David Nail - "I'm a Fire"

[.indulgecountry]

1. "Whatever She's Got" (Jimmy Robbins, Jon Nite) 3:55
2. "Broke My Heart" (Scooter Carusoe, David Nail, Jonathan Singleton) 3:16
3. "Burnin' Bed" (Brandy Clark, Bob DiPiero, Shane McAnally) 3:38
4. "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" [featuring Little Big Town] (Carusoe, Brett Eldredge) 3:42
5. "Brand New Day" (Carusoe, McAnally, Nail) 4:44
6. "Kiss You Tonight" (David Cook, Jay Knowles, Trent Summar) 3:51
7. "The Secret" (Carusoe, Nail) 4:21
8. "Countin' Cars" (Michael Dulaney, Lee Thomas Miller, Neil Thrasher) 2:52
9. "Easy Love" (Miller, Nail) 3:21
10. "I'm a Fire" (Tom Douglas, Jaren Johnston) 4:05
11. "Galveston" [duet with Lee Ann Womack] (Jimmy L. Webb) 3:11

You can stream I'm a Fire on Spotify: play.spotify.com/album/53ljIT3F5IV2YP0fVdlSGo

---

Let's talk about how amazing this record is!

[zjames]

The Secret is an absolutely beautiful ballad. I'll post a lot more tomorrow when I have more time.

[joey2002]

"The Secret" is definitely a standout track... such a powerful song.


Looks like you can also listen to the full album currently on youtube:

[carriefan15]

Listening right now! "Broke My Heart" sounds like a good late summer/early fall single!

[Dustin J.]

Aside from the two singles, the duet with LBT is my early favorite...would love to see that one as the third single.

[layne]

Definitely not disappointed. I think David Nail and Christ Stapleton are the best voices in the Genre right now. I would to see David become a huge star but I think it will be tough in the current listening climate.

[Kentucky25]

Love this album. Very good. I personally love "The Secret", "Counting Cars", and "Burning Bed". I really don't see another album overthrowing this as my #1 for this year.

To layne, I'm from the same city as Chris Stapleton and he's played numerous shows here and his voice is one of the best I have ever heard period. Been a true blessing to get to hear him in small venues and such. Got to speak to him about his songwriting after the first show, very nice and cool guy.

[Deleted]

Mar 5, 2014 10:25:56 GMT -5 layne said:

I think David Nail and Christ Stapleton are the best voices in the Genre right now.

We definitely need a country music Jesus to come and save us all! ;)

I think David has a great voice as well and I like this album quite a bit, although I haven't really let it sink in just yet (I really only listened last night as I was drifting off to sleep...will have more time later). The only complaint I had was that some of the songs seemed to be a bit overproduced but I also felt that at times about the EYB album (which, aside from some overproduction, is stellar).

Early favorites on David's album include "Broke My Heart", "When They're Gone (Lyle County)", and "Counting Cars".

ETA:

HITS forecast:

David Nail (MCA Nashville) 19-22k

That's not horrible but I was expecting something in the 30-35k range or so. HITS has EYB opening with 24-27k and I was also expecting about 35k for them. Hopefully both albums can produce a couple hits and have some longevity.

[14887fan]

He is the best contemporary male Country artist today. I refuse to believe any other male tops him in all rounds -- vocals, musical quality, lyrics, instrumentation, performance value, emotional output, etc. This album is so, incredibly exemplary of that.

"The Secret" is one of the finest songs he's put on record to date, and that says a lot coming from the guy that's given us such amazing gems as "Mississippi", "The Sound of A Million Dreams", "That's How I'll Remember You", "Clouds", etc. I really can't find a weak spot on this album. It's a shame that it won't see a larger first-week opening, but I hope this album manages to have some legs. I wouldn't change a thing about this album. His three career studio albums are the perfect trifecta.

Other standouts -- "When They're Gone (Lyle County)", "Counting Cars", "Broke My Heart", and "Galveston"

I can't single out a "weakest" or "least favorite."

[mylifeback]

Just listened to this and love it - every song is fantastic. David's got a voice that's very easy to listen to.

Will be buying this one.

[matty005]

Mar 5, 2014 16:35:08 GMT -5 14887fan said:

He is the best contemporary male Country artist today. I refuse to believe any other male tops him in all rounds -- vocals, musical quality, lyrics, instrumentation, performance value, emotional output, etc. This album is so, incredibly exemplary of that.

"The Secret" is one of the finest songs he's put on record to date, and that says a lot coming from the guy that's given us such amazing gems as "Mississippi", "The Sound of A Million Dreams", "That's How I'll Remember You", "Clouds", etc. I really can't find a weak spot on this album. It's a shame that it won't see a larger first-week opening, but I hope this album manages to have some legs. I wouldn't change a thing about this album. His three career studio albums are the perfect trifecta.

Other standouts -- "When They're Gone (Lyle County)", "Counting Cars", "Broke My Heart", and "Galveston"

I can't single out a "weakest" or "least favorite."

I don't think I've ever agreed with you word for word ever before! :) You said it perfectly!

My feelings about this album are exactly the same (and it's the same regarding his other albums too).

I can't see an album topping this for me this year. I love "The Secret" but am still confused about some parts of it (who's baby is it? who does he shake hands with at the funeral?) and Counting Cars the most, but that could change because this album is that good.

[.indulgecountry]

This album is just flawless. All three of his records have been phenomenal outputs and he continues to keep his distinct style, but I love that this record is a bit more uptempo than his last two. It's hard to play favorites because there's no songs that I dislike, but "Brand New Day" stands out to me the most. That one is definitely my favorite track on the album. It has a great melody and the harmony vocals from Lee Ann Womack's daughter are just beautiful. A little long so it may need an edit, but I'd love to hear that one on the radio.

Other standouts for me include "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" -- because anything with LBT harmonies automatically has a good thing going for it -- "The Secret," and "Kiss You Tonight."

It's unfortunate it won't open with better sales, but David Nail is continuing to trend upward as far as his career is concerned, so I have hope that he'll get the success he deserves in the future.

[zjames]

I had a lot written, but my computer crapped out on me so here's the gist:

There's not a weak song on the album.

