bboat Reviews Modern Country Radio

[carriefan15]

I’ll be catching up later this week and will include all my little reviews too! Thanks again for tagging me in these :)

[carriefan15]

Jun 19, 2023 10:43:17 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Jun 19, 2023 1:52:47 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

**Side note, one of my biggest takeaways from this song as a straight man is, wtf why is this girl so destructive?! Leaving a strawberry wine stain inside, getting nail polish on the tailgate, scratching the drivers side because you didn't look around properly when you tried to drive it?! Like, GOOD f**kinG RIDDANCE!!! Of course accidents happen, and I wouldn't be mad about any one of those things individually...but the fact there is a laundry list of all the physical ways she assaulted this truck just leaves me with the impression that the narrator is one of those people who just doesn't have much consideration for the way that their actions affect other people. I could never be with someone like her, lmao. Nevertheless, I love the song! I just think it's hilarious how if I was in this situation, I'd be like "don't let the door hit you on the way out!" and happy that she won't be around to destroy my NEW truck with her carelessness 😂😂

Considering this is the same woman who took a Louisville slugger to both headlights and slashed a hole in all 4 tires, I'd say a wine stain and some nail polish are minor issues. 🤣

Not to mention, she may just as dang well kill this guy in Two Black Cadillacs. So minor damages as of now 😂

[bboat11]

"Glory Days" - Gabby Barrett

Yesss, I love that we now have two consecutive songs to add to the A-list! "Glory Days" is Gabby Barrett's new song, and overall I am quite excited to see where her second era takes her! If "Glory Days" is any indication, I get the sense that she is about to serve us an album of bops! I'm hoping for something as quality as Kelsea's latest album, tbh, but that may be hard to match. This is by far her most immediate melody that she has sent to radio imo, and the production is also a lot more natural-sounding for her voice than it was on her first couple singles.

That being said, there is something here that is just kind of....fluffy, for lack of a better word? It almost feels like a generic cookie-cutter hit. Which is almost an unfair criticism, because the melody is not NEARLY as generic as something that Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Morgan Wallen, etc. would give us when we accuse them of being generic. I love this melody! But something about the overall presentation just feels slightly one-dimensional.

Topically, this reminds me very much of Martina's "Blessed". Maybe part of the problem is that this type of song coming from Gabby at this point in her career just feels a little bit unearned? Martina's version of this theme came after 5 incredible album eras of success, when she was reflecting on her life from the literal apex of her career. My point is, maybe "Glory Days" just doesn't feel as natural as "Blessed" did? I can't quite put my finger on why this song doesn't quite hit as hard as it should, but that might be part of it...

I don't want to derail this review too much though. This song is of course going on my A-list, and here I am complaining about it! I am very happy that Gabby is so happy! And the message here of enjoying the present moment is a good one. And I cannot heap enough praise onto this song for how much I love the banjo in the background that keeps this whole thing chugging along. I will be rooting for her to have another huge era where she cements herself as a consistent hitmaker on country radio!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[taylor is terrified]

Carrie has her biggest hit since “Church Bells” on her hands. There’s no way, even with the way things are now, that “Out of That Truck” should be doing anything less than hitting the top of both country radio charts, becoming her first solo #1 on Billboard…since “Church Bells.” (Which happened in 2016…SEVEN years ago now.) What a monster jam it is.

I’m intrigued for new Gabby Barrett music, but I agree that there’s something about “Glory Days” that doesn’t let it hit quite like it should, and I can’t put a finger on it either. That said, it’s a rather pleasant listen.

[bboat11]

"World On Fire" - Nate Smith

Nate Smith has entered the Billboard airplay chart this week with his second career single, "World On Fire". This is his followup to his #1 debut smash, "Whiskey On You". Other than the sheer AUDACITY and disrespect shown to everyone's favorite country Queen Dolly Parton by Nate releasing a song of the same name as her current single to country radio at the same time, this is a pretty good song imo!!

It covers the aftermath of a relationship that left our narrator feeling as if nothing was left. Not only did she break up with him; she set his world on fire, ruined everything he loved, ripped his heart out of his chest, and just overall destroyed him and left him with nothing. If you think that that description doesn't really sound like he brings anything new to the table, you would be correct This is a tried and true theme for country music. But it doesn't have to be original to be great! This song is well-written with effective metaphors that portray a variety of complex emotions.

Nate Smith himself sounds pretty good too! The main thing that jumped out to me with his debut single was his voice, and the same can be said for this single as well. It's not a voice that will automatically be widely praised for its warmth, resonance, and tonality, a la Chris Young, George Strait, Alan Jackson, etc. But it is a unique voice, that captures attention and sets him apart.

