Category Archives: Reviews

Joe Nichols’ It’s All Good Album Review

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Joe Nichols’ Latest Album Is Classic Country With A Modern Twist! Joe Nichols has his brand new album coming out tomorrow (November 8)! It’s All Good is a fabulous collection of country tunes that I’m certain you are going to enjoy! For those of you who have been concerned with the route country music is taking, complaining that it has become too “pop”, well here is what you have been waiting for! Each track has an element of good-timing classic country with the slightest, yet refreshing touch of modern day flow! My absolute favorite song from this album is “The More I Look“, but I didn’t find one track that I wasn’t fond of! From “She’s Just Like That” to “No truck, No Boat, No Girl” or “How I Wanna Go” to his current single “Take It Off” there is not one part of life that this album doesn’t touch on. Each song in this grouping is perfectly written, with awesome music and a voice that will melt your heart! Joe was kind enough to let fans listen to the entire album this past week for free! There was a portion of the site reserved for comments and not a one had a negative theme! This is definitely a home run and something to be proud of! It’s no surprise, Joe has still got it! Track Listing 1. Take It Off 2. The More I Look 3. Somebody’s Mama 4. It’s All Good 5. This Ole Boy 6. I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You 7. No Truck, No Boat, No Girl 8. Never Gonna Get Enough 9. She’s Just Like That 10. How I Wanna Go

Miranda Lambert Four The Record Album Review

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Miranda Lambert Isn’t Holding Back On New Album. Miranda Lambert isn’t exactly known for being delicate, but after the release of her new album Four The Record, there really is no going back. One of the best things about Miranda is the unabashed strength, in her voice, music and the lyrics she sings. With this new album, she takes this quality to a whole new level. The short story is this album is amazing, and you absolutely need to listen to it immediately. If you want the long story, just keep reading. If I had to use one word to describe this album…(well, okay, how about two words?), I would choose raw and honest. From the instrumentals to the lyrics the content of Four The Record is thick with relevance, meaning and emotion, and Miranda delivers it with a punch. One thing I especially like is the variation in the instrumentals. It ranges from a kind of rock-esque sound with “Fine Tune“, a more old country feel with “Same Old You“, a slow, semi-folkish quality in “Oklahoma Sky” and “Look At Miss Ohio“, a more contemporary mainstream country vibe on “Better In The Long Run“, all the way to that very classic feisty Miranda quality in “Baggage Claim” (the first single off the album!). No matter how you slice it, there really is a little something on this album for a variety of tastes while still holding true to that country twang that we all know and love. There is an especially awesome Dolly-esque moment in “Same Old You” that shows where Miranda must be getting her influences (see if you can hear what I’m talking about, and get back to me!). Coupled with the amazing instrumentals and variation of sounds, Miranda offers up lyrics that are well-written and subtle which is something we’re not getting a whole lot of out of mainstream country these days. The first thing I love about the lyrics, is that they are not all love stories. Listening to the radio can get frustrating when everything sounds like a different version of the same old love story. We are definitely getting much more than that on this album. The first track, “All Kinds of Kinds” is slow and methodical with an almost sweet sound, and it paints a picture of those individuals society generally considers to be outcasts (from circus folk to cross-dressing politicians). The argument suggested is the world needs these outcasts, all kinds, to keep on spinnin’. “Mama’s Broken Heart” is a story of a broken-hearted girl, but she approaches the topic by delightfully describing a girl who isn’t willing to shut-up and save face. This really seems to capture that strong, not-gonna-take-it-lying-down country woman spirit that I love! “Look At Miss Ohio” gives us a story of girl who isn’t ready to settle down and conform, but wants to live a little for awhile. All three of these are not only not love songs, but give us stories of individuals who are Continue reading Miranda Lambert Four The Record Album Review→

Casey Donahew Band Double-Wide Dream Review

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Casey Donahew Band’s Latest Album, Double-Wide Dream, Will NOT Stop Running Through My Head! First of all we would love to give huge congratulations to the Casey Donahew Band on their success with sales so far, especially their exciting over-all ranking on the iTunes charts! Double-Wide Dream was released this past Monday, October 24, to a very positive response from fans! The album has definitely done Texas music proud! From start to finish the lyrics have you fully engaged, almost like a good book that you can’t put down! The title track, “Double-Wide Dream“, was co-written by Casey Donahew and JB Patterson and is light-hearted tune about a couple deeply in love! “Give You A Ring” has a little play on words. It wasn’t what I was expecting by the title, but it was a good surprise! “White Trash Story -II (The Deuce)” is another fun song that is the sequel to one of their biggest hits, “White Trash Story!” “I’d Give Anything”, “Let’s Not Say Goodbye Again”, and “Let You Go” are currently my top three picks from this album, but that could change at any time depending on my mood! “You know regrets they are the hardest lessons learned” -Regrets As all of CDB’s songs are, this album is full of life! You want to hear a song that you can relate to?! Go have a listen to ANY of their songs, off of ANY album. I promise it won’t take you long to find one and fall in love with this band and their sound all at the same time! Track Listing 1. Let You Go 2. Double-Wide Dream 3. Give You A Ring 4. Running Through My Head 5. Regrets 6. One Star Flag 7. I’d Give Anything 8. Let’s Not Say Goodbye Again 9. Could Be My Time 10. White Trash Story – II (The Deuce)