Standout Tracks
The Secret: beautiful, my favorite song of 2014 so far
When They're Gone (Lyle County): catchy as hell
Burnin' Bed: David sounds amazing, fantastic
Countin' Cars: awesome

[Kentucky25]

Mar 5, 2014 17:23:48 GMT -5 matty005 said:

I don't think I've ever agreed with you word for word ever before! :) You said it perfectly!

My feelings about this album are exactly the same (and it's the same regarding his other albums too).

I can't see an album topping this for me this year. I love "The Secret" but am still confused about some parts of it (who's baby is it? who does he shake hands with at the funeral?) and Counting Cars the most, but that could change because this album is that good.

My interpretation of the lyrics is that he was asking the woman (now deceased) to leave the man that was abusing her ("swollen eyes") and she won't because she's pregnant with the abusive man's child and doesn't want the child to grow up without it's birth child.  I believe the narrator goes up and shakes the abusive man's hands.  I assume the "secret" is that the narrator knew she was abused and she was able to hide it from everyone else. Though that's not necessarily an airtight interpretation.  At first, I took the song as the narrator having an affair with the woman who died and she decided that it was the other man's because she was committed to him (the "couldn't get pass the shame" line).

Though I imagine how amazing a music video would be if it was the narrator's child and in the end when he's shaking the man's hand he shakes the hand of a little boy/girl that looks like him. How gut-wrenching would that be?

Hope this makes some sense and helps clarify the song a little.  Truly it's what you get out of it more so with these kinds of songs imo.

[matty005]

Mar 5, 2014 21:04:36 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

Mar 5, 2014 17:23:48 GMT -5 matty005 said:

I don't think I've ever agreed with you word for word ever before! :) You said it perfectly!

My feelings about this album are exactly the same (and it's the same regarding his other albums too).

I can't see an album topping this for me this year. I love "The Secret" but am still confused about some parts of it (who's baby is it? who does he shake hands with at the funeral?) and Counting Cars the most, but that could change because this album is that good.

My interpretation of the lyrics is that he was asking the woman (now deceased) to leave the man that was abusing her ("swollen eyes") and she won't because she's pregnant with the abusive man's child and doesn't want the child to grow up without it's birth child.  I believe the narrator goes up and shakes the abusive man's hands.  I assume the "secret" is that the narrator knew she was abused and she was able to hide it from everyone else. Though that's not necessarily an airtight interpretation.  At first, I took the song as the narrator having an affair with the woman who died and she decided that it was the other man's because she was committed to him (the "couldn't get pass the shame" line).

Though I imagine how amazing a music video would be if it was the narrator's child and in the end when he's shaking the man's hand he shakes the hand of a little boy/girl that looks like him. How gut-wrenching would that be?

Hope this makes some sense and helps clarify the song a little.  Truly it's what you get out of it more so with these kinds of songs imo.

I was thinking it was an affair and that was the secret. And the child she was carrying was the narrator's (carrying your child with another man's name). I really want David to explain this song because I am absolutely addicted and fascinated by it.

Thanks for your feedback! Do you think the reason she died is because of the abusive husband?

[.indulgecountry]

Roughstock talked about "The Secret" a little in their album review:

Another ballad, “The Secret,” which may also be one of the best songs I’ve ever heard David Nail sing, finds the singer telling a story of a first love who chose to stay home and marry a different man (an abusive man who ultimately kills her) while David’s narrator moved on. It’s set up around her funeral and it’s exactly the kind of song radio should want to play but it may be both too heavy and too ‘slow’ (though it’s still not super slow) for them to play in this current climate. The song was written by David with Scooter Carusoe.

www.roughstock.com/reviews/album-review-david-nail-i-m-a-fire

[Kentucky25]

Mar 5, 2014 21:18:52 GMT -5 matty005 said:

I was thinking it was an affair and that was the secret. And the child she was carrying was the narrator's (carrying your child with another man's name). I really want David to explain this song because I am absolutely addicted and fascinated by it.

Thanks for your feedback! Do you think the reason she died is because of the abusive husband?

I do think it's possible, though I am kind of confused as to where the child is at the funeral scene.  Because if it's the narrator's (I'm gonna switch to David, for laziness' sake), child and it was killed when the mother passed away then I highly doubt he'd have shook the man who killed her and his child's hand.  The child throws a real wrench into the ending scene. I assume this to be taking place awhile after Nail has left without the girl because of the tone of the song, so the child she is with (unless she miscarried or the like) should be at the funeral as well.  So maybe Nail is actually shaking the child's (assuming it's a boy) hand. This would fit in well. Maybe she was abused and the man who killed her was taken to jail and the child is who Nail walks up to at the funeral.

There's so many different possibilities for this song. I'd really like for Nail to make a music video of this even if it never got released, kind of just like a fan-service thing. I absolutely love this song, but something about it makes me feel like it would not succeed at radio today (also with the current state of radio playing against it).  Though "Alyssa Lies" was pretty successful for JMC and touched on some similar themes.

Also, you mentioned "Counting Cars", I love that song. I love how Nail is able to take a somewhat cliched storyline (waiting up for a woman to come back) and can make it fresh.  "Burning Bed" is one of my favorites, but I have one complaint with it. The song feels like it keeps bubbling higher and higher with the tension and I'm not sure it ever fully lets loose.  I would like to have had that.  Think: Chris Young's end of the second chorus and the bridge to "Tomorrow". I just feel like a bit of aggression or exclamation would have really elevated the song even more.  Not that it's not already a 8-9/10 star song for me lol.

[matty005]

Mar 5, 2014 22:05:20 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

Mar 5, 2014 21:18:52 GMT -5 matty005 said:

I was thinking it was an affair and that was the secret. And the child she was carrying was the narrator's (carrying your child with another man's name). I really want David to explain this song because I am absolutely addicted and fascinated by it.

Thanks for your feedback! Do you think the reason she died is because of the abusive husband?