The big problem with this song is that the arrangement is just so cluttered and heavy and over-produced. This song has no breathing room whatsoever, aside from a brief moment at the start of the 3rd chorus where it strips things back just for a couple lines. Instrumentally, this song offers nothing but a wall of sound. Nate's voice sounds really heavily processed in the chorus to me. So while I dig the melody and lyrics overall, this was still only able to get a B- from me. This is a clear case of a song that could have easily gotten a B+ (or possibly even up to the A-list!) if the creative minds behind it had even tried to do something interesting when they were composing the arrangement...

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Bout Damn Time" - Neon Union

"Bout Damn Time" has been on Billboard for a few weeks now, but it finally made the Mediabase chart a couple weeks ago. Since I am caught up on this week's Billboard Airplay entries, I will go ahead and work on some of my backlist from the other charts!

I just want to start by reiterating the purpose of this song, according to ChatGPT after it analyzed the lyrics and was asked to evaluate them. "The intent of the song "Bout Damn Time" by Neon Union is to rally and unite country music enthusiasts in a call for the revival of authentic country music that represents the rural lifestyle and values."

Sounds great, right?! Well, unfortunately, that wonderful sentiment lasts ONLY until you listen to the song itself... Never have I EVER heard a song that is sonically more mismatched from its overall theme! While the lyrics say that country music is dying, the arrangement is literally committing the murder. This arrangement can baaaaarely pass for country. It's got some cool dirty harmonica in the intro, and a couple dobro riffs throughout. Maaaaybe a little steel guitar in the chorus, but it's so buried that i can't even begin to be sure. Otherwise, this is nothing but a wall of noise, even going so far as to have synthesized DJ-ready whistle/siren sounds heading into the chorus.

Lyrically, this is nothing but a laundry list of nonsensical tropes. We're literally name-dropping "catfish cookers", "barbed wire hangers", "fire-water drinkers", "corn-fed hips", etc. What the f**k are corn-fed hips?!!? Women who have good figures because they were raised eating corn?!! It's absolutely nonsensical, lmao.

So yeah, this song laments everything that is wrong with country music, while actually being everything that is wrong with country music... For that reason it is hot garbage, and an easy F grade. Yuck.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Looking For You" - Chris Young

"Looking For You" has also been on the Billboard chart for quite a few weeks now, but it gets the good fortune of showing up in this series thanks to it returning to the Canadian Country charts a couple weeks ago!!

This latest single from Chris Young tells the story of a narrator who has been looking for love, and to his joyous amazement has finally found it! This is a sweet song for a hopeless romantic like me, who believes that The One is out there somewhere and is hoping that she will find her way into my life sooner rather than later This song describes the fulfilling journey of searching and then discovering what you are looking for. I would describe the songwriting as pretty average overall, but the sentiment is an enjoyable one.

The best part of this song is Chris' vocals!!! I mean, when has that not been the case with his music, lmao. Chris continues to have such a warm and resonant voice.....and then the songs are nearly always completely neutered by bland and stale production choices "Looking For You" does stand out a tiny bit for having a nice interplay between banjo and dobro, but both instruments are SO far down in the mix that the listener may not even realize that they are there unless they listen specifically for them. Other than those cool instruments, this arrangement is every bit as bland and stale as Chris' reputation would have me expect. Definitely a far cry from his first three albums. But otherwise, I really enjoy this! Another nice solid entry for the B-list! Hopefully Chris has some A-list stuff in store for the future though, because at the beginning of his career he would have gotten there with nearly every release.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Trouble" - Josh Ross

"Trouble" is the lone new entry to the Canadian charts last week. This song tells the story of a man who is in distress in the absence of his lover. To me the lyrics imply that they left him because of his inability to get his life together due to alcoholism or something like that. The line, "I might give you a drunk dial just to tell you what you already know. Baby, I'm in trouble." is where I draw that conclusion from, since it sounds like he is in "trouble" because of his vices, and the partner would already be aware of that and all that his drunk dial is going to do is confirm their decision to leave him.

However, the specifics of the situation are definitely left vague enough to be open to interpretation, and relevant to anybody who is going through a breakup for any reason. The context of the title, "Trouble", is usually more like "I'm in trouble because I miss you so much", as in their partner's absence has put them in a troubled emotional state, they are facing turmoil and heartbreak in the aftermath of the breakup, etc. So my conclusion about vices could be completely wrong as well, and maybe him calling his partner up to tell them what they already know is just implying that he's already called several times so they already know about his anguish! Due to the open-ended nature of this song, it is pretty much universally relatable. That should help it to connect with people.

