Toby Keith, "Trailerhood"

Toby Keith has never been one to take himself too seriously.  His current single "Trailerhood," from his upcoming album of the same title, doesn't pretend to be anything more than what it is:  dumb fun.  The problem is that the song is a little too much dumb, and not enough fun.

As its title suggests, "Trailerhood" is a description of life in a trailer park (something that a successful country music artist would no doubt be familiar with). It has a pleasant and bouncy rhythm, but the lyrics just don't go anywhere.  The first verse describes a neighbor sitting out in the sun by his pool and drinking beer - Been there, seen that.  The second verse is about gambling - okayyy...  The chorus merely declares that "There's something going on out in the Trailerhood."  Nothing that the verses describe is particularly noteworthy, funny, or in any way out of the ordinary.  The song is not so much "bad" as it is pointless.  There's just nothing here to make one want to raise the volume, let alone hit "REPEAT."

I'm not against novelty songs.  Brad Paisley has given us a few good ones (and a few not-so-good ones).  But in the case of "Trailerhood," it just isn't witty or clever enough to be worth anything.

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

HEAR IT:  (Live acoustic version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFbb9EcQJ5U
To hear the studio version, click the "Cool New Music" link.

No Justice, "Love Song"

Meet the band that just might be the Lone Star State’s best-kept secret. No Justice has already gained a loyal fan following in Texas, and has shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Jack Ingram, and Dierks Bentley. On July 6, they will release their national debut album 2nd Avenue. The kickoff single is called “Love Song.”

Don’t be fooled by the title. “Love Song” definitely is not. It is a well-written song about an encounter with an ex-lover, in which the man in the song suggests that they rekindle their romance. The first verse describes the circumstances surrounding the breakup, with the narrator explaining how his pride got the best of him, and 'what he felt were things that he couldn't say.' In the second verse, he says he has learned his lesson, and vows to be a better man. Lead singer Steve Rice flat-out sells the vocal delivery in a sultry “come-on” type of performance that is full of character. He doesn’t just sing the words and hit the notes, but he also demonstrates strong interpretive abilities.

The heavy country-rock production may be difficult for some country purists to digest. Granted, it is a bit hard to imagine a single like this being played next to Alan Jackson and George Strait. But when you consider how country music has evolved in the past decades, it may not seem so out of place after all.

I’m just glad that this isn’t another stereotypical country-boy anthem or a frivolous summer party tune. It may be a rather unconventional form of country music, but “Love Song” is still a rock-solid choice for a single.

NO JUSTICE’S SCORE: 8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

Little Big Town, "Little White Church"

Where on earth did this come from? Little Big Town has been in a commercial slump. I thought their career was virtually over! And then, all of the sudden, I see them climbing back up the charts with the coolest song I’ve heard this summer!

“Little White Church” is the first single from LBT’s upcoming fourth album The Reason Why. By now, you’ve probably heard it a few times, but let’s consider what makes it such an awesome single. The song is backed by an instrumental line-up that is deceptively simple, yet still interesting, consisting of fast-paced acoustic strumming with electric guitar riffs tastefully inserted. The hand clapping in the pre-chorus is icing on the cake. Finish it off with a spunky and authoritative lead vocal from Karen Fairchild, enhanced by LBT’s signature four-part harmonies that have been sorely missed on country radio.

The song already sounds awesome enough, but when you take a look at the lyrics, you see that they actually aren’t half bad. The female narrator admonishes her lover for not taking their relationship seriously. She tells him to take her “down to the little white church” and marry her. Otherwise, their relationship will end. Thus, the band has produced a song that, besides being insidiously catchy and fun, has a positive message about commitment in a relationship. (I wonder if Miranda Lambert has been playing this song for Blake Shelton lately) For some extra spice, they sprinkle in clever lines such as “I might be cheap, but I ain’t free” and “No more chicken and gravy/ Ain’t gonna have your baby…” Zing! Let him have it, girl!

A crazy-awesome Southern-flavored backwoods romp like this one might be just what country radio needs to get out of this period of utter dullness. It’s hard to guess how high this song will peak on the charts, considering LBT’s inconsistent chart performance history, but an ambitious single such as this has potential to be the biggest hit of the band’s career.

LBT’S SCORE: 10
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

SEE THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B077Dw_zDe0

Eric Church, "Smoke a Little Smoke"

This is one artist who perplexes me to no end.  He professes to be a modern-day member of the outlaw movement - part of a distinctive class of artists who aren't afraid to buck the trends and break the rules.  Yet, much of his output has been dominated by contrived, cliche-ridden country-rock fluff.  But his current single, "Smoke a Little Smoke," manages to seperate itself from his more stereotypical songs.  The production style is not country, but at least it doesn't annoy me by halfheartedly pretending to be country.

