Eli Young Band- "Turn It On"

[rsmatto]

Feb 12, 2015 16:23:31 GMT -5 dm2081 said:

So all the songs on the EP will eventually be on the new album? If that's the case, then I'm not a fan of that tactic. Sam Hunt did the same thing, and IMO, the EP kind of killed the excitement for the album, seeing how there was only 5 songs on the album that we hadn't heard yet. I would prefer they just release an EP or Extended Play, and then work on new material for a full length album that won't have half retread songs on it.

This is becoming a more common practice. I look at the subsequent albums as continuations of the projects. Yes, you may have some of the songs but I prefer having new music like this than waiting six to 8 months for a full record (depending on the speed of an album release).

[sabre14]

Republic Nashville president Jimmy Harnen said in a recent talk with Music Row that they decided to get "Turn It On" and their new EP out as soon as possible (possibly sooner than they originally planned on). 

I think that's true to an extent but there obviously was planning to this given the new producers and writers with this EP (Copperman, Stover). I actually was expecting the single to drop in late spring or early summer rather than late winter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy Harnen - "We live in a time and place when fans are consuming music at a voracious pace as well as having a strong penchant for instant gratification. When we heard the fantastic cutting edge new music from EYB, our instinct was to get it out there to the fans as soon as possible."

Music Row

[Cody Wants Out...]

Ooh, a couple of GRE words in Harnen's quote! :o

All joking aside, I really hope this does well enough for them.

[sabre14]

Sent to radio this afternoon. The song is 2:46 in length.

[rsmatto]

Feb 23, 2015 15:07:44 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Sent to radio this afternoon. The song is 2:46 in length.

And it's damn catchy too. It does repeat "turn it off/turn it on" 3x each in the chorus. That'll annoy some I imagine. Also Mike Eli sounds different on this.

[sabre14]

Feb 23, 2015 15:24:56 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

Feb 23, 2015 15:07:44 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Sent to radio this afternoon. The song is 2:46 in length.

And it's damn catchy too. It does repeat "turn it off/turn it on" 3x each in the chorus. That'll annoy some I imagine. Also Mike Eli sounds different on this.

Unfortunately that's what I'm fearing. Some of that came from the clip I heard, but I remember my father (who's a huge EYB fan himself) saying the biggest problem he had with the song (or the part of it he heard) was that Mike Eli didn't sound like himself, which is not a good thing. I'm anxious to hear the EP in full to see if it's like that with all the tracks.

[Deleted]

According to Windmills Country, the audio is up at AllAccess so if someone with an account wants to provide a link...

[sabre14]

Studio version is up on All Access

My goodness, the production. Mike Eli's distinct version is really drowned out in the chorus. It is very catchy which might help them return to the top 10, but I agree with rsmatto that Mike Eli sounds different on this than ever. It's not bad but this is already towards the bottom of EYB's singles.

[rsmatto]

Feb 23, 2015 16:13:36 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Studio version is up on All Access

My goodness, the production. Mike Eli's distinct version is really drowned out in the chorus. It is very catchy which might help them return to the top 10, but I agree with rsmatto that Mike Eli sounds different on this than ever. It's not bad but this is already towards the bottom of EYB's singles.

I still like it a lot. Mike isn't drowned out so much as just sounding different than before, which can be explained by the new production team.

[Dustin J.]

I like this a lot...can't really pinpoint what it is I like about it...the melody definitely gets stuck in your head for a while after hearing it. It IS different from EYB's past stuff, especially production-wise.

[sabre14]

Feb 23, 2015 16:47:33 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

Feb 23, 2015 16:13:36 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Studio version is up on All Access

My goodness, the production. Mike Eli's distinct version is really drowned out in the chorus. It is very catchy which might help them return to the top 10, but I agree with rsmatto that Mike Eli sounds different on this than ever. It's not bad but this is already towards the bottom of EYB's singles.

I still like it a lot. Mike isn't drowned out so much as just sounding different than before, which can be explained by the new production team.

Perhaps the music and production in the chorus is causing Mike to sing at a different register than normal. I do think this is a catchy song, don't get me wrong, and I'm sure that Republic Nashville see's an opportunity to get them another big hit at radio and perhaps try and increase their sales, but it just sounds so much different than any of their music they've done in the past. I also think the faced paced lyrics don't particularly suit Mike's voice - but that's just my own personal assessment.

The melody is fine and I like the verses but the music and production in the chorus is far too loud to me. Of course that most likely means a hit at country radio in 2015...

[rsmatto]

For sure. It's definitely mixed high.

[codyj100]

Argh! I was really hoping to enjoy this. First, I guess I am not alone in the disappointment that they moved on from the 10,000 Towns era. However, moving on will be better for their momentum. To me, "Turn It On" is just bland. Mike does sound different, but I don't mind that so much as I do not like how overproduced this sounds. Maybe it will grow on me... I was hoping for something along the ballad side, that would be well received by radio. (I know we will probably never hear something close to "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" and I will have to get over that). On the other hand, I am intrigued as sabre14 mentioned, to hear what the rest of the EP sounds like. 