Josh Ross also turns in a really solid vocal performance here! The only thing I knew about him was "Red Flags" which was in last month's New Country Releases rankdown, and I thought it was rather generically produced even if I did like it. It was probably a B- level song. But this one is a LOT more of a standout for me! The stripped down, quiet production allows Josh's voice to shine, and I think he sounds really talented here. Also, the steel guitar shines through as well, and provides a nice country anchor and a lot of personality. I really hope this becomes a hit! It would do well in my list for the Canadian year-end rankdown. B+!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

Jun 23, 2023 2:50:23 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

"Bout Damn Time" - Neon Union

I wanna root for them/this song because I think it's cool that we have a mixed-race duo at the format now bringing something different to the table, but I agree that this song is indeed awful. 🥴

So far I've heard several Neon Union songs and they have only put out 1 song so far that I remember thinking was anything I'd ever intentionally listen to on purpose.

[🌺CountryLineDancer]

Jun 23, 2023 17:12:11 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

"Trouble" - Josh Ross

Josh Ross also turns in a really solid vocal performance here! The only thing I knew about him was "Red Flags" which was in last month's New Country Releases rankdown, and I thought it was rather generically produced even if I did like it. It was probably a B- level song. But this one is a LOT more of a standout for me! The stripped down, quiet production allows Josh's voice to shine, and I think he sounds really talented here. Also, the steel guitar shines through as well, and provides a nice country anchor and a lot of personality. I really hope this becomes a hit! It would do well in my list for the Canadian year-end rankdown. B+!

I can remind you that you also ranked First Taste Of Gone in the 2022 YE CAD RD, and it went as high as #4, and qualified to move onto your YE RD. 

I totally agree that his vocal performance is quite strong, while I found the melody of Trouble to be weaker than his other materials. It had a good first week add in the US, so excited to see how much it will do.

[bboat11]

"We Don't Fight Anymore" - Carly Pearce ft. Chris Stapleton

Our hot-shot debut comes from Carly Pearce this week, with her new lead single "We Don't Fight Anymore" already acting like a hit in the making! This song tells the story of a couple who are falling apart. The passion is gone. They don't talk about anything of substance. They don't make eye contact or even look at each other. They don't touch unless they accidentally bump in the hallway (a lyrical concept that reminds me immediately of Martina McBride's hit that notoriously got away, "Strangers"!!) But where this song takes on a teensy bit of a creative twist is that the hook of the song is that they don't even fight anymore....a fact which on its own would be interpreted to be a good thing! But in the context of this relationship, it's not about the fighting specifically, as much as it is about the fact that they simply can't be bothered to give a damn about the other person anymore. They don't fight because there's nothing left worth fighting for. Which is a slightly clever take on the tried-and-true theme of heartbreak due to fading love.

While I like the concept of this song, the arrangement is probably the best thing about it! The intro immediately hits you with both dobro AND fiddle within the first ten seconds! If there is anything Carly can be given unreserved credit for, no questions asked, it is the way she is singlehandedly keeping dobro players from living on the streets in Nashville!

But this song isn't without its weaknesses. While I like the melody, it is also definitely a little bit ploddy to get into unless you are in the right mood for it. Where I could listen to "It Won't Always Be Like This" (RIP) on repeat forever and still get excited every time it comes on, "We Don't Fight Anymore" is going to have a high burn rate for me. It would be hard for me to hear it at top 10 levels of airplay for months without getting sick of it. Also, I have to agree with the general consensus from the single thread that Chris Stapleton is more of a distraction than an asset here. Personally, I prefer Chris Stapleton quite a bit more as a background vocalist than as a soloist, so I am not opposed to him being on collaborations! But yeah, this one would have been better for Vince Gill.

So in general, I like this song well enough to give it a solid B! (Boosted significantly by the dobro, fiddle, and piano, let me remind you.) It will likely not have much trouble getting into my top 40 when we do the year-end rankdown....but yet its weaknesses will prevent it from being one that I want to hear on the radio a lot. What a dilemma.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Everything I Love" - Morgan Wallen

Okay, what the hell is happening! MORGAN WALLEN released this absolute jam?!?!?!! The same artist who insists on shoveling absolute manure down our innocent and unsuspecting throats every other single ("Thinkin' Bout Me", "You Proof", etc.)? The same artist who I typically loathe because he has a toxic personality and doesn't deserve the platform he has been given and the ability to influence the future of our youths? The same artist who abandoned his girlfriend while she was pregnant with his baby, just so that he could go out to bars and publicly shove his tongue down the throats of barely-legal college teens in the middle of a pandemic?!

