Heidi Newfield, "Stay Up Late"

Five years ago, Heidi Newfield departed her band Trick Pony to embark on a solo career.  Her debut album produced one memorable single in the Cash-tribute ballad "Johnny and June," but overall failed to make a major impact at radio.  With "Stay Up Late," her first single since 2009, Heidi is back for another stab at the country charts.  Though the single is clearly tailor-made for endless radio airplay, it does not sound like a promising entry for a 40-year-old female artist who was never a member of the automatic-add club to begin with.

This is a prime example of an idea that could have worked, but just didn't take off.  Heidi's distinct vocals are right on the mark, but the song itself is nothing more than a snoozingly simple play-by-play description of a night of romance.  It never delves beneath the surface layer into the emotions and desires that stimulate the actions it describes.  The lyrics don't communicate them, and the thick pop-country production only turns this night of intimacy into an overly audacious house party.  The production certainly doesn't make up for the problem that we're essentially listening to a musical to-do list that's entirely one-dimensional.  It's all "what" with no "why."

The main issue with "Stay Up Late" is one that is common to many of the ditties that are in rotation on country radio.  All it aims to be is an inoffensive distraction.  In reality, one of the major reasons why people are complaining about country's current state is because country radio is increasingly saturated with cheap fluff just like this.

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

HEAR IT

Jamey Johnson, "Heartache"

If you haven't heard Jamey Johnson's new single yet, then I'm going to be quite frank with you - It's very creepy. 

The song's narrator is the personafication of "Heartache."  He was "born in a cave in the time of dinosaurs when a cave man caught his woman lovin' on the missin' link livin' next door."  In a low growl, he declares that he's "gnawin' on your pretty little wife" and merely "savin' you for later."  He even recalls a few of his "pretty good days" (involving Antony and Cleopatra, Jackie and J.F.K., Charles and Diana, et cetera), and then claims that "We're about to have some real fun."

Now let me pose a simple question to you:  Could anyone possibly play this character as convincingly as Jamey Johnson does?  Imagine if "Heartache" were performed by one of the typically happy-go-lucky acts such as Martina McBride or Sugarland.  It could easily have wound up a total farce.  But on the other hand, Jamey's deep-throated drawl is nothing if not the perfect fit for such darkly sinister subject matter.  Subdued organ tones and electric guitar chords offer the ideal sonic backdrop.  Seriously, when you listen to this single, doesn't it scare you at least a little bit?

Without a doubt, Jamey's "Heartache" is the best single 2011 has produced thus far (acknowledging the fact that that competition has not been particularly stiff).  Even just on paper, "Heartache" is a solid song.  It is a strikingly clever and unique concept that sounds like nothing we have heard on country radio in recent years.  But what really makes this a great record is the way Jamey just owns it!

JAMEY'S SCORE:  9
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT

Rascal Flatts, "I Won't Let Go"

I kind of saw this coming.  Sure, Rascal Flatts gave us one of the best singles of 2010 with "Why Wait," but now they're sinking back into their usual routine of depressing me.

Admittedly, this single could have been much worse.  Gary LeVox gives a restrained vocal delivery, and though the production gets a bit louder toward the end, it never totally erupts into bombastic self-indulgence (which has been a problem in the past for Rascal Flatts).  Their performance is solid, and the harmonies are there, so at least "I Won't Let Go" is easy on the ears.

To the boys' credit, they certainly do sound like they believe in this song.  But that doesn't quite overcome the fact that the said song is basically a giant cliche-pile.  Lyrics such as "I will stand by you/ I will help you through/ When you've done all you can do..." are awfully generic.  It's hard to tell what's even going on in whatever story this song is attempting to tell.  We have little insight into what the difficult struggle is that these characters are going through, and it's hard to even guess who's singing to whom.

It is definitely well-sung.  But this is still just another bland and interchangeable love song, and there's not enough to recommend it over all the other bland and interchangeable love songs on country radio.  But radio plays it, and their fans buy it, so why would the Flatts care that nobody is going to remember these songs after the chart run ends?

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

Zac Brown Band, "Colder Weather"

The Zac Brown Band is loved by many for bringing the "country" back to country radio with fiddle-laden feel-good tunes such as their recent smash "As She's Walking Away."  But their new single "Colder Weather" - an appropriate release for this time of year - stands out as one of the group's more crossover-friendly efforts.  While it will still prove to be a fine fit for country radio, it wouldn't sound out of place on an adult contemporary station either.  In some ways it recalls the classics rock power ballads of past decades, but it's stripped of the typical bombast with the vocals and piano pulling the majority of the weight.  The production builds up to a peak in the bridge after the second chorus, but throughout the song it retains enough restraint to keep from being an unnecessary distraction.

