Song & Album Reviews

Eric Church has released his most devoted love song from 'Chief' as the album's fifth single. 'Like Jesus Does' reveals the singer's vulnerabilities in a way none of his previous ballads have done. Like 'Springsteen,' reference is made to famous classic rock standards, giving the song some familiarity even before a first listen is finished.

After just one episode of ‘Nashville,‘ it’s difficult to imagine how the show’s first radio single is going to fit in with the storyline. ‘Telescope’ by Hayden Panettiere — Juliette Barnes on the show — is a rollicking pop-country song about keeping track of one’s man as his eyes wander. After the pilot, it seems like women in ‘Nashville’ need to have telescopic eyes to keep an eye on Barnes, as she climbs aboard everything with a Y chromosome.

What’s remarkable about Hunter Hayes‘s three singles — including his newest, ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ — is the consistency. There is nothing amateur about this country newcomer. All three fly flat along a bar raised high above the reach of many Nashville singers, both young and old.

From the very first notes of Craig Morgan‘s new single ‘More Trucks Than Cars,’ you’ll know you’re in for a no tricks, no twists country song from the man who’s made a living painting a scenic picture of rural America. The song is as genuine as any Morgan has released. It’s only muted by his own strong catalog of (other) farm boy hits.

Fans of Clay Walker know him as a lot of great things, but ‘outlaw’ is not one of them. It’s a fair question for people to ask if his new single, ‘Jesse James,’ is sung with tongue loosely planted in cheek. One leans towards yes after checking out the cover art. The hat is a little big, the pants a little too pressed. He’s a cowboy if cowboys shopped at Banana Republic.

Taylor Swift has released ‘Begin Again,’ a new song from her upcoming ‘Red’ album. It’s a huggable, inspiring, acoustic country ballad that is everything country fans wished her first single ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ was when it was released in August.

If you’re a fan of Bucky Covington but haven’t yet bought ‘Good Guys,’ breathe easy. You’ve already heard over half the album. Seven of the 12 songs are retreads from his ‘I’m Alright’ EP or the unreleased Lyric Street album, or they’re songs he’s released to radio in the last 12 months.

Brett Eldredge is a country newcomer with more talent than fame, but the latter may catch up to him after his new single ‘Don’t Ya’ finishes its radio run. The Illinois born-and-raised singer does all of the little things right on this tightly-produced cut from a long-promised debut album. We’re never blown away by his soulful voice, but we’re made aware of what he’s capable of by the end of a first or second listen.

Gloriana’s new single ‘Can’t Shake You’ takes time to build, but by the second verse, the trio is able to put real hurt into a mid-tempo song about failed love and regret. The second-to-last chorus finds a Gossin brother (Tom, Mike… who can tell them apart without looking at them?) digging deep for what may be the most vulnerable moment on their new ‘A Thousand Miles Left Behind’ album.

Darius Rucker takes a simple story of two lovers who defy odds and skeptics and places it gently on a cloud in the stratosphere — a place few others can reach. ‘True Believers’ begins as a mild and unremarkable pop-country song before clever production and Rucker’s unforgettable voice find one soaring in the euphoria.

EPs are often like movie sequels in that they often feel like a ploy to make a few dollars instead of a chance for an artist to expand upon a theme. Much like ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ and more recently, ‘Toy Story 2′, Dierks Bentley‘s ‘Country and Cold Cans’ proves to be an exception.

Eli Young Band have notched back-to-back No. 1 hits, although it’s not clear how they’re doing it. Nothing about the band is conventional country music. Their new single ‘Say Goodnight’ is similarly moody and understated — almost emo-country, if such a genre exists. That could be the secret to their magic.