I do think it's possible, though I am kind of confused as to where the child is at the funeral scene.  Because if it's the narrator's (I'm gonna switch to David, for laziness' sake), child and it was killed when the mother passed away then I highly doubt he'd have shook the man who killed her and his child's hand.  The child throws a real wrench into the ending scene. I assume this to be taking place awhile after Nail has left without the girl because of the tone of the song, so the child she is with (unless she miscarried or the like) should be at the funeral as well.  So maybe Nail is actually shaking the child's (assuming it's a boy) hand. This would fit in well. Maybe she was abused and the man who killed her was taken to jail and the child is who Nail walks up to at the funeral.

There's so many different possibilities for this song. I'd really like for Nail to make a music video of this even if it never got released, kind of just like a fan-service thing. I absolutely love this song, but something about it makes me feel like it would not succeed at radio today (also with the current state of radio playing against it).  Though "Alyssa Lies" was pretty successful for JMC and touched on some similar themes.

Also, you mentioned "Counting Cars", I love that song. I love how Nail is able to take a somewhat cliched storyline (waiting up for a woman to come back) and can make it fresh.  "Burning Bed" is one of my favorites, but I have one complaint with it. The song feels like it keeps bubbling higher and higher with the tension and I'm not sure it ever fully lets loose.  I would like to have had that.  Think: Chris Young's end of the second chorus and the bridge to "Tomorrow". I just feel like a bit of aggression or exclamation would have really elevated the song even more.  Not that it's not already a 8-9/10 star song for me lol.

Could she have died while pregnant and thus the unborn baby died as well? "Buried is the secret that was us." Meaning the baby they made was "us" and it was buried with the woman?

[Kentucky25]

Mar 5, 2014 22:23:57 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Mar 5, 2014 22:05:20 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

I do think it's possible, though I am kind of confused as to where the child is at the funeral scene.  Because if it's the narrator's (I'm gonna switch to David, for laziness' sake), child and it was killed when the mother passed away then I highly doubt he'd have shook the man who killed her and his child's hand.  The child throws a real wrench into the ending scene. I assume this to be taking place awhile after Nail has left without the girl because of the tone of the song, so the child she is with (unless she miscarried or the like) should be at the funeral as well.  So maybe Nail is actually shaking the child's (assuming it's a boy) hand. This would fit in well. Maybe she was abused and the man who killed her was taken to jail and the child is who Nail walks up to at the funeral.

There's so many different possibilities for this song. I'd really like for Nail to make a music video of this even if it never got released, kind of just like a fan-service thing. I absolutely love this song, but something about it makes me feel like it would not succeed at radio today (also with the current state of radio playing against it).  Though "Alyssa Lies" was pretty successful for JMC and touched on some similar themes.

Also, you mentioned "Counting Cars", I love that song. I love how Nail is able to take a somewhat cliched storyline (waiting up for a woman to come back) and can make it fresh.  "Burning Bed" is one of my favorites, but I have one complaint with it. The song feels like it keeps bubbling higher and higher with the tension and I'm not sure it ever fully lets loose.  I would like to have had that.  Think: Chris Young's end of the second chorus and the bridge to "Tomorrow". I just feel like a bit of aggression or exclamation would have really elevated the song even more.  Not that it's not already a 8-9/10 star song for me lol.

Could she have died while pregnant and thus the unborn baby died as well? "Buried is the secret that was us." Meaning the baby they made was "us" and it was buried with the woman?

Certainly seems possible, my only hold up is that if that happened the sense of Nail coming back after such a long time (it seems like he is completely cut off from this town, which takes a while to do and he refers to the woman as an "old friend") that maybe this isn't just a year or so after he left but many years. Kind of like he lost touch with everyone in the town, even the girl he loved to the point that his mother has to call and tell him she died.

Still I think what you're saying is a very, very possible situation.
Love this kind of discussion, I'm the biggest country music nerd. Best part of these boards is that I've found like-minded people who share my passion and eclipse my knowledge of the genre.

[Kentucky25]

tasteofcountry.com/david-nail-im-a-fire/

Another slightly different interpretation of "The Secret"...Love the line about having to listen to the song 10-12 times to really grasp it and even then, not being completely there. That's my kind of song. One that keeps you coming back to try and uncover more.

[rsandcm1]

Pretty good album, though not as good as his other two. Still excellent, nonetheless. The genre needs more quality like this. I hope to see "Countin Cars" become the third single in the future.

[Deleted]

I touched upon the album in the thread for his current single, but I'll post here too. I had only heard two songs from his previous albums, and I only knew "Whatever She's Got" from this one, but I saw it in the store and I felt the need to buy it. Like I said in the single thread, you just can't go wrong with Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack features.

This album is stacked with fantastic tracks. I don't think I've intentionally skipped over any songs when listening, and I don't plan on ever skipping over any of these songs. I'm absolutely in love with "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" and I would love to see that released to radio, though I'm not sure if that would work out, timing-wise. It's also wonderful hearing Lee Ann's voice again, and the two singles are both great songs. I really don't have anything negative to say about this. It is purchases like this that make me thankful for my impulsive shopping habits.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 5, 2014 1:30:37 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

Looks like you can also listen to the full album currently on youtube:

The audio in this YouTube cap is pitched higher than the real studio versions, likely to avoid detection for copyright violation. I didn't listen all the way through, but there is definitely a pitch difference in the only two tracks I sampled ("Whatever She's Got" and "I'm a Fire").

Mar 5, 2014 22:23:57 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Mar 5, 2014 22:05:20 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

I do think it's possible, though I am kind of confused as to where the child is at the funeral scene.  Because if it's the narrator's (I'm gonna switch to David, for laziness' sake), child and it was killed when the mother passed away then I highly doubt he'd have shook the man who killed her and his child's hand.  The child throws a real wrench into the ending scene. I assume this to be taking place awhile after Nail has left without the girl because of the tone of the song, so the child she is with (unless she miscarried or the like) should be at the funeral as well.  So maybe Nail is actually shaking the child's (assuming it's a boy) hand. This would fit in well. Maybe she was abused and the man who killed her was taken to jail and the child is who Nail walks up to at the funeral.
...

Could she have died while pregnant and thus the unborn baby died as well? "Buried is the secret that was us." Meaning the baby they made was "us" and it was buried with the woman?

