and Christian Music star Matthew West). It remains country and McCreery's strong Baritone voice works well with these kinds of songs as well as they do on strong ballads like "Feel Good Summer Song," a song which is nothing like the title of the song would suggest. The lyrics to this haunting mid-tempo song speak about the very real feeling we all get when we break-up with someone and every song on the radio continues to remind us of the relationship. Another strong ballad on the record is "The Dash," a song written by LoCash Cowboys' Preston Brust and Kyle Jacobs (Kellie Pickler's husband). It's a song that wouldn't be outta place on a George Strait album and it's a song about enjoying your life to the fullest because we never know how long that will last.
Scotty also participates on some of the songwriting on this record as the co-writer of "See You Tonight" and four more of the albums 13 tracks (a baker's dozen). "Now" is one of these tracks and it feels like a party is about to break-out and that makes for a strong album opener. "Can You Feel It" allows Scotty to showcase his baritone vocal on a song written with Zach Crowell and Ashley Gorley, while "I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend" may the most musically interesting of any of the songs on this record. It's an inviting melody that helps the chorus deliver the sentiment in the title. "Something More" finds Scotty singing a song many will relate to as it talks about wanting to hear more songs on his radio than just hook-filled summer songs about trucks, dirt roads and beer.
What may be 'funny' to some is that See You Tonight has plenty of those summer songs he mentions in "Something More," and that's perfectly fine, especially when they're modern 'Hoedowns' like "Buzzin'" and songs like "Get Gone With You" and "Blue Jean Baby," a song which could very well be the modern "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" in both spirit and jovial sound. Scotty's very proud of his home state of North Carolina and he sings about home with "Carolina Moon," a fiddle-filled, traditional ballad (nearly bluegrass and featuring Alison Krauss on harmony vocals).
These songs all serve as a great balance to the hook-filled, radio-ready 'summer songs' that any mainstream artist must record in order for consistent radio success and they help to give the Album 'something more,' that something more that helps make albums worthy of being listened to from front to back and not just a collection of singles. The baker's dozen tracks that fill See You Tonight show a remarkable amount of growth and maturity for the young star. And See You Tonight showcases that Scotty McCreery is more than just a moderately talented guy who won a TV show. Like Carrie Underwood, he knows how to pick (and write) songs that suit him and if radio doesn't want to play the songs on this album, then they're just holding some sort of grudge because of where Scotty got his start, not because the music is good enough. That's because it clearly is.
0 Comments