The new year will bring new music for fans of Texas country singer Granger Smith. The first single available for download is 'We Do It in a Field,' a wide-open country party song that paints a pretty familar picture to anyone who grew up unafraid of getting dirt on their jeans when having a good time.
With George Strait announcing a retirement from the road after his next tour, it's tempting to gush all over his new single 'Give It All We Got Tonight' like a school girl going on about a cute new teacher. A wave of nostalgia threatens objectivity, even though Strait will still be recording after 2014. The first song from his upcoming new album can be summed up in three words...
Vulnerability is not Montgomery Gentry's specialty. Country music's toughest duo aim to be the good guy in 'I'll Keep the Kids,' but in the context of their personal lives, the divorce ballad tastes like sour grapes.
Call it hokey if you want, but try not to smile while listening to Josh Turner's new song 'Find Me a Baby.' The second single from 'Punching Bag' is more fun than anything of his since 'Why Don't We Just Dance' from 2009. Turner exemplifies everything one hopes marriage will be.
Chris Young darkens his stamp as country music's most reliable romancer with his new single 'I Can Take It From There.' The uptempo lover is reminiscent of 'Gettin' You Home,' but not quite that sexy.
Faith Hill has a new album finished, but it seems fans won't get to hear it until a single sticks. 'American Heart' is at least the third new song fans nationwide have heard -- including 'Come Home' and the title track, 'Illusion,' played during the 'CMA Music Festival' special on ABC. Like the others, it's a thick production made accessible by the wonder of Hill's voice.
'El Cerrito Place' is the signature song on Kenny Chesney's new 'Welcome to the Fishbowl' album. Its release as a single makes certain the direction the singer has chosen for his future. Stadium anthems may be yesterday's news, replaced by revealing ballads that can be uncomfortable to listen to for the very first time.
Gloriana’s new single ‘Can’t Shake You’ takes time to build, but by the second verse, the trio is able to put real hurt into a mid-tempo song about failed love and regret. The second-to-last chorus finds a Gossin brother (Tom, Mike… who can tell them apart without looking at them?) digging deep for what may be the most vulnerable moment on their new ‘A Thousand Miles Left Behind’ album.
Eli Young Band have notched back-to-back No. 1 hits, although it’s not clear how they’re doing it. Nothing about the band is conventional country music. Their new single ‘Say Goodnight’ is similarly moody and understated — almost emo-country, if such a genre exists. That could be the secret to their magic.
Dierks Bentley has done something interesting with his new single ‘Tip It on Back’ from the ‘Home’ album. The singer marries the spirit of songs like ‘Free and Easy’ — and more recently, ‘Am I the Only One’ — with the sexy pace of his most famous ballads (think ‘Come a Little Closer’ and ‘Feel That Fire’).
Rachel Holder’s new single ‘In Your Arms’ is a showcase for a singer who’s skilled vocally, but in need of life experience to carry such a majestic and cathartic love ballad. She’ll draw comparisons to Martina McBride and Shania Twain, but the 19-year-old doesn’t own the fragility of love like a more experienced singer might.
It’s difficult to overstate how important ‘Kick It in the Sticks’ is to Brantley Gilbert‘s career and the direction of country music. It’s a line drawn in the red Georgia clay — after two releases that held back — to allow those not previously familiar with the Jefferson-born singer to get acquainted with his pacing and style. This is his ‘Free Bird,’ in that it’s the first song fans and critics will mention in association with this talented artist.
