102.3 Blake FM » Reviews

Trace Adkins (Feat. Colbie Caillat), 'Watch the World End' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:00:42 +0000

There’s an intentional darkness that lingers over Trace Adkins‘ new single ‘Watch the World End,’ a duet with pop singer Colbie Caillat. It’s an effective love song that also succeeds in painting a vivid picture of the apocalypse. The ballad is both heartwarming and terrifying. Tempo, arrangement and performance all add to the details Adkins [...]

Tony's Review of 'Man of Steel'

Tony Kerns — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:49:11 +0000

As a 32-year-old Superman fan, I’ve yet to have a great interpretation of Kal-El in my lifetime. The two amazing Christopher Reeve films were in the 70s, his last two films were terrible, the “Lois and Clark” TV series was OK at best, “Smallville” was to Superman what “Twilight” was to vampires, and “Superman Returns” was an abomination that nearly killed the legacy

Love and Theft, 'If You Ever Get Lonely' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:45:03 +0000

'If You Ever Get Lonely,' the new single from Love and Theft, makes vanilla taste like chili powder. The song was previously recorded by former Bad English singer John Waite, and Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson do little to put their individual marks on the story or production.

Morgan Frazier, 'Yellow Brick Road' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:00:52 +0000

Morgan Frazier plays Dorothy to the men she comes upon in her major label debut single 'Yellow Brick Road,' but she's hardly the shy, nervous character from the famous narrative. The 'Wizard of Oz' metaphor that drives this rocker is a clever way for the 19-year-old to get noticed, but the power of her voice is what will ultimately impress country music fans.

Dierks Bentley (Feat. Kacey Musgraves), 'Bourbon in Kentucky' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 29 May 2013 02:30:37 +0000

Dierks Bentley breaks from his longtime producer Brett Beavers to record his new single 'Bourbon in Kentucky.' Sonically, the song is more experimental than anything the Batman and Robin duo put together. Beavers and Bentley's best work shook like a rattlesnake or pierced deep into the veins with a heartbreaking poison capable of inducing painful flashbacks of past relationships. Few have been as successful over the past decade.

Tony's Review of "Star Trek Into Darkness"

Tony Kerns — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:42:46 +0000

J.J. Abrams has graced the silver screen with his follow-up to the successful reboot “Star Trek”, showing us as clearly as possible that he is not a fan of “Star Trek”.

Since the events of the previous film, newly promoted Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are sent to the planet Nibiru to observe the indigenous primitive population

Darius Rucker, 'True Believers' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:00:36 +0000

Darius Rucker sings with more energy than a nuclear power plant, but his new album 'True Believers' is safer than solar power. He captures the spirit of his live show -- one of the best in the business -- on each of the 12 tracks, but one yearns for for something unique and unexpected.

Trace Adkins, 'Love Will …' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:30:18 +0000

The idea behind Trace Adkins‘ new album ‘Love Will …’ makes so much sense you almost wonder why he hadn’t done it sooner. This collection of love songs is as obvious as the tagless T-shirt, yet for years we went without both. ‘Love Will …’ stops short of being able to melt wax on its [...]

Keith Urban, 'Little Bit of Everything' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:00:18 +0000

Perhaps it should be no surprise that after five months spent judging 'American Idol,' Keith Urban has delivered his most pop-friendly single to date in 'Little Bit of Everything.' The talented singer and guitarist uses tricks in production that a less established singer would be skewered for. The result is a delightful summer jam that's short on nutritional content.

Lauren Alaina, 'Barefoot and Buckwild' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:59 +0000

Meet the new Lauren Alaina. With just a few weeks of her senior year of high school remaining, the singer introduces a grown-up new look, grown-up style and grown-up attitude with her latest single, 'Barefoot and Buckwild.' It's especially difficult to find songs that fit when you're short on life experience, so the one-time 'American Idol' runner-up wrote her own ...