The answer is yes to all of the above, apparently. As much as I hate to admit it, "Everything I Love" is a certifiable jam! It tells the story of a narrator who wishes he had met his partner under different circumstances. Specifically, he wishes they could have met in some high-rise city that he hates and would have no inclination to ever go back to. Because they actually enjoyed the small-town life together, and he took her home to meet his mama and all those other stereotypical things...so now that they have broken up, he can't enjoy his hometown the way that he used to!

Sonically, this has the sort of rollicking walking bass line that sounds like it's taken directly from the '70s/'80s influences of artists like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr., Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, etc. The song has a noticeable "Mountain Music" by Alabama feel to it as well, especially at the start of the third chorus where the music stills for a second and they focus on some vocal harmonies.

I still just can't believe this is from Morgan Wallen! I mean, the guy clearly has no artistic identity whatsoever, just based on how eclectic everything from this era has sounded already. But if he ever continues to grow in this direction, I would be a lot less critical of him! After all, not all of those influences I cited above are known for being great people, but their music earned them a legacy of respect despite their personal shortcomings.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

Yeah, there's just no way around it: "Everything I Love" is a bop! Really happy they released this as a bit of a left-field single choice considering "Thinkin Bout Me," "'98 Braves," and a few others have been receiving a bit more 'buzz' than this one. The use of the sample is really well done and I appreciate that they're attempting to off-set some of the poppier tracks with songs more organically rooted in the country genre (like this and "Thought You Should Know").

[bboat11]

"Nobody's Nobody" - Brothers Osborne

Brothers Osborne's new song made it in here this week thanks to its debuting on the Canadian chart! Anyone who participated in last month's New Country Releases rankdown knows that I'm not a huge fan of this song. Honestly, Brothers Osborne in general kinda bores me. They have so much potential, and I want to like them, but by now they have been around long enough that it's becoming pretty clear that their obscure vibe is just not my thing. Unless the song is a perfect fit, like "Stay A Little Longer", "It Ain't My Fault", or "Skeletons"! But overall I find that their material is starting to all blend together for me.

"Nobody's Nobody" has a great message though! The main point of the song is that everybody has value and everybody has something to contribute, even if it doesn't come in the form of fame and fortune. Fame does not equate to value! It's a wonderful message and a refreshing outlook, especially when you consider how many potential "nobodies" there are behind the scenes for every famous music career to happen! Brothers Osborne are a classy act who I am sure go out of their way to treat everyone with respect on their behind-the-scenes crew, just from the overall vibe that they give off. For all my complaints about being tired of their music, I definitely cannot say anything ill of their personalities! The fact that they would put out a song like this just adds to that perception, imo.

So yes, I love the message! Although outside of the message, the lyrics are rather cliched. And while I love the verse melody, I find the chorus melody plods a bit. Especially the horrible repeated "no no nobody no no nobody" stuff. It seems for every plus there is also a minus. So a nice middling rating of C- feels about right! Especially considering that they didn't try to add a single country instrument, which is an easy way to earn extra points in my system.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

Glad I'm not the only one who BrOs just hasn't "clicked" for. I agree with the sentiment of wanting to root for them more, but just coming up shy due to the material. This song just doesn't do much for me, but I won't complain if it gets them back in the top 20 on the charts, which seems plausible given the early reception to it from radio.

[bboat11]

"Without You" - Thompson Square

Thompson Square appearing on the chart this week was a bit of a surprise to me, as "Without You" was released on May 1 and has had seemingly zero buzz since then (at least to me), so I honestly forgot it was released and figured it had flopped already, lmao. But I guess two months isn't all that crazy or unusual! It just felt much older than that to me.

"Without You" uses basic metaphors to emphasize the fact that the narrator would feel worthless without his partner. Like a painter without paint, a book without a reader, etc., his partner is the one who gives him purpose and allows him to reach his full potential! While it portrays him as dependent on his partner, incomplete without them, etc., the whole thing is sung with a happy and celebratory tone that makes this song a happy one rather than sad, because his partner's support is worth celebrating! It is a sweet message, although the metaphors are all admittedly pretty surface-level and simple, and can come across as a bit of a laundry list.