Zac's character is a "ramblin' man" with a "gypsy soul" - a man who was "born for leavin'."  But he finds himself torn between his inborn nature, and the lover he's left behind in Colorado.  The narrative lets us sympathize with both of these characters.  The song does not reveal any ultimate resolution.  We are not told if this man ever gives up his rambling ways, but we are told that the thought of his woman haunts him wherever he goes.  "It's a shame about the weather," the man laments.  But we can't help but wonder if it really is the weather that's keeping him away, or of it's really his longing for the open road, and the weather is merely a thin cover-up.  Such layered story elements are strikingly effective at portraying the conflict this character faces between his two competing desires. 

Even though there are few traditional country elements on this record, it still conveys loneliness and longing almost as well as our favorite good old pedal-steel barroom weepers.  Solid storytelling combines with wistful harmonies and an organic arrangement to make "Colder Weather" a fine single from all angles.

ZAC'S SCORE:  8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT

Album Review: Wanda Jackson - The Party Ain't Over

All hail the queen of rockabilly!  The legendary Wanda Jackson enjoyed a career as one of the most popular rockabilly artists of the 1950s, and then went on to become a successful mainstream country star, eventually becoming a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Now she's back with a new album helmed by producer Jack White - the same visionary who led Loretta Lynn to Grammy glory with their 2004 project Van Lear Rose.  Their pairing brings about a creative triumph of an album in which retro meets modern, and everybody has a great time.

On this new project, Wanda takes us through a rip-roaring genre-busting set of classic covers.  Everyone from Little Richard to Jimmie Rogers to Amy Winehouse is given the Wanda Jackson rockabilly treatment.  Her energetic horn-infused versions of Little Richard's "Rip It Up" and Bob Dylan's "Thunder On the Mountain," the latter of which in particular is a spunkier-than-ever reinterpretation of the original, are a few of the album's highlights.  She gets more laid-back and sultry with her slow-burning take on "Teach Me Tonight."  She delivers an solid performance of "Shakin' All Over," but some unnecessary editing effects do weigh the track down a bit.

The only misstep on the album is her rocked-up version of the Gospel song "Dust On the Bible."  Let's face it - "Dust On the Bible" was not meant to be a party song.  On that particular track, a stripped-down arrangement would have been much more befitting, such as that found on the following track "Blue Yodel No. 6."  Thus Wanda closes out the album by getting her yodel on with a Jimmie Rogers classic.

As we would expect, Wanda's performances ooze personality, spunk, and sass, just as they always have.  While this may be a covers album, it is still unmistakably Wanda.  The musical arrangements of The Party Ain't Over turn it into a wildly fun throwback to Wanda's rockabilly glory days.  Sure, she may be 73-years old, but one listen to The Party Ain't Over will show anyone that Wanda's partying days are far from over.

WANDA'S SCORE:  8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

BUY IT ON AMAZON

Aaron Lewis, "Country Boy"

Two things I'm getting tired of: (1) Washed-up rockers emigrating to country music (2) Songs that scream "I'm so country!" in the most typically one-dimensional format imaginable.  This is the first single I've heard that was guilty of both offenses.

First of all, Aaron, I have a hard time believing you here.  You were the frontman of the rock group Staind.  Now this guy's coming out and telling us that he really was a country boy all along?  Or is he saying "A country boy is all I'll ever be... starting NOW"?  It's an unfortunate truth that being the frontman of a rock group hurts your country cred, and when a rocker-gone-country comes right out of the gate proclaiming his countryness, it is not going to sound authentic.  That problem is not helped by the fact that "Country Boy" essentially sounds like a rock song.

The lack of authenticity may be the most obvious problem, but even the most Southern backwoods hick of an artist would have a hard time selling me this song.  It might seem more authentic coming from such an artist, but the song is still a bore.  The melody plods along in a lethargic and repetitive manner, and the lyrics just string together all the palatable sentiments that country radio loves to hear.  It begins with the typical images of dirt roads and drinking.  The next verse, which is actually semi-interesting, describes how Aaron has maintained his country-boy identity despite pressure from his record label.  Then the song ends with some safe and inoffensive expressions of patiotism. (I'm not quite sure how the line "A couple extra pounds never really hurt" is supposed to fit in here) The verses are loosely-connected at best, with each verse culminating in his declaration of being a country boy, but there's no discernible running theme beyond that.

While Aaron portrays himself as one who refuses to bow to current trends in the music business, such a claim would carry much more weight if this song as a whole did not carry the unmistakable stench of pandering.  At any rate, "Country Boy" doesn't seem to bode well for Aaron's country career.  If this song tops the country charts, I just might toss my cookies.