The song's narrator is a man who, after a bad breakup, just aimlessly sits around abusing drugs and alcohol.  Eric even hints at the use of illegal drugs ("Dig down deep, find my stash..."), so this song is definitely not squeaky clean.  The song's lyrics are somewhat repetitive, and not particularly interesting.  But what is interesting is the way the production mirrors the lyrics - the musicians sound like they're high on something!  "Smoke a Little Smoke" is full of snaky guitar riffs that disinctly set it apart from any other song on the radio.

This may not be the best song to hit country radio this year, but hey, I have to give Eric a few creativity points.

ERIC'S SCORE: 6

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT

Julianne Hough, "Is That So Wrong"

She's back! Julianne Hough's 2008 debut met with marginal success, yielding the minor Top 20 hit "That Song In My Head," and earning her a fan-voted ACM Award for Top New Artist. But she never quite gained a firm hold on radio, as she and her label had hoped. Now she's taking another shot at radio success with the first single from her upcoming second album.

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"Is That So Wrong" is an emotional ballad that was influenced by Julianne's recent breakup with fellow country star Chuck Wicks. The song's narrator is a woman who has just gone through a difficult breakup, and is eager to pursue a new relationship. The lyrics are decent, but not outstanding.

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Since Julianne's debut album was criticized for having "dated" production, her new producer Dann Huff gives her new single a more modernized pop-country sound. The song is backed by electric guitar and percussion, with the occasional twang of a steel guitar. If you were a fan of the 90s-style country sound of her first album, as I was, you might find her new sound rather difficult to digest. But believe me - it grows on you.

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One listen to this song is enough to tell you that Julianne's pipes are still in fine repair. She delivers the song's verses in a deeply emotional aching and pleading tone, which is easily the single's most positive quality. With a solid single such as this, Julianne Hough just might be able to waltz her way into the Country Top 10.

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JULIANNE'S SCORE: 7

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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HEAR IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87SIPBhOSCA

Steel Magnolia, "Just By Being You (Halo and Wings)"

"If My Heart Had Windows"; "Forever and Ever, Amen"; "You're Still the One"; "It's Your Love"; "I Could Not Ask for More" - Country music is one genre that boasts some of the greatest love songs ever heard. Unfortunately, Steel Magnolia's current single has no place among the aforementioned classics.

Joshua Scott Jones and Meaghan Linsey have talent coming out their ears - there's no denying that. Their rich and soulful vocals won over the judges on CMT's Can You Duet, and they won the show's second season as a result. The problem with Steel Magnolia is that they tend to go for style over substance. Though their performances are almost always entertaining, we have yet to hear them release a song with truly impressive lyrics. They try to go for the romance with their current single "Just By Being You (Halo and Wings)," but this song is hardly worth the efforts of such a talented duo.

Being the heartless and tactless critic that I am, I took off my halo and wings a long time ago. Here's the problem: "Halo and Wings" sounds like a plagiarizing of a Hallmark card. It's chalked full of romantic-sounding platitudes: 'Let's run away together!' 'I love you just the way you are!' 'You don't have to be invincible!' 'You don't have to be perfect!' 'Just say my name!' The song message can be summed up as one desperate plea: "Play me on the radio! I'm inoffensive!"

If Josh and Meaghan were bent on recording this song, it should have been album filler, because it is a weak choice for a radio single. It may become a hit anyway, but only because Steel Magnolia is still riding the wave of "Keep On Lovin' You." The only thing this song has potential for is to be one more cheesy love song that everybody loves to hate. And that's assuming that anybody even remembers this song fifteen years from now.

STEEL MAGNOLIA'S SCORE: 5

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ckCrfKARGA

Ray Stephenson, "Farmboy"

Enter another member of the "countrier-than-thou" generation - TwangTown Records newcomer Ray Stephenson. His debut single, "Farmboy," is as country as a turnip green. The charming sound of the fiddle and banjo are a welcome relief from the twang-free pop that is often marketed as country.

But underneath all those fiddles, "Farmboy" is merely a paper thin declaration of being an "F-A-R-M-B-O-Y." The first verse, describing hard work on a farm, is almost identical to Rodney Atkins' "Farmer's Daughter." The lyrics pull out all the stops for a country hit - (1) Mention drinking water from a hose (2) Give the family dogs a shout-out (3) Namecheck a legend - in this case Robert Earl Keen (3) Drool over hot country girls... Shall I continue?

