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Saturday, May 14, 2011

Craig Campbell, "Fish"

Songwriters:  Craig Campbell, Arlos Smith, Ashe Underwood

Craig Campbell's self-titled debut album has drawn well-deserved praise for a sound that is distinctly country enough to appeal to traditional-leaning fans, while still being fresh and contemporary enough to be commercially viable.  Where the album all too often goes wrong is in mediocre lyrics with a few failed attempts at cleverness.  In that regard, the current single "Fish" ranks as one of the worst offenders.

"Fish" draws on a double entendre in which a fishing trip is used as a drawn-out metaphor for sex.  It pairs a lethargic melody with a forgettable hook ("Man that girl sure loves to fish"), resulting in a real yawn of a single.  With cliche-filled verses that are continually dull in content, "Fish" is too nondescript to be offensive, and too bland to be amusing.  It's hard to determine the point of the song's existence.

I really do like Craig Campbell.  He's a talented guy with an enjoyable musical style.  But when it comes to showcasing Craig's talent and artistic potential, "Fish" is a wasted oppurtunity.

CRAIG'S SCORE:  5
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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