Joe Nichols, 'Sunny and 75′ – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:30:14 +0000

Joe Nichols‘ voice always has a way of putting one in a trance, and his performance on the new single ‘Sunny and 75′ is no less effective. He’s pure country gold, and when he’s paired with a great song, there are few surer things in Nashville. This is a good song. The arrangement and tempo [...]

Lady Antebellum, 'Golden' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:30:33 +0000

The best moments on Lady Antebellum's fourth album 'Golden' find Charles Kelley or Hillary Scott singing solo, with minimal help from the other on harmonies. There is no shortage of songs that act as features for the two talented vocalists. The evolution of the trio finds them becoming a dual threat super power instead of a two-headed pop-rock-country group.

Tony's Review of "Iron Man 3″

Tony Kerns — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:07:59 +0000

Another film trilogy has come to an end, but this trilogy has done what few before have been able to accomplish, save the best movie for last.

Taking place after the events of “The Avengers”, “Iron Man 3” opens with a flashback to New Year’s Eve 1999 where a very drunk and cocky Tony Stark is speaking at a symposium in Sweden, laying his moves on thick to scientist Maya Hansen, and blowing off disabled scientist Aldrich Killian who is promoting his think-tank, Advanced Idea Mechanics

Eric Paslay, 'Friday Night' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:00:52 +0000

Eric Paslay‘s new single ‘Friday Night’ genuinely feels like a carefree, summertime Friday night. It’s wide-open, catchy and easy to fall in love with, even if it’s not exactly crammed full of tangible memories. Paslay puts his stamp on this uptempo pop-country cut. His performance is charming without becoming distracting. His freestyling over the banjo [...]

Joanna Smith, 'Girls Are Crazy' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:45:35 +0000

In general, songs that paint an entire group of people with one broad brush stroke don't fare well on country radio, but Joanna Smith is hoping to prove 'em wrong with her new single 'Girls Are Crazy.' The peppy new track is fun and flirty, and a short hop backward for women in country music.

Granger Smith, 'Dirt Road Driveway' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:00:26 +0000

If you look back over Granger Smith's early album covers, you'll find that he presented himself as a hat act. Sonically he's come a long way since those efforts, with his latest album 'Dirt Road Driveway' falling squarely in the singer-songwriter sub-genre of country music. It's an album that would sound best at a coffee house, not a honky tonk.

Lee Brice, 'Parking Lot Party' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:00:23 +0000

Songs like Lee Brice‘s new single ‘Parking Lot Party’ are easy to dismiss. It doesn’t pack near as much punch as ‘I Drive Your Truck,’ but that’s far from his intent. The South Carolina-raised singer is looking to add to the tailgate soundtrack, and at this he’s successful. ‘Parking Lot Party’ is a song best [...]

Chris Cagle, 'Dance Baby Dance' – Song Review

Billy Dukes — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0000

‘Dance Baby Dance’ is one of the finest songs of Chris Cagle‘s career — perhaps his best ballad. A few fathers (and maybe a couple of mothers) will be wiping away tears before the end of the first verse. He hits that sweet spot between familiar and hokey. ‘Dance Baby Dance’ is a circle of [...]

Brad Paisley, 'Wheelhouse' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:00:46 +0000

Brad Paisley's 'Wheelhouse' delivers a familiar mix of humor, life lessons and scorching guitar solos, but it does it in a way different from any of the other eight albums the 'Beat This Summer' singer has released. He took his old formula, balled it up, lit it on fire and tossed the ashes in the garbage. The result is a meaty and ambitious project that doesn't always click, but clears new ground when it does.

Tony's Review of "Evil Dead"

Tony Kerns — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:19:23 +0000

Another remake? Yes, Hollywood has been out of original ideas for quite some time. However, “Evil Dead” takes the idea of a remake and does it the way it should, taking as little of the source material as necessary, and coming up with a new twist to make the new film a unique experience for the audience, both those new to the story and fans of the original