[kw9461]

(I had to do a re-write because my first take was a tad irrational...)

Listening to this just made me sad. EYB is my favorite act and has been since the magnificent Life At Best came out. It's hard to put into words how disappointing it is to hear a band I love so much release what is basically a bro-lite song. Mike Eli tries his damnest to save it (he still has the best voice in the biz IMO), but the lyrics are shallow and the production is awful. It's catchy (the chorus melody is extremely catchy even if the production's too loud), so I suppose it can do well on the charts, but 10,000 Towns was catchy as all get out with better lyrics and infinitely better production. I'm still excited for their new album, but I sincerely hope this is not indicative of their new material. EYB always stood out to me for how distinctive their sound was - there's not even a hint of that here. I'll probably grow to like this in time just because Mike Eli is singing it, but knowing how much better they can do, this still ranks as a colossal disappointment.

[carriekins]

Feb 23, 2015 23:13:28 GMT -5 kw9461 said:

(I had to do a re-write because my first take was a tad irrational...)

Listening to this just made me sad. EYB is my favorite act and has been since the magnificent Life At Best came out. It's hard to put into words how disappointing it is to hear a band I love so much release what is basically a bro-lite song. Mike Eli tries his damnest to save it (he still has the best voice in the biz IMO), but the lyrics are shallow and the production is awful. It's catchy (the chorus melody is extremely catchy even if the production's too loud), so I suppose it can do well on the charts, but 10,000 Towns was catchy as all get out with better lyrics and infinitely better production. I'm still excited for their new album, but I sincerely hope this is not indicative of their new material. EYB always stood out to me for how distinctive their sound was - there's not even a hint of that here. I'll probably grow to like this in time just because Mike Eli is singing it, but knowing how much better they can do, this still ranks as a colossal disappointment.

I literally could not have said it better.

[43dudleyvillas]

I seem to have had a slightly different "journey" with respect to this band than a lot of you, and it's one that would land me in the "Unpopular Opinions" thread. Eli Young Band wasn't much on my radar until they released "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," and after they did, it took me a little while to "forgive" them for it. You see, I was rather wedded to Will Hoge's original version of the song, and to me, his vocal has all the weight and lived-in character that the song deserves. Eli Young Band's version felt emotionally flat by comparison, and that song cemented my view that Mike Eli isn't much of a singer or interpreter. Anyway, over time, as it became clear that the song had put Will Hoge on the map in the mainstream country world (as a songwriter, if not as an artist himself), I came to not mind Eli Young Band's version of the song. Then when I checked out Life At Best, I was impressed by the album -- I thought it did a really good job of matching Mike Eli's everyman's voice to very good roots rock/red dirt-influenced songs about everyman struggles and imperfections (it still amazes me, and not in a good way, that "Say Goodnight" was chosen as a single over a song like "Skeletons").

When 10,000 Towns came out, I felt that it got away from the kind of identity that really suits Eli Young Band, and it made me think longingly of the market niche that would both play to Eli Young Band's strengths as a band and help them to stand out -- the kind reflected on "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," "Skeletons," "Every Other Memory," etc.. On 10,000 Towns, they were singing about relationships, moonlight dates, small town parties, and basically the kind of thing everyone else was singing about, instead of the kind of "life's journey"-type songs that could and did set them apart on their previous album. Musically, "Prayer for the Road" and "Dust" aside, the songs didn't give Eli Young Band much opportunity to impose a distinctive sonic stamp. And I personally think Mike Eli's voice is too reedy and his phrasing too uninteresting to elevate ordinary material, so I wasn't surprised that he wasn't able to there. I think that this explains why, despite "Drunk Last Night" being a good-sized hit in its own right, the album didn't sell. As for "Dust," although I personally preferred it to "10,000 Towns," I wouldn't argue with anyone who thought "10,000 Towns" would have been a bigger radio hit. But again, I don't think it would have really moved the needle for Eli Young Band, because it was not the kind of song that could gain them any separation from the already crowded small town party pack.

With the new single, Eli Young Band is just about doubling down on fitting in. I hear a poppier version of the kind of guitar work common to Eli Young Band's previous uptempo tunes, but I have second hand embarrassment hearing lyrics like "Damn girl" and "Ready to rock, standing here sippin' that Shiner Bock" from a band that has shown considerably more maturity and eloquence in the past. The lyrics don't scan well on the melody -- too many unnatural breaks of phrase built in. Mike Eli's voice sounds super-compressed, too, but hopefully that is just an audio quality issue. So could this be a radio hit? Sure. But will it do anything to separate the band from the pack, which I think needs to happen for them to gain a meaningful commercial and artistic foothold? No.