Melodically this is catchy, but there really isn't anything that will set it apart from the crowd. Except for maybe the unique delivery of the "all chrome, no motor" line in the chorus, where all the music strips away and "no motor" is sung quite a bit lower than the rest of the song. But outside of that, this song is pretty faceless. It doesn't even rely much on the harmonies that you might expect to be a significant factor in a song from a duo. Especially considering that there aren't really any other male/female duos right now outside of Lady A (lmao ignoring the other guy of course), who are not as much of a radio force these days. So there is definitely a niche available for T2, but they aren't really leaning into it with this one! Still, it is catchy, and I enjoy it well enough for a low B!

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[bboat11]

"Save The Roses" - Lee Brice

I apologize for the huge delay since my last review! My routine has been a little bit messed up this summer, between moving and spending time with family. I definitely intend to keep this going though! I have been keeping a whole list of all the songs I need to listen to!

"Save The Roses" by Lee Brice is our next song to chart on Billboard the week after Thompson Square's "Without You". I had never listened to this, and overall I was left with a favorable impression! (I mean, most of these songs are discoveries, since I don't religiously listen to country radio anymore, lol. But still, I thought I'd point it out since this song's been out forever now, since the album is from 2020 Clearly Lee Brice isn't an artist for whom I have ever sought out an entire album, lol)

The coolest thing about this song is that it takes place from the perspective of the narrator beyond the grave. Spooky, right??! He is looking at all the people who have gathered for his funeral, and although he appreciates them, he asserts that he would rather they were out enjoying their lives rather than wallowing in the church feeling sorry for him. Don't waste your money on roses and your time on grieving after I'm gone. Life is short, so you may as well enjoy it! The line, "The biggest regret of your life / Won't be what you did / It'll be what you didn't do" rings especially poignant amid this composition.

Where this song loses a little bit of its steam is that all the ways to enjoy life are literally just a checklist of stereotypes and tropes. Think of me when you're in your deer stand? Check. Go fishing? Check. Drink beer? Check. Save my truck? Check. Save my guns? Check. Give them to my sons? Check. Like, the chorus is mind-numbingly predictable for a perspective that otherwise seems to be so inspired. On top of that, Lee's voice thins out and sounds reedy/whiny in some places. And by "in some places" I mean basically the entire song. Maybe it is just the production, idk. But I can't help but think how powerful this could have been from Tim McGraw instead. That man has a KNACK for delivering a powerful ballad like this one!

So I still like Lee's well enough to give it a solid B! It's not without its faults, but it could easily make my top half in the year-end rankdown.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry   carriefan15   zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

"Save the Roses" is better than a lot of Lee Brice's songs for sure, but I agree that his vocals are usually a weak point in his music for me. This song would be killer the in the hands of someone like Tim McGraw now that you've got me imagining it. 😍

You didn't mention it in the review so idk if you saw anything about why it was released, but it written by Kyle Jacobs, Kellie Pickler's late husband who committed suicide earlier this year, so Lee decided to release it to pay tribute to him. Kind of eerie that he wrote a song like this given the context it would take on soon after... 😭
Reminds me of Joey + Rory's "When I'm Gone" coming out several years before they knew about Joey's cancer diagnosis and how it took on a new life after that came out.

[bboat11]

Jul 23, 2023 13:47:35 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

"Save the Roses" is better than a lot of Lee Brice's songs for sure, but I agree that his vocals are usually a weak point in his music for me. This song would be killer the in the hands of someone like Tim McGraw now that you've got me imagining it. 😍

You didn't mention it in the review so idk if you saw anything about why it was released, but it written by Kyle Jacobs, Kellie Pickler's late husband who committed suicide earlier this year, so Lee decided to release it to pay tribute to him. Kind of eerie that he wrote a song like this given the context it would take on soon after... 😭
Reminds me of Joey + Rory's "When I'm Gone" coming out several years before they knew about Joey's cancer diagnosis and how it took on a new life after that came out.

Oh wow, I had no idea! That does give this song an eerie new layer of meaning! Now I'm kinda sad that this is basically flopping. It would be cool to see it turn into a success for Kyle! And for Lee, since it's one of his more meaningful songs and I definitely think that should be encouraged in an artist.

[.indulgecountry]

Jul 23, 2023 16:05:38 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Jul 23, 2023 13:47:35 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

"Save the Roses" is better than a lot of Lee Brice's songs for sure, but I agree that his vocals are usually a weak point in his music for me. This song would be killer the in the hands of someone like Tim McGraw now that you've got me imagining it. 😍

You didn't mention it in the review so idk if you saw anything about why it was released, but it written by Kyle Jacobs, Kellie Pickler's late husband who committed suicide earlier this year, so Lee decided to release it to pay tribute to him. Kind of eerie that he wrote a song like this given the context it would take on soon after... 😭
Reminds me of Joey + Rory's "When I'm Gone" coming out several years before they knew about Joey's cancer diagnosis and how it took on a new life after that came out.