AARON'S SCORE:  3
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

WATCH THE VIDEO

Josh Kelley, "Georgia Clay"/ Joanna Smith, "Georgia Mud"

Though these two nostalgia-themed country songs share many similarities, the artists behind them have been following markedly different career paths.  Newcomer Joanna Smith previously took an unsuccessful stab at the country charts with the gimmicky novelty tune "Gettin' Married," which saw its weak chart run finish almost as soon as it started.  Josh Kelley's current claims to fame are (1) Being the older brother of Lady A's Charles Kelley (2) Being Mr. Katherine Heigl (3) The Top 10 Adult Contemporary hits "Amazing" and "Only You" from 2003 and 2005, respectively.  After his pop career fizzled out, his brother's country band became a platinum-selling success, and now here comes big brother Josh to stake his claim in country territory.  Coincidence?  You be the judge.

Forgive me if I'm over-reaching here, but "Georgia Clay" sounds like it's trying way too hard to sound like everything else on country radio.  Since Josh is another immigrant from the pop market, "Georgia Clay" includes a few steel guitar fills and pickup truck references so as not to throw any curves at the country fan base.  Sadly, "Georgia Clay" is weighed down by uninteresting lyrics that sound just like every other nostalgic country tune.  An additional problem is that when you sing about Georgia clay stuck on the wheels of a pickup truck, those lyrics call for a much more raw and earthy sound than what we hear on this record.  This is one case where clean and polished pop-rock production just doesn't work at all.  The single's biggest shortcoming is that it offers no insight into what qualities and talents Josh brings to country music besides a capable singing voice and the requisite movie star good looks.

Joanna's "Georgia Mud" doesn't exactly boast groundbreaking lyrics, but they're solid enough to tell the story effectively.  We see here that Joanna actually has much more singing talent than her debut single led us to believe.  Her delivery of "Gettin' Married" was shrill and unwieldy, but her performance of "Georgia Mud" is nothing short of charming - rich, and layered with shades of emotion.  The light mandolin-laced ballad has a nice breezy laid-back vibe, and Joanna just eases into it gracefully.  She gives the song enough energy to avoid sounding boring, but not so much as to be overwhelming.  Even if one raised a quizzical brow at Joanna's debut single, "Georgia Mud" effectively arouses our curiosity as to what else this gal has up her sleeve.

Obviously, we don't expect new artists to start cranking out classics as soon as they get their start in country music, but a good debut single will highlight an artist's strengths to give a positive introduction to the new voice.  "Georgia Mud" displays charisma, personality, and strong interpretive abilities, while "Georgia Clay" just sounds like it's trying fit in.  In the cases of these two artists, a good introduction "Georgia Clay" isn't, and "Gettin' Married" wasn't, but "Georgia Mud" is.  Final verdict:  I'll take Joanna's "Mud," but I'll pass on Josh's "Clay."

JOSH'S SCORE:  5

JOANNA'S SCORE:  7

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

WATCH THE "GEORGIA CLAY" VIDEO

Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock, "Good to Be Me"

A duet between Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker?  Be still, my beating heart.

These two Michigan boys are incredibly easy for a critic to dismiss on the basis that they are "not country."  Are they country?  Not by a long stretch.  You could try pinning a "country-pop" or "country-rock" label onto them, but even that doesn't quite stick.  But the "not country" argument is a bit of an easy-out, since there are much more important factors to judge than whether or not a song sounds "country."

...Which means, in turn, that this single's non-countryness is the least of its problems.  I can be led to believe that Kid and Kracker at least "like" country music, and may have a measure of respect for the genre.  But their country radio offerings, both separately and as duet cohorts, have mostly consisted of bland and forgettable fare (with the notable exception of Kid Rock's "Picture").  "All Summer Long" was a cheap Lynyrd Skynyrd rip-off.  "Smile" sounded like it was written by a first grader.  "Good to Be Me" fails to build on their not-terribly-respectable country music legacy.

Uncle Kracker is celebrated almost as much for his vocal imperfections as for his talents, but his singing on this track is just flat-out no good, and Kid Rock certainly doesn't save it.  Even the world's greatest vocal acrobats would have a hard time selling this silly set of lyrics.  But if one insists on singing about catching some "crazy happy disease," the performance needs a lot more spirit and zest than what these two vocalists put into it.  This entire tracks sounds languid, listless, and lackadaisical.  Listen to it while driving, and it just might put you in danger of falling asleep at the wheel.

If and when Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker start giving us material that is distinctive, engaging, and well-sung, then I will welcome them to the country genre with open arms.  But at the moment, all they're doing is further entrenching country music in the deep artistic rut that it's currently in.  We could quibble over the genre label all day, but there would be no real point in it.  Is bland pop, bland rock, bland hip-hop, or bland country?  Who cares?  Garbage is still garbage no matter which can you toss it into.

