I have never denied the fact that Lady Antebellum is a talented group. The problem I had with them was that they, with their usually pop-heavy music, seemed to treat country music as little more than a marketing label. Their music was always heavy on percussion and electric guitars, lacking a true country identity. Their previous hit, "American Honey," had a nice fiddle, but the distracting drumbeat ruined it.
With that it mind, it sure was refreshing to hear that hot fierce fiddle ripping through the chorus of Lady A's current single, "Our Kind of Love." Now, don't get your hopes up, traditionalists - they're not hearkening back to the days of Conway and Loretta. However, this song does have a distinct feeling of being country - contemporary country, that is. The obligatory guitar riffs are still included, but that's not enough to stop this from being Lady A's best-produced single so far.
The song's lyrics are not always particularly engaging, though we've definitely heard worse. The song attempts to capture the enamored feeling one has when in love. It does so through some similes and metaphors ("You wear a smile like a summer sky"... "I swear your heart is a free bird") The lyrics include a few not-so-clever lines. "Just living in the moment"... "You somehow always know just what to say" - I'm pretty sure we've heard those before. But it seems like the main focus of the single is the infectious melody. Though there are a few weak points in the lyrics, the song still manages to create the romantic feeling that it aims for.
This is not Charles and Hillary's strongest vocal performance, but it's always fun to hear them duet. Unlike on many duets, which often sound like two separate singles squished into one, Charles and Hillary always sound like they are singing to each other, and not just to an audience, which is what really makes the performance come to life.
-
This single is far from perfect, but it's expertly produced, and it sure is fun. I wish I could give it credit for more, but I can't.
LADY A'S SCORE: 6
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)