Oh wow, I had no idea! That does give this song an eerie new layer of meaning! Now I'm kinda sad that this is basically flopping. It would be cool to see it turn into a success for Kyle! And for Lee, since it's one of his more meaningful songs and I definitely think that should be encouraged in an artist.

It was just tossed out to radio a few months back, quite awhile after Lee's last era had seemingly come to a close, so I don't think that Curb & co. has put a full push behind it to try and turn it into a hit. The fact that it charted at all is nice to see though.

[bboat11]

"Pretty Little Poison" - Warren Zeiders

Whew, this guy can thank Zach Bryan for existing, because I literally thought for about 10 minutes after hearing this song that Warren Zeiders has the WORST voice I have heard in my life! Then I remembered... Since he's a professional musician he still scored a 2 in the vocals, because the 1 range would probably be reserved for people like your tone deaf neighbor in the pew behind you at church (and Zach Bryan). But tonally I found this delivery SO grating, and it was made even worse by the fact that Warren has the worst enunciation and pronunciation I have ever heard in a country artist.

The song itself is MUCH better than the delivery though. This song is not a unique concept by any means; the idea of a woman being an addictive substance that is both alluring and toxic is a pretty common trope among country men the last few years. As common as the theme is these days, it's still a pretty well-written take on it. Definitely not quite as heartbreaking and powerful as Jelly Roll's "Save Me", but all the metaphors land well, and the arrangement is just engaging enough to where I could see the mass audiences taking to it.

My favorite part of this song is all the steel guitar!! The steel is all over the chorus of this song, providing an excellent countermelody that just ties this whole song together in a tight little bow. It's so beautiful! I didn't hear any piano by itself, but I'm about 90% sure there was some piano helping to beef up the bass chords in the chorus. You can hear it especially well on the final note of the song when the vocals stop and the instruments spend a few more seconds fading out. So overall, I'd say this song does a better-than-average job at keeping itself close to the country genre. Which is definitely what helped to elevate it to the B- range. Based on the weaknesses of Warren's voice and the somewhat run-of-the-mill 12/8 melody, I thought this was heading towards the C-range, but the instrumentation helped this to grow on me a LOT over the course of 3-4 listens!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Drinkin' Problems" - Dillon Carmichael

Well I had forgotten that this guy was the one who was Eddie Montgomery's nephew among the slew of more faceless newer male artists who have yet to establish themselves in a memorable way for me, but as soon as I heard this song I was like "Oooooh yeah, so HE'S the one!" This rowdy crowd-pleaser feels like it could have been taken directly out of Montgomery Gentry's peak years. I mean it's clearly not Eddie, but definitely sounds close enough to be someone who is related to him. The family influence is very clear!

Overall, I am HERE for the arrangement! As I said already, this feels like a relic of the mid-'00s, and the interplay between steel and piano is absolute ear candy. They both work together to help the fun vibes of the song to jump out in a big way.

Topically, this one is actually surprisingly a little bit of a double-entendre, in the sense that we've all got "drinkin' problems"...aka problems that are severe enough that we need to drink to cope with them! As in, the problems are the problems and the drinking is the solution! But of course it could also be taken at face value and imply that they drink too much. But the first meaning is so much more fun The song is just about people who are bummed out with life, so they go out and drink and feel alright again. A classic theme for country music, lol. But one of the cooler things about this song is that it uses its peppy instrumentation and joyful melody to subvert expectations. Taking the lyrics at face value, this is a SAD song. I actually asked ChatGPT whether it thought this was a happy or sad song, and it said sad based on the lyrics alone. Yet listening to this one, there is no doubt that this could be anything but a happy song! It's about the joyful camaraderie of drinking with your friends at the bar, and the instrumental arrangement and delivery is an essential component in the message coming across successfully.

I hope this is a huge hit, because we need vibes like this to be aaaallll over the radio again. I mean, it's not a perfect song by any means. It's still only an A-, and only managed to creep onto the A-list thanks to the steel and piano giving it extra credit points. But more of this and less "Thinkin' Bout Me", please, country radio...

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[🌺CountryLineDancer]

I definitely agree the the arrangement of this song is pretty solid, as well as the catchy melody. Shame that Son Of A tanked my image towards this guy. I'm also impressed with the fact that this guy or Conner Smith (his new single is doing much better than the previous ones, but still) can keep releasing radio singles, even though he never had any big success, compared to acts like Devin Dawson/Elvie Shane, who had bigger #1 hits, and all they need is one flop to disappear completely. 