KID AND KRACKER'S SCORE:  3
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

WATCH THE VIDEO

Reba McEntire, "If I Were a Boy"

Reba covering a Beyonce pop hit?  Seriously?  While far from being her first attempt at a cover song, it may seem odd for a country music legend to be covering a song by a squarely modern mainstream pop star such as Beyonce.  The young starlets like Beyonce should be the ones covering Reba's songs, not vice-versa, right?  But, in all honesty, would such complaints exist if the world had never heard Beyonce's original version of "If I Were a Boy"?

While it may seem like a bit of an oddball cover choice for Reba, it is hard to make an argument for this song being beneath Reba's talents.  "If I Were a Boy," penned by Toby Gad and B.C. Jean, is a well-written song that examines gender gaps in a relationship.  The female narrator imagines herself as a male in her significant other's shoes, vowing that she would "be a better man," and wishing that her man in turn would make an effort to understand her and her feelings.

That may seem more convincing coming from 27-year-old pop diva than from a 55-year-old country star, but Reba sells it with her performance.  While we may more readily imagine such a scenario in a younger relationship, Reba's age does not invalidate the possibility of her having gone through a similar experience herself.  It's also noteworthy that Reba's take on "If I Were a Boy" if far from being a copy.  When compared with Beyonce's version, one may notice that Reba's vocal nuances are surprisingly different than Beyonce's.  Reba begins the song in a low and restrained tone, but lets her voice rise as the song continues.  Still, her performance carries an air of sincerity throughout, and we never get the feeling that we're just listening to a really good karaoke singer.  Her vocal carries the song through an unnecessary rise in production that pushes the song to power ballad status, but the single mercifully never approaches the utter cacophony of "Turn On the Radio."

As expected, Reba puts a country spin on the tune, but the country elements do not sound slapped-on.  The subtle steel guitar chords sound very much in character with the emotions expressed in the song, and they country elements neither seem superfluous, nor do they seem to stick out awkwardly.  It's still a far cry from traditional country music, but it's not hard to imagine this song being originally intended for the pop-country market.  In addition, this single does not sound far removed from the pop-country stylings Reba explored on her previous album.

There are a million ways Reba's remake could have gone wrong, but she turns in a strong performance on this track.  Sure, this cover may be another reflection of Reba's "appeal to the younguns" strategy, but once you get over the obvious inappropriateness of Reba covering Beyonce, you will find that this is actually a surprisingly good single.  There have been instances when some of Reba's best covers went so far as to eclipse the originals (Think "Fancy" and "The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia").  While that's unlikely to happen in this instance, it shows what a unique interpretive ability Reba has when paired with a worthy song.  It's to Reba's credit as a vocalist that she was able to make her take on "If I Were a Boy" sound this natural.

REBA'S SCORE:  8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

HEAR IT

Album Review: Steel Magnolia

The second-season winners of CMT's Can You Duet kick off their self-titled debut album with some fun and catchy fluff.  Despite a title that immediately screams "ditty," "Ooh La La" is actually pretty good fluff, with a sprightly banjo line and some flirty interplay between members Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey.  Top Five debut single "Keep On Lovin' You" might touch your catchy bone at first, but the lyrically-sparse tune may wear thin after continued exposure.  But in general, Josh and Meaghan's best moments are often the lighthearted ones, with the awesomely-produced country-meets-reggae tune "Rainbow" being one major highlight.

Steel Magnolia generally takes up residence in the pop-country camp, with drumbeats and guitar licks giving it a modern and polished flair, while generous amounts of banjo and steel give it a discernible country identity.  But when the album reaches its end, the twosome tones back their sound for the soft and sweet acoustic ballad "Glass Houses."  The pop-friendly ear candy stylings lead one to suspect some Keith Urban influence, which seems likely considering that the duo covers an Urban tune ("Homespun Love") from his days with The Ranch.  Ironically, "Homespun Love" ranks as one of the most roots-oriented country-sounding tracks on the album.

The undeniable chemistry between Josh and Meaghan makes their performances a real treat, with Josh's smooth rock-and-roll baritone and Meaghan's soulful Southern drawl sweetly blending together like chocolate and peanut butter.  The album is dominated by full-fledged duets between the two cohorts, making Steel Magnolia unmistakably a duo effort.

By far, the album's most notable misstep is the second single "Just By Being You (Halo and Wings) which takes limp lovey-dovey balladry to new heights of cheesiness and pure sap.    While there are a few lackluster mid-tempos, the overall product is a fun and frisky country romp that provides plenty of entertainment for the present, while suggesting even greater potential for the future.

STEEL MAGNOLIA'S SCORE:  7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

BUY IT ON AMAZON