That's the interpretation that makes the most sense to me. "Buried is the secret that was us" pretty much has to refer to their affair and the child who was conceived out of it, doesn't it? I don't think the woman was abused -- I believe "swollen eyes" is simply meant to convey the idea that she has been crying hard from her feeling of shame, not that she has endured a physical assault. I also tend to think that it was an adult male whose hand the narrator went up to shake after the funeral. It doesn't make sense to me that the narrator would go up to shake the hand of a child he knows is his and not discuss any lingering emotion from that. I also don't think the song would specifically mention the narrator going up to shake the husband's hand if the narrator thought him to be abusive or a murderer. When the narrator tells the husband "how sorry" he is, I think that for the narrator, that's not just an expression of sympathy, it's an apology for the affair and everything that followed from it (including the woman's death). He wouldn't be apologizing to an abuser or murderer. Moreover, the chorus talks about how she "stayed here and settled for a life with him." I think "settled" is the key word -- the husband wasn't a villain, but the love between the woman and her husband was not, in the narrator's eyes, as good as the love shared by the woman and the narrator.

I understand Kentucky25's point about how it seems like time has passed since the affair, but on the other hand, the "weight of an old friend's body and your hands meet" lyric suggests that the narrator was one of the pallbearers at the funeral, doesn't it? For that to happen, it seems to me that he would still be considered close to the deceased, which supports the idea that he hadn't been gone long. He also says "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me" in reference to his mother, and the "[wi]ll miss more" also points to his leaving being pretty recent, I think. So my interpretation is that the narrator left town immediately after the woman had made the choice to stay with her husband, planning never to return, to never face their child, just cutting off entirely because he couldn't face the heartbreak and perhaps to minimize suspicion around town. I also think that the woman may have killed herself and their unborn child out of feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness, and that's a big part of why the narrator believes things would have been different if she had left her husband for the narrator (and probably why he is talking about one day finding peace at the end).

In any event, "The Secret" is a terrific song, difficult to take in a good way, and the highlight of an album I'm really enjoying. I find myself going back to "Brand New Day" and "I'm a Fire" quite a bit, too. The pre-chorus of "Brand New Day" is just glorious in the way it unfolds; the rolling cadence of "My phone used to ring but I just wasn't ready/The smell of the smoke and the tunes too heavy" and "You live and you learn and you try to do better/She wanted to go and I finally let her" are probably my favorite thing that I've heard so far in 2014. I feel like there have been a lot of songs about recovering from a breakup by going out, getting drunk and generally acting the fool, so to see that moment depicted in a quieter, contemplative, & grateful way feels fresh and especially resonant. I also love the harmony from Aubrie Sellers on this song. As for "I'm a Fire," it's not that it's all that special lyrically, but the chorus just makes me smile. I love the way "you put the beat in my heart, you put the smile on my face, you put the color in my sky, otherwise a cloudy day, you put the swing in my dance, you put the speed in my run, close your eyes, baby, and kiss the midnight sun" land in the melody. It's catchy, it's warm and that song just makes me happy (which is not the typical reaction I have to a David Nail song!).

I'm a Fire has plenty of other standouts. "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" is so much in Little Big Town's pocket stylistically that it almost feels like it should be theirs, but David has such a terrific voice and ability to bend a lyric into his own natural phrasing, the song really works for him. The first love topic may be well-worn in country music, but this song has a vivid, believable lyric and is just an all-around pleasure. It feels like a hit single to me, but in the current radio climate, who knows? The synthetic drum loop at the beginning may actually help. "Countin' Cars" has a couple of strong, really appealing melodic hooks, and I like the way the central concept plays on the notion of counting sheep at night.

While I agree with Kentucky25's comment that "Burnin' Bed" may stay a little bit too much on at the same level melodically throughout the song, I think that song is a good example of how a singer with a heavy voice can do little things like back off the end of phrases to not overwhelm an intimate lyric like this. I would like to see Blake Shelton learn to do this. Meanwhile, "Galveston" is really a perfect cover to tie the album together and to pay tribute to David Nail's lineage in country music. Lee Ann Womack sounds exquisite on the harmonies, and I'm glad that David Nail and Frank Liddell committed to a version of "Galveston" that showcases her as much as this does (and yes, I know that Liddell is married to Lee Ann Womack, but it's a decision that really pays dividends for the recording).

Looking at songs that are similar in style, I would personally have gone for "Countin' Cars" over "Kiss You Tonight" (and "Broke My Heart," whose strongest feature is that guitar hook at the beginning) as the new single. For me, "Countin' Cars" has the strongest lyrics and a melody with an energizing brightness to it. But perhaps the more simplistic lyrics of "Kiss You Tonight" have stronger potential to go over with radio listeners. I'm not sure about "Kiss You Tonight"'s prospects -- four years ago, adult contemporary-type country songs stood a strong chance at succeeding at country radio, but these days, I think radio is targeting a younger crowd that favors songs with catchy beats and grooves. With the synthetic drum loop in its intro, maybe "When They're Gone" would have been the better choice from that point of view. Either way, I'm really liking this album on its own terms, as a collection that parallels his real life evolution in the music, and as an updating of David's sound that showcases what is distinctive about his voice. I'm really hoping that he is able to string together some hits and ride positive word of mouth to steady long-term sales.

[matty005]

Mar 7, 2014 21:46:08 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

Mar 5, 2014 1:30:37 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

Looks like you can also listen to the full album currently on youtube:

The audio in this YouTube cap is pitched higher than the real studio versions, likely to avoid detection for copyright violation. I didn't listen all the way through, but there is definitely a pitch difference in the only two tracks I sampled ("Whatever She's Got" and "I'm a Fire").

Mar 5, 2014 22:23:57 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Could she have died while pregnant and thus the unborn baby died as well? "Buried is the secret that was us." Meaning the baby they made was "us" and it was buried with the woman?