For all of his singles,
Hot Beer >>> Dancing Away With My Heart >>> Drinking Problem = I Do For You >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Son Of A

[bboat11]

"Shoot Tequila" - Tigirlily Gold

"Shoot Tequila" has been on the Billboard charts for awhile, but it did finally debut on Mediabase like 3ish weeks ago now, and I did not fail to notice! I am finally getting around to circling back to it for a review. And hey, finally a song that's not in the B range I may be perennially easy to please in the sense that I at least somewhat enjoy nearly everything related to country music, and this song is no different. But as a song in the C-range, especially the lower part of it, I definitely find this to be on the more grating end of my tolerance level as well. There is something about the melody that just hits me as annoying, especially when paired with the delivery, with their exaggerated twang that is obviously just an overdone affectation. And while it is not necessary to pit artists against each other, the harmonies are nowhere near as crisp and satisfying as Maddie & Tae's. (Tae's harmonies are like a perfectly-oiled machine, constantly supplementing Maddie's lead vocals perfectly, pronouncing things the same way, inflecting the same way in the same places, etc. This song, not so much. I hear several places where the harmonies are doing a completely different style from the lead, and that just contributes to this feeling a bit messier.)

Conceptually, this song deals with the love/hate relationship that the narrator has with tequila. They know that it will get them in trouble, and yet they can never quite resist the allure of the drink. And yet, the song is spun in an upbeat, happy fashion, so clearly they are leaning into the party vibes, and that is pretty much the whole point of the song! Definitely brings nothing new or unique to the table. In fact, the whole "one tequila, two tequila, three tequila" line is pretty commonly used in pop culture. Imo this whole song has a been-there-done-that feel from beginning to end, and thanks to the lack of creativity paired with their grating vocals and annoying melody, this is almost a miss for me. It is lifted slightly back up by all the banjo, as well as the fact that the melody has grown on me a liiiiittlle bit with more listens over time! But it'll definitely be in the lower part of my year-end rankdown list.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

I wasn't feeling this too much at first, but "Shoot Tequila" is definitely an earworm that gets in there and becomes stuck in your head after awhile and I've come to totally love it. Great little party ditty and it's always nice to see more female vocals present on the country radio charts, especially from female duos since aside from M&T we've barely had any of those in decades!

[bboat11]

"Save Me The Trouble" - Dan + Shay

After how stale Dan + Shay's music has been to me for much of the last few years, imagine my shock to add their latest lead single to the elusive A-list!!!!! They have more or less become an act who feels rather one-note, with "10,000 Hours", "Glad You Exist", "I Should Probably Go To Bed", etc. feeling like yet another variation of "Tequila" and "Speechless"...which were themselves rather reminiscent of "From The Ground Up", imo. Not helping matters has been their insistence on catering to Pop and Hot AC audiences, and wholesale abandoning the country audience who gave them their start. Granted, they were never the most country act by any means. But it still felt like they were straying a bit imo.

Cue "Save Me The Trouble". Sonically, this is yet another sweeping pop-leaning ballad, so it should sound like all the aforementioned stale songs I mentioned above. However, it doesn't!! Somehow, this one manages to give off a fresh vibe that they have been desperately needing! For one thing, the way that the vocals are mixed, with the lead singer slightly buried and the multiple harmony lines turned way up, gave me serious group vibes, along the lines of Diamond Rio. There are some truly excellent harmonies here! The fresh vocal mix, paired with the steel guitar that washes through the chorus like a beautiful rain, gives this song the major shot in the arm that it needed to stand out in a big way from their previous efforts.

Conceptually, this song tells the story of a narrator who has met an attractive girl at the bar and started flirting, but he is teetering on the edge of whether or not to let her all the way in because he has been hurt before. If she is the type of girl who plans to love and leave, she may as well just save him the trouble by not taking the conversation any further. It is a slightly pessimistic way to approach others, especially when their intentions are unknown, yet it is also a perfectly natural way to feel when you have been hurt. In that sense, I feel this will be broadly relatable.

