Keith Urban - "Somewhere In My Car"

When I reviewed Keith Urban's Fuse, one of the major points I noted with that album was how the variety of producers managed to bring out a newness to Urban's signature style without alienating his strengths. But his last single, "Cop Car," must've been right on the very edge of what fans are willing to accept from him, as the "Car" ran out of gas at #8 (his lowest peak since his 1999 debut "It's a Love Thing," but still enough to keep his Top 10 streak intact). Indeed, "Cop Car" had simultaneously a more melancholy and more humorous feel than anything else he'd put before, easily making it one of my favorites for how truly different it was for him. Perhaps the decision to release "Somewhere in My Car" as the fourth single is an attempt to balance the more "out there" nature of "Cop Car," as "Somewhere" is probably the least "experimental" track on the album.

That said, "Somewhere in My Car" is by no means a tired retread, unlike, say, most of the Get Closer album. Sure, it has the guitar/ganjo interplay that he's so known for, but even that framework is tweaked slightly: the banjo has more of a chorus effect to it, and the guitar (especially on the solo) is more up-front and "dangerous" with its wah-wah effect. (If only Dann Huff were this creative with Rascal Flatts!) Likewise, the lyrical framework doesn't seem all that different at first glance — he's done many songs before about longing to be with the one he loves, and almost as many songs about cars — but "Somewhere" is more evocative and detailed, with lines such as "It's raining hard on the streetlight glow / You got your lips on mine, it's gasoline on fire…" Even the melody is tighter than usual, particularly the rapid-fire staccato near the end of the chorus.

Fuse as a whole showed that Keith Urban is willing to take a few creative risks. And while "Somewhere in My Car" isn't as risky as some of the album's other tracks, it nonetheless balances Keith's many strengths as an artist with enough variations to keep him still sounding fresh 15 years after his first (solo) chart entry. For that reason, it should have no trouble keeping his well-deserved Top 10 streak alive.