This is the interpretation that makes the most sense to me. "Buried is the secret that was us" pretty much has to refer to their affair and the child who was conceived out of it, doesn't it? I don't think the woman was abused -- I believe "swollen eyes" is simply meant to convey the idea that she has been crying hard from her feeling of shame, not that she has endured a physical assault. I also tend to think that it was an adult male whose hand the narrator went up to shake after the funeral. It doesn't make sense to me that the narrator would go up to shake the hand of a child he knows is his and not discuss any lingering emotion from that. I also don't think the song would specifically mention the narrator going up to shake the husband's hand if the narrator thought him to be abusive or a murderer. When the narrator tells the husband "how sorry" he is, I think that for the narrator, that's not just an expression of sympathy, it's an apology for the affair and everything that followed from it (including the woman's death). He wouldn't be apologizing to an abuser or murderer. Moreover, the chorus talks about how she "stayed here and settled for a life with him." I think "settled" is the key word -- the husband wasn't a villain, but the love between the woman and her husband was not, in the narrator's eyes, as good as the love shared by the woman and the narrator.

I understand Kentucky25's point about how it seems like time has passed since the affair, but on the other hand, the "weight of an old friend's body and your hands meet" lyric suggests that the narrator was one of the pallbearers at the funeral, doesn't it? For that to happen, it seems to me that he would still be considered close to the deceased, which supports the idea that he hadn't been gone long. He also says "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me" in reference to his mother, and the "[wi]ll miss more" also points to his leaving being pretty recent, I think. So my interpretation is that the narrator left town immediately after the woman had made the choice to stay with her husband, planning never to return, to never face their child, just cutting off entirely because he couldn't face the heartbreak and perhaps to minimize suspicion around town. I also think that the woman may have killed herself and their unborn child out of feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness, and that's a big part of why the narrator believes things would have been different if she had left her husband for the narrator (and probably why he is talking about one day finding peace at the end).

In any event, "The Secret" is a terrific song, difficult to take in a good way, and the highlight of an album I'm really enjoying. I find myself going back to "Brand New Day" and "I'm a Fire" quite a bit, too. The pre-chorus of "Brand New Day" is just glorious in the way it unfolds; the rolling cadence of "My phone used to ring but I just wasn't ready/The smell of the smoke and the tunes too heavy" and "You live and you learn and you try to do better/She wanted to go and I finally let her" are probably my favorite thing that I've heard so far in 2014. I feel like there have been a lot of songs about recovering from a breakup by going out, getting drunk and generally acting the fool, so to see that moment depicted in a quieter, contemplative, & grateful way feels fresh and especially resonant. I also love the harmony from Aubrie Sellers on this song. As for "I'm a Fire," it's not that it's all that special lyrically, but the chorus just makes me smile. I love the way "you put the beat in my heart, you put the smile on face, you put the color in my sky, otherwise a cloudy day, you put the swing in my dance, you put the speed in my run, close your eyes, baby, and kiss the midnight sun" land in the melody. It's catchy, it's warm and that song just makes me happy (which is not the typical reaction I have to a David Nail song!).

I'm a Fire has plenty of other standouts. "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" is so much in Little Big Town's pocket stylistically that it almost feels like it should be theirs, but David has such a terrific voice and ability to bend a lyric into his own natural phrasing, the song really works for him. The first love topic may be well-worn in country music, but this song has a vivid, believable lyric and is just an all-around pleasure. It feels like a hit single to me, but in the current radio climate, who knows? The synthetic drum loop at the beginning may actually help. "Countin' Cars" has a couple of strong, really appealing melodic hooks, and I like the way the central concept plays on the notion of counting sheep at night.

While I agree with Kentucky25's comment that "Burnin' Bed" may stay a little bit too much on at the same level melodically throughout the song, I think that song is a good example of how a singer with a heavy voice can do little things like back off the end of phrases to not overwhelm an intimate lyric like this. I would like to see Blake Shelton learn to do this. Meanwhile, "Galveston" is really a perfect cover to tie the album together and to pay tribute to David Nail's lineage in country music. Lee Ann Womack sounds exquisite on the harmonies, and I'm glad that David Nail and Frank Liddell committed to a version of "Galveston" that showcases her as much as this does (and yes, I know that Liddell is married to Lee Ann Womack, but it's a decision that really pays dividends for the recording).

Looking at songs that are similar in style, I would personally have gone for "Countin' Cars" over "Kiss You Tonight" (and "Broke My Heart," whose strongest feature is that guitar hook at the beginning) as the new single. For me, "Countin' Cars" has the strongest lyrics and a melody with an energizing brightness to it. But perhaps the more simplistic lyrics of "Kiss You Tonight" have stronger potential to go over with radio listeners. I'm not sure about "Kiss You Tonight"'s prospects -- four years ago, adult contemporary-type country songs stood a strong chance at succeeding at country radio, but these days, I think radio is targeting a younger crowd that favors songs with catchy beats and grooves. With the synthetic drum loop in its intro, maybe "When They're Gone" would have been the better choice from that point of view. Either way, I'm really liking this album on its own terms, as a collection that parallels his real life evolution in the music, and as an updating of David's sound that showcases what is distinctive about his voice. I'm really hoping that he is able to string together some hits and ride positive word of mouth to steady long-term sales.

Thanks for the analysis on "The Secret." I tend to believe she wasn't abused either and the "settling" part really makes sense. Can you expand on the lyric, "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me." That's the only lyric I don't like if I am interpreting it correctly. It's hard to compare missing someone who has passed compared to missing someone who just moved away from home. Am I understanding this right or no?

[Markus Meyer]

Picked up the album today. First impression: very good. I do wish there was a bit more melodic variety, but I'll give it a few more listens to fairly evaluate it.

[.indulgecountry]

Mar 7, 2014 22:27:22 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Thanks for the analysis on "The Secret." I tend to believe she wasn't abused either and the "settling" part really makes sense. Can you expand on the lyric, "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me." That's the only lyric I don't like if I am interpreting it correctly. It's hard to compare missing someone who has passed compared to missing someone who just moved away from home. Am I understanding this right or no?

That lyric alone made me think that the narrator and the deceased had a relationship together, because I feel like that's a natural thing for a parent who is fond of her child's girlfriend/boyfriend to say once they stop coming around because of a break-up (and then now her death), especially if it's a small town and the mom still lived in close proximity to the woman in his hometown.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 7, 2014 22:27:22 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Can you expand on the lyric, "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me." That's the only lyric I don't like if I am interpreting it correctly. It's hard to compare missing someone who has passed compared to missing someone who just moved away from home. Am I understanding this right or no?