Dan + Shay have always been truly excellent vocalists, even if their style isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I am THRILLED to see them lending their talents to a song that actually has some semblance of identity. Even though it's yet another power ballad, this is probably my favorite one from them. I just hope they carry this slightly-closer-to-country sound with them into the future!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"Buy A Bar" - Tim Dugger

I don't know much about Tim Dugger, but this song is a pretty solid introduction! As many country songs begin, the overall premise of "Buy A Bar" is that our narrator's lady has left him behind and broken his heart. He feels bad for awhile, even as his buddies try to cheer him up. But then his entrepreneurial instincts kick in! People are always getting their hearts broken and needing a place to drink. So maybe he should buy a bar! Then at least he can start raking in some money while he and plenty of other people are drinking too much! So while the entire song centers around heartbreak, it is also a bit humorous and innovative.

On top of the creative premise, I also love that Tim Dugger seems to be the sort of dude who actually wants to be a country artist. So many artists from the last few years blur the lines between genres, yet there is no doubt from the sonic structuring of this one that it belongs alongside the country music of the '90s and '00s. The steel guitar, the countrified electric guitars, the acoustic guitar, etc. all have very engaging interplays between them if you pay attention to it all. The song itself doesn't set the world on fire by any means, but the awesome country arrangement plus the clever premise helped it to be a solid B+!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[bboat11]

"White Horse" - Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton burst onto the charts this week with his brand new song, "White Horse". There is a bit of hype behind this one, since it's the lead for his new album. So much hype, in fact, that this week it debuted at #21 on the Airplay chart! Good for Chris!

Now, y'all know that I am very vocal in my dislike of Chris Stapleton more often than not. My biggest problem with him is that he is a screecher. When he really starts belting it out, he sounds like a literal cat fight. And when he isn't screeching, his voice is incredibly boring on songs like "Joy Of My Life". Between ear-splitting and boring, I just cannot with his tone 90% of the time.

There is a sweet spot, however, where his voice just completely works for the song, and to me "White Horse" is fully within that sweet spot! I actually think he sounds pretty great here, like this is a song that was made for him to be the messenger who sells it. (I mean, it's also logical that he would be the one because he wrote it, but that's beside the point. You know what I mean!)

"White Horse" tells about the conflict between a narrator who knows he is not yet ready to settle down even though he cares deeply about someone, and a potential partner who is interested in a committed relationship and starting a life together with him. He wants to do right by her, but is also just a bit scared to commit. Essentially, the partner wants an idealized version of love, and the narrator is honest about his own limitations, creating a spicy contrast between their two perspectives. Lyrically, this song is nothing special. It is well-written, but also in a way that is pretty average for a country song.

Where this song generates most of its strength for me is in the melody and the overall structure of the arrangement! The composition has a lot of flexibility and breathing room, switching from regular time to double-time a few times throughout the song in a way that feels really lively. The guitars absolutely rock, and are mixed so well! There is very little tying this to the country genre outside of Chris' voice, and I do wish there were some country elements worked into the arrangement, but I've gotta be honest that I find this song to be quite an entertaining listen even without any steel guitar! A B- here is quite good for Chris Stapleton, and there is a lot of room left for this to grow on me if it feels so inclined.

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka

[.indulgecountry]

Totally agree with you on "White Horse" being in the sweet spot between the two extremes of Chris Stapleton's vocal faults. This one works pretty well for me too.

[bboat11]

"Outskirts" - Sam Hunt

Omg, Justice for Hailey from Toronto though!!! Poor girl just got thrown under the bus from absolutely nowhere 😂😂😂

Sam Hunt finally debuted on the chart this week with his new single, "Outskirts". This song tells the story of a narrator who is filled with regrets related to lost love and the trajectory of his life. He walked away from a warm, comfortable relationship with the promise of a quiet home in the country and starting a young family in favor of a more exciting urban lifestyle, and now he is in some city longing for what could have been. He is usually so caught up in the bustle that he can convince himself that he is "fine", but as soon as he gets out of town there is nothing to soothe his miserable memory. It is written effectively, with the mundanity of his reality standing out in stark contrast with his vision of how things could have been.

Where this song only gets a C grade is because the production is absolutely horrible. Sam Hunt's voice is autotuned to the point where he sounds like a Garageband sound effect. He has always been on the poppy side of the country spectrum, so the effects are not really surprising, but they are still hella annoying to me. On top of that, the chorus melody kinda plods. It's one of those situations where it might have been just fine in the hands of an awesome vocalist, but the autotune just emphasizes anything that could have possibly been annoying about it. Interestingly, this song does have a lot of really cool dobro though! I enjoy the arrangement quite a bit, actually, with the dobro and the pop drums counterbalancing each other in really cool ways!

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castleoblivion26   taylor is terrified   🌺CountryLineDancer   g8erboi   nuggie99   .indulgecountry    zaclord 🌈   schnetzka