ETA: It doesn't help that I find phrases like "turn it on" and "burnin' it down," where "it" is entirely undefined, to be pretty lazy and annoying.
EATA: Just listened to "Skeletons" again. I really, really like that song.

[rsmatto]

I can see the disappointment one might have with this single. While I do think the mix of the track is a bit higher in the chorus (which is mostly where the rock producer-inspired influence comes into play in modern country radio singles) and how that makes it harder to hear Mike Eli's voice in there (as to the traditional country production style of having the lead voice always out in front over the music, no matter what it sounds like). That being said, I'm glad they're trying something different, even if it -- at first -- feels too different. I know in my car it sounded a whole lot better than via my smaller speakers or bluetooth sound bar. I'll try it out in my ear monitor and studio cans and see if the song sounds any different there too.

[phil1996]

The chorus is catchy, I think this will do pretty well. The "turn it on's" at the very end of the song are annoying though, as is the "damn girl" to start. So yeah, definitely not their best, but it's still better than a lot of songs on radio right now.

[tvoss20]

Feb 12, 2015 12:58:49 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

Cover Art

Songwriters: Mike Eli, James Young, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem
Produced by Ross Copperman and Jeremy Stover
Radio Impact Date: March 9.
EP Release Date: March 10
Ep Details here

That cover art is fantastic! I can't wait to hear this.

[sabre14]

Feb 26, 2015 10:50:12 GMT -5 tvoss20 said:

That cover art is fantastic! I can't wait to hear this.

The audio is on All Access in a link a few posts above.

[rbundy1987]

[dm2081]

Yikes, that was not very good upon first listen. There really wasn't anything thing memorable about it except for the slightly 80's sounding introduction. The production is getting pretty far away from country in my opinion, and the chorus really goes nowhere and isn't memorable. There's definitely a chance it could grow on me (many song tend to do so), but as of right now, I'm not a fan of this.

[LBTrocks]

Feb 23, 2015 15:24:56 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

Feb 23, 2015 15:07:44 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Sent to radio this afternoon. The song is 2:46 in length.

And it's damn catchy too. It does repeat "turn it off/turn it on" 3x each in the chorus. That'll annoy some I imagine. Also Mike Eli sounds different on this.

And of course that part is featured in the preview lol

I'm pretty sure I've heard this on the radio and liked it, but will have to reserve judgement until I hear it in full again.

[matty005]

Mar 3, 2015 9:52:28 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

Feb 23, 2015 15:24:56 GMT -5 rsmatto said:

And it's damn catchy too. It does repeat "turn it off/turn it on" 3x each in the chorus. That'll annoy some I imagine. Also Mike Eli sounds different on this.

And of course that part is featured in the preview lol

I'm pretty sure I've heard this on the radio and liked it, but will have to reserve judgement until I hear it in full again.

You can hear it in full two posts up. :)

[LBTrocks]

Mar 3, 2015 10:21:12 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Mar 3, 2015 9:52:28 GMT -5 LBTrocks said:

And of course that part is featured in the preview lol

I'm pretty sure I've heard this on the radio and liked it, but will have to reserve judgement until I hear it in full again.

You can hear it in full two posts up. :)

Thanks lol. I totally missed that

Anyway, yes, I do really love this one. Even the repeated lines in the chorus don't really bother me. They probably would if I didn't like the rest of the song so well. I'm not the biggest Eli Young Band fan, but they have a few songs that I really like and this is one of them. Hope it does well!

[Markus Meyer]

Just heard it today. Pretty underwhelming. It's ok, and I'm sure it will do well, but it's hardly anything great.

[cws3030]

I can't imagine their hardcore Texas fans liking this one bit.

[countrymusic20]

Mar 6, 2015 21:51:28 GMT -5 cws3030 said:

I can't imagine their hardcore Texas fans liking this one bit.

After having a few big main stream country radio hits, I'd guess EYB's original Texas music fan base is only a small percentage of their total fan base. Turn It On will be another huge radio hit for them.

[cws3030]

Mar 6, 2015 22:42:28 GMT -5 countrymusic20 said:

Mar 6, 2015 21:51:28 GMT -5 cws3030 said:

I can't imagine their hardcore Texas fans liking this one bit.

After having a few big main stream country radio hits, I'd guess EYB's original Texas music fan base is only a small percentage of their total fan base. Turn It On will be another huge radio hit for them.

I'd say that its a large % of their fan base and that you always want to super serve your most passionate fans. just my opinion on that. I know its a tough transition to co from Texas radio to FM. I love EYB, I always thought "When It Rains" should have been an FM hit for them from their Universal South days.

[sabre14]

"Turn It Up" is the most added song on MB this week with 49 first week adds.

Eric's song has already gotten a ton of early adds (52 the previous two weeks), so that's the reason he didn't take the honor this week.