Like .indulgecountry said, I think that lyric is a riff on how attached parents (moms especially, as the stereotype goes) get to certain people in relation to their kids. You'll sometimes hear the joke, "I think my mom likes [him or her] better than she likes me" in reference to a boyfriend or girlfriend -- an exaggeration for humor's sake. It's admittedly debatable whether that wry humor belongs in a song with such a devastating story, but the line does for me what it did for .indulgecountry. It also conveys the idea, I think, that the affair was not some meaningless one-night stand, but love that a mother's intuition could sense.

[Kentucky25]

Mar 7, 2014 21:46:08 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

Mar 5, 2014 1:30:37 GMT -5 joey2002 said:

Looks like you can also listen to the full album currently on youtube:

The audio in this YouTube cap is pitched higher than the real studio versions, likely to avoid detection for copyright violation. I didn't listen all the way through, but there is definitely a pitch difference in the only two tracks I sampled ("Whatever She's Got" and "I'm a Fire").

Mar 5, 2014 22:23:57 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Could she have died while pregnant and thus the unborn baby died as well? "Buried is the secret that was us." Meaning the baby they made was "us" and it was buried with the woman?

That's the interpretation that makes the most sense to me. "Buried is the secret that was us" pretty much has to refer to their affair and the child who was conceived out of it, doesn't it? I don't think the woman was abused -- I believe "swollen eyes" is simply meant to convey the idea that she has been crying hard from her feeling of shame, not that she has endured a physical assault. I also tend to think that it was an adult male whose hand the narrator went up to shake after the funeral. It doesn't make sense to me that the narrator would go up to shake the hand of a child he knows is his and not discuss any lingering emotion from that. I also don't think the song would specifically mention the narrator going up to shake the husband's hand if the narrator thought him to be abusive or a murderer. When the narrator tells the husband "how sorry" he is, I think that for the narrator, that's not just an expression of sympathy, it's an apology for the affair and everything that followed from it (including the woman's death). He wouldn't be apologizing to an abuser or murderer. Moreover, the chorus talks about how she "stayed here and settled for a life with him." I think "settled" is the key word -- the husband wasn't a villain, but the love between the woman and her husband was not, in the narrator's eyes, as good as the love shared by the woman and the narrator.

I understand Kentucky25's point about how it seems like time has passed since the affair, but on the other hand, the "weight of an old friend's body and your hands meet" lyric suggests that the narrator was one of the pallbearers at the funeral, doesn't it? For that to happen, it seems to me that he would still be considered close to the deceased, which supports the idea that he hadn't been gone long. He also says "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me" in reference to his mother, and the "[wi]ll miss more" also points to his leaving being pretty recent, I think. So my interpretation is that the narrator left town immediately after the woman had made the choice to stay with her husband, planning never to return, to never face their child, just cutting off entirely because he couldn't face the heartbreak and perhaps to minimize suspicion around town. I also think that the woman may have killed herself and their unborn child out of feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness, and that's a big part of why the narrator believes things would have been different if she had left her husband for the narrator (and probably why he is talking about one day finding peace at the end).

In any event, "The Secret" is a terrific song, difficult to take in a good way, and the highlight of an album I'm really enjoying. I find myself going back to "Brand New Day" and "I'm a Fire" quite a bit, too. The pre-chorus of "Brand New Day" is just glorious in the way it unfolds; the rolling cadence of "My phone used to ring but I just wasn't ready/The smell of the smoke and the tunes too heavy" and "You live and you learn and you try to do better/She wanted to go and I finally let her" are probably my favorite thing that I've heard so far in 2014. I feel like there have been a lot of songs about recovering from a breakup by going out, getting drunk and generally acting the fool, so to see that moment depicted in a quieter, contemplative, & grateful way feels fresh and especially resonant. I also love the harmony from Aubrie Sellers on this song. As for "I'm a Fire," it's not that it's all that special lyrically, but the chorus just makes me smile. I love the way "you put the beat in my heart, you put the smile on my face, you put the color in my sky, otherwise a cloudy day, you put the swing in my dance, you put the speed in my run, close your eyes, baby, and kiss the midnight sun" land in the melody. It's catchy, it's warm and that song just makes me happy (which is not the typical reaction I have to a David Nail song!).

I'm a Fire has plenty of other standouts. "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" is so much in Little Big Town's pocket stylistically that it almost feels like it should be theirs, but David has such a terrific voice and ability to bend a lyric into his own natural phrasing, the song really works for him. The first love topic may be well-worn in country music, but this song has a vivid, believable lyric and is just an all-around pleasure. It feels like a hit single to me, but in the current radio climate, who knows? The synthetic drum loop at the beginning may actually help. "Countin' Cars" has a couple of strong, really appealing melodic hooks, and I like the way the central concept plays on the notion of counting sheep at night.

While I agree with Kentucky25's comment that "Burnin' Bed" may stay a little bit too much on at the same level melodically throughout the song, I think that song is a good example of how a singer with a heavy voice can do little things like back off the end of phrases to not overwhelm an intimate lyric like this. I would like to see Blake Shelton learn to do this. Meanwhile, "Galveston" is really a perfect cover to tie the album together and to pay tribute to David Nail's lineage in country music. Lee Ann Womack sounds exquisite on the harmonies, and I'm glad that David Nail and Frank Liddell committed to a version of "Galveston" that showcases her as much as this does (and yes, I know that Liddell is married to Lee Ann Womack, but it's a decision that really pays dividends for the recording).

Looking at songs that are similar in style, I would personally have gone for "Countin' Cars" over "Kiss You Tonight" (and "Broke My Heart," whose strongest feature is that guitar hook at the beginning) as the new single. For me, "Countin' Cars" has the strongest lyrics and a melody with an energizing brightness to it. But perhaps the more simplistic lyrics of "Kiss You Tonight" have stronger potential to go over with radio listeners. I'm not sure about "Kiss You Tonight"'s prospects -- four years ago, adult contemporary-type country songs stood a strong chance at succeeding at country radio, but these days, I think radio is targeting a younger crowd that favors songs with catchy beats and grooves. With the synthetic drum loop in its intro, maybe "When They're Gone" would have been the better choice from that point of view. Either way, I'm really liking this album on its own terms, as a collection that parallels his real life evolution in the music, and as an updating of David's sound that showcases what is distinctive about his voice. I'm really hoping that he is able to string together some hits and ride positive word of mouth to steady long-term sales.