Top it all off with a lackluster vocal performance that struggles to stay on key. The result is an unoriginal surefire hit delivered by a semi-competent vocalist. "Farmboy" has the added misfortune of being associated with the stampede of stereotypical country-boy anthems that country radio often plays to death. When a song has weaknesses like that, all the fiddles and banjos in the world are not enough to save it.

RAY'S SCORE: 5

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

SEE THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdz04tf7glg

Mary Chapin Carpenter, "I Put My Ring Back On"

"I Put My Ring Back On" was the first single from Mary Chapin Carpenter's recently-released album The Age of Miracles. It did not enter the country charts, so most of you probably never got to hear it.

The lyrics describe the healing of a troubled marital relationship. In the heat of a dispute, the song's narrator has removed her wedding ring and thrown it down... "down, down, down." But she eventually puts her ring back on, realizing that "here with you is where I belong." She realistically acknowledges that their relationship is still far from perfect, and that love and marriage are still just as difficult as ever, but she is prepared to continue facing those difficulties without giving up.

These lyrics make for a heartwarming make-up song, bolstered by a pleasant lilting melody, that puts a smile on your face. The simple folk-pop production is not distinctly country, but that's because Mary Chapin Carpenter is no longer trying to squeeze herself into the mold of a typical "country singer." She is now recording on an independant label, and is no longer a mainstream country hitmaker, so there's really no need. One of Mary's admirable traits is that she has always allowed her lyrics and vocals to speak for themselves - she does not have to rely on catchy hooks to grab the listener's attention. Her new music retains these traits in full.

This song does not sound at all like the music currently heard on country radio, but it some ways, it's better. I definitely would have enjoyed hearing this one on radio. Check it out.

MARY CHAPIN'S SCORE: 9

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT: http://www.myspace.com/marychapincarpenter/music/playlists

Katie Armiger, "Leaving Home"

Katie Armiger's previous single, "Kiss Me Now," peaked at #55 on the country singles chart. That might not sound impressive, but after cranking out one single after another for three years, it was her first single to enter the chart in the first place. Katie now takes another shot at the Top 40 with "Leaving Home."

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I think there's a reason why Cold River Records is trying so hard to get Katie noticed. Just listen to her performance on this track! She can flat-out sing a country-pop song. Even at the young age of 18, her powerhouse vocals have already earned her comparisons to the likes of Sara Evans and Martina McBride. Her vocal delivery on "Leaving Home" is outstandingly nuanced and expressive. She raises her pitch when she sings "We might be miles apart/ I'll carry you in my heart," which makes the performance even more interesting and pleasant to hear.

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While the song's lyrics are definitely age appropriate, they do fall in the generic range as they describe a young woman leaving home to chase her dreams and find her place in the world. The piano-driven instrumentation sounds good at the beginning of the song, but as the song continues, the production morphs into a slightly overblown combination of string sections and over-zealous drumming.

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But despite the song's minor weaknesses, Katie's showstopping vocals hold the song together and make it a broadly enjoyable listen.

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KATIE'S SCORE: 7

(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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HEAR IT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1WYqYRmL9k

Randy Rogers Band, "Too Late for Goodbye"

These guys have been trying to crack the Top 40 ever since 2005, and so far they have met with repeated failures. Will the Randy Rogers Band's current single, "Too Late for Goodbye," give them their long-awaited breakthrough?

Though this tune has decent production, featuring some nifty work on the guitar and fiddle, the song seems clumsily written. The song's lyrics attempt to describe the impending end of a relationship. In the song, the narrator's once-significant other is giving him the "We need some time apart" routine, but he tells her that it's too late to save their relationship. Frankly, I can't tell how the declaration "It's too late for goodbye" is supposed to drive that point home - it makes little sense. Why does he say that "it's too late for goodbye" when it seems that he is about to say just that - "goodbye"? Randy goes on to assert that "It's too late/ It's all gone/ You had your chance/ You took too long," among other things. In the end, the song comes off as a rambling tirade with no real direction to it. He tops it all off with a pointless cliche ("Let me beat you to the punch").

Though the lyrics are not impressive, it's mainly the vocal performance that does the song in. When Randy sings lines such as "After all the hell you put me through," he should actually sound like he has been put through hell, but his weak delivery does not fully convey the song's emotions. The performance is not convincing, and it ultimately falls flat.

RANDY'S SCORE: 4
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

To hear this song, click the "Cool New Music" link in the "More Cool Sites" link list.