I was mostly just postulating different ideas for the song meaning. I do think your interpretation is probably close if not correct. I just love how there are little bits of the lyrics that could lead one to take the song a different way. To be clear (because I do see how my earlier posts could be very confusing as to what exactly I feel the song it about), I initially took the "swollen eyes" as to mean she was abused (got the abused idea off of some album review that discussed the song), but after thinking about it, I agree with you.

I think they had an affair and that's "the secret" and since she died and he is gone, it will be buried with her (kind of the whole "two can keep a secret, if one is dead").  I basically agree with you spot on.  The narrator leaving the town not too long ago and her dying while being pregnant would make sense as to why there isn't a child at the funeral.  The only question I have is depending on how much time had passed, surely she told the husband that she was pregnant, but the "8 months in to a night month ride, either way it's still a lie carrying your child with another man's name" throws a bit of confusion as to whether she ended up telling the husband. I doubt she would have been able to hide the fact that she was pregnant and doesn't seem like she's willing to "carry (the narrator's) child with another man's name". Which makes me wonder if she had an abortion? I mean it's possible she died shortly after the narrator left, thus not ever having to tell the husband she was pregnant (wouldn't the doctors tell him after the autopsy?).

I don't know. Hope all that ^^^ makes some sense. I'm still forming my interpretation of the song.

The "Hell, I don't know what she'll miss more you or me", seems to apply to the mom's attachment to woman the narrator loves as mentioned above by .indulgecountry. I know my momma still keeps a strong relationship with one of my exes.  Also, I think the line adds a bit more emotional kick from the narrator, he's no doubt blaming himself for the affair, seeing as how he wanted her to leave with him and she stayed and did the morally right thing, so maybe the line is kind of a self-deprecating jab at himself. Like even his mother would miss her more because she was so much better of a person than him (in his opinion).

I have to say I absolutely love the song and the questions it's raised for me. I will probably end up disappointed if Nail does give an official explanation because part of the fun is not knowing for sure lol.

"Burning Bed", while I do have some problems with it not breaking out at any point still is my second or third favorite song (fighting with "Counting Cars" and "Brand New Day").  I just would like to have heard that little bit of a outburst.  I think the lyrical tension of the song describing the tension between the two is very heightened by this though.  Kind of like how you keep waiting and waiting for it, expecting it during the bridge and it never comes, which I think effectively gives the listener an even more strong sense of the tension in the song.

"Brand New Day" the line "You live and you learn and you try to do better, she wanted to go and I finally let her", is one of my favorite lyrics in recent memory. So much is said in that lyric.

I credit David Nail for always recording songs that seem to pack so much into every line. There's no "fluff" in anything he records. Nail's music actually makes me think, which is a nice thing to have from a few artists in country. I love my straightforward songs, but I don't want to have all my songs be like that.

[matty005]

Mar 7, 2014 23:52:02 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

Mar 7, 2014 21:46:08 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

The audio in this YouTube cap is pitched higher than the real studio versions, likely to avoid detection for copyright violation. I didn't listen all the way through, but there is definitely a pitch difference in the only two tracks I sampled ("Whatever She's Got" and "I'm a Fire").
That's the interpretation that makes the most sense to me. "Buried is the secret that was us" pretty much has to refer to their affair and the child who was conceived out of it, doesn't it? I don't think the woman was abused -- I believe "swollen eyes" is simply meant to convey the idea that she has been crying hard from her feeling of shame, not that she has endured a physical assault. I also tend to think that it was an adult male whose hand the narrator went up to shake after the funeral. It doesn't make sense to me that the narrator would go up to shake the hand of a child he knows is his and not discuss any lingering emotion from that. I also don't think the song would specifically mention the narrator going up to shake the husband's hand if the narrator thought him to be abusive or a murderer. When the narrator tells the husband "how sorry" he is, I think that for the narrator, that's not just an expression of sympathy, it's an apology for the affair and everything that followed from it (including the woman's death). He wouldn't be apologizing to an abuser or murderer. Moreover, the chorus talks about how she "stayed here and settled for a life with him." I think "settled" is the key word -- the husband wasn't a villain, but the love between the woman and her husband was not, in the narrator's eyes, as good as the love shared by the woman and the narrator.

I understand Kentucky25's point about how it seems like time has passed since the affair, but on the other hand, the "weight of an old friend's body and your hands meet" lyric suggests that the narrator was one of the pallbearers at the funeral, doesn't it? For that to happen, it seems to me that he would still be considered close to the deceased, which supports the idea that he hadn't been gone long. He also says "Hell, I don't know who she'll miss more, you or me" in reference to his mother, and the "[wi]ll miss more" also points to his leaving being pretty recent, I think. So my interpretation is that the narrator left town immediately after the woman had made the choice to stay with her husband, planning never to return, to never face their child, just cutting off entirely because he couldn't face the heartbreak and perhaps to minimize suspicion around town. I also think that the woman may have killed herself and their unborn child out of feelings of guilt, shame and loneliness, and that's a big part of why the narrator believes things would have been different if she had left her husband for the narrator (and probably why he is talking about one day finding peace at the end).

In any event, "The Secret" is a terrific song, difficult to take in a good way, and the highlight of an album I'm really enjoying. I find myself going back to "Brand New Day" and "I'm a Fire" quite a bit, too. The pre-chorus of "Brand New Day" is just glorious in the way it unfolds; the rolling cadence of "My phone used to ring but I just wasn't ready/The smell of the smoke and the tunes too heavy" and "You live and you learn and you try to do better/She wanted to go and I finally let her" are probably my favorite thing that I've heard so far in 2014. I feel like there have been a lot of songs about recovering from a breakup by going out, getting drunk and generally acting the fool, so to see that moment depicted in a quieter, contemplative, & grateful way feels fresh and especially resonant. I also love the harmony from Aubrie Sellers on this song. As for "I'm a Fire," it's not that it's all that special lyrically, but the chorus just makes me smile. I love the way "you put the beat in my heart, you put the smile on my face, you put the color in my sky, otherwise a cloudy day, you put the swing in my dance, you put the speed in my run, close your eyes, baby, and kiss the midnight sun" land in the melody. It's catchy, it's warm and that song just makes me happy (which is not the typical reaction I have to a David Nail song!).

I'm a Fire has plenty of other standouts. "When They're Gone (Lyle County)" is so much in Little Big Town's pocket stylistically that it almost feels like it should be theirs, but David has such a terrific voice and ability to bend a lyric into his own natural phrasing, the song really works for him. The first love topic may be well-worn in country music, but this song has a vivid, believable lyric and is just an all-around pleasure. It feels like a hit single to me, but in the current radio climate, who knows? The synthetic drum loop at the beginning may actually help. "Countin' Cars" has a couple of strong, really appealing melodic hooks, and I like the way the central concept plays on the notion of counting sheep at night.

While I agree with Kentucky25's comment that "Burnin' Bed" may stay a little bit too much on at the same level melodically throughout the song, I think that song is a good example of how a singer with a heavy voice can do little things like back off the end of phrases to not overwhelm an intimate lyric like this. I would like to see Blake Shelton learn to do this. Meanwhile, "Galveston" is really a perfect cover to tie the album together and to pay tribute to David Nail's lineage in country music. Lee Ann Womack sounds exquisite on the harmonies, and I'm glad that David Nail and Frank Liddell committed to a version of "Galveston" that showcases her as much as this does (and yes, I know that Liddell is married to Lee Ann Womack, but it's a decision that really pays dividends for the recording).

Looking at songs that are similar in style, I would personally have gone for "Countin' Cars" over "Kiss You Tonight" (and "Broke My Heart," whose strongest feature is that guitar hook at the beginning) as the new single. For me, "Countin' Cars" has the strongest lyrics and a melody with an energizing brightness to it. But perhaps the more simplistic lyrics of "Kiss You Tonight" have stronger potential to go over with radio listeners. I'm not sure about "Kiss You Tonight"'s prospects -- four years ago, adult contemporary-type country songs stood a strong chance at succeeding at country radio, but these days, I think radio is targeting a younger crowd that favors songs with catchy beats and grooves. With the synthetic drum loop in its intro, maybe "When They're Gone" would have been the better choice from that point of view. Either way, I'm really liking this album on its own terms, as a collection that parallels his real life evolution in the music, and as an updating of David's sound that showcases what is distinctive about his voice. I'm really hoping that he is able to string together some hits and ride positive word of mouth to steady long-term sales.

I was mostly just postulating different ideas for the song meaning. I do think your interpretation is probably close if not correct. I just love how there are little bits of the lyrics that could lead one to take the song a different way. To be clear (because I do see how my earlier posts could be very confusing as to what exactly I feel the song it about), I initially took the "swollen eyes" as to mean she was abused (got the abused idea off of some album review that discussed the song), but after thinking about it, I agree with you.

I think they had an affair and that's "the secret" and since she died and he is gone, it will be buried with her (kind of the whole "two can keep a secret, if one is dead").  I basically agree with you spot on.  The narrator leaving the town not too long ago and her dying while being pregnant would make sense as to why there isn't a child at the funeral.  The only question I have is depending on how much time had passed, surely she told the husband that she was pregnant, but the "8 months in to a night month ride, either way it's still a lie carrying your child with another man's name" throws a bit of confusion as to whether she ended up telling the husband. I doubt she would have been able to hide the fact that she was pregnant and doesn't seem like she's willing to "carry (the narrator's) child with another man's name". Which makes me wonder if she had an abortion? I mean it's possible she died shortly after the narrator left, thus not ever having to tell the husband she was pregnant (wouldn't the doctors tell him after the autopsy?).

I don't know. Hope all that ^^^ makes some sense. I'm still forming my interpretation of the song.

It's actually 8 weeks, not 8 months. I feel like a woman would be able to hide 8 weeks.

[Kentucky25]

Mar 8, 2014 0:09:45 GMT -5 matty005 said:

Mar 7, 2014 23:52:02 GMT -5 Kentucky25 said:

I was mostly just postulating different ideas for the song meaning. I do think your interpretation is probably close if not correct. I just love how there are little bits of the lyrics that could lead one to take the song a different way. To be clear (because I do see how my earlier posts could be very confusing as to what exactly I feel the song it about), I initially took the "swollen eyes" as to mean she was abused (got the abused idea off of some album review that discussed the song), but after thinking about it, I agree with you.

I think they had an affair and that's "the secret" and since she died and he is gone, it will be buried with her (kind of the whole "two can keep a secret, if one is dead").  I basically agree with you spot on.  The narrator leaving the town not too long ago and her dying while being pregnant would make sense as to why there isn't a child at the funeral.  The only question I have is depending on how much time had passed, surely she told the husband that she was pregnant, but the "8 months in to a night month ride, either way it's still a lie carrying your child with another man's name" throws a bit of confusion as to whether she ended up telling the husband. I doubt she would have been able to hide the fact that she was pregnant and doesn't seem like she's willing to "carry (the narrator's) child with another man's name". Which makes me wonder if she had an abortion? I mean it's possible she died shortly after the narrator left, thus not ever having to tell the husband she was pregnant (wouldn't the doctors tell him after the autopsy?).

I don't know. Hope all that ^^^ makes some sense. I'm still forming my interpretation of the song.

It's actually 8 weeks, not 8 months. I feel like a woman would be able to hide 8 weeks.

Whoops, typo on my part. Still though, are we assuming she passed right after he left? I would think it's still a few weeks after he left before she dies, right? When do women start to "show"? I know morning sickness and such kicks in pretty early on. I just am not sure how the husband wouldn't have found out if she didn't die shortly after the narrator left. Though there's no guarantee he didn't know and had just come to terms with it.