Vince Gill Guitar Slinger Album Review

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Can Vince Gill Do Any Wrong? Not On Guitar Slinger! Vince Gill’s first studio album in 5 years, Guitar Slinger, was released Monday, October 25. I would say this album is classic Vince Gill. It has upbeat, happy, comical, songs and heartfelt, soulful, real issue songs. It definitely has some great music set along to all of the beautifully written lyrics. Gill has this was of taking something and almost making it untouchable. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again…the man has a voice like no other! I could see this album not being as popular with the younger crowd, but by no means do I think that is a reflection of this bundle of work! I was very pleased and found “Tell Me Fool“, “Guitar Slinger“, “One More Thing I Wish I’d Said“, and “When the Lady Sings the Blues” to be quite catchy! His current single, “Threaten Me With Heaven“, is climbing the charts as we speak. Be listening for it on your local radio stations! Track Listing 1. Guitar Slinger 2. Tell Me Fool 3. Threaten Me with Heaven 4. When the Lady Sings the Blues 5. Who Wouldn’t Fall In Love with You 6. When Lonely Comes Around 7. True Love (feat. Amy Grant) 8. Bread and Water 9. Billy Paul 10. The Old Lucky Diamond Motel 11. If I Die 12. Buttermilk John (feat. The Time Jumpers) The deluxe version includes 3 extra songs: “All Nighter Comin’”, “Lipstick Everywhere”, and “One More Thing I’d Wished I’d Say.”

Lady Antebellum Own The Night Album Review

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Lady Antebellum Undisputedly Owned This Album! With the first few notes of the title track onLady Antebellum‘s third studio album, Own The Night, I am filled with happiness. Throughout the entire album I never lose this emotion. Let me describe it another way. I am a runner, and when I find music I really love, music that fills my heart up, it makes me want to throw on my running shoes and hit the pavement. This album does this for me. Lady Antebellum has delivered a wonderful new album with 12 tracks that range from quick and fun (“Friday Night“; “Singing Me Home“) to mellow and sentimental (“Wanted You More“; “As You Turn Away“). One thing that can easily be said of Lady A is that they have a very definite and recognizable sound that sets them apart. I have been trying to think of how to describe this, and the best way I can think of is simply that their sound is a little more than mainstream country, it has a kind of folksy, earthy quality to it as well. You can hear this in the rhythms and lyrics of their songs, and it is explicitly exemplified with a lovely solo of flutes at the end of “Cold As Stone“. What I’m really saying is that Lady A’s music has depth! Another signature quality of this trio’s music is how well-written it is (On this album, they wrote or co-wrote ten of the twelve songs). They manage to take themes and stories that could easily be cliche, and find poetic and engaging new ways to treat the content. “Cold As Stone” addresses coping with heartbreak and loss, and the chorus “wish I was cold as stone/then I wouldn’t feel a thing” conjures a strong and immediately relatable image. “Dancin’ Away With My Heart” at one point describes a teenage dance which could easily sound trite, but with the line “beneath the moon that was really a disco ball” becomes heartwarming. When you only have two to four minutes to share a story, being able to pack meaning into the few words you have, like Lady Antebellum does, goes a long way to creating a quality music. I truly enjoy every track on this album. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be “Friday Night“. The gist of the song is that love should be exciting and fun not just every day, same old thing. With lyrics like “I don’t want to be another chore to check off on your list”, “I want to be your jackpot, hot spot” “I want to set you free/I want to take you high/I want to be your Friday night” and an upbeat tempo, it is sure to get your boot tapping. I see myself riding down the road with the windows down and this song blaring! All in all, Own The Night, is exactly what it should be. It showcases the writing, vocal and instrumental talents of Lady Continue reading Lady Antebellum Own The Night Album Review→

Jamey Johnson At Billy Bob’s

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Jamey Johnson Gives An Incredible Show To Fans At The World’s Largest Honky Tonk! Jamey Johnson was the main event last Saturday, October 15 at the Texas sized venue, Billy Bob’s! The very talented singer/songwriter was completely immersed in his performance, as were his fans! I traveled to Ft. Worth specifically for this show and let me tell you, it was well worth the bumpy ride on US West 82! When I first arrived to the infamous Stockyards, this huge feeling of joy immediately came over me. If you haven’t ever been to this Lone Star playground you should definitely look into it! Billy Bob’s alone is a magical place with so much to do. The show didn’t begin until 10:30pm so I was able to get my fair share of people watching in for the evening. Not wanting to miss one strum on that famous autographed guitar, I made sure to find my seat in PLENTY of time! Johnson started the night with “High Cost of Living” and ended it with Hank Williams Sr.’s “I Saw The Light!” In between were his originals “The Guitar Song“, “The Door Is Always Open“, “Playing The Part“, “That Lonesome Song“, “Give It Away” (recorded by George Strait), “Mowin’ Down The Roses“, “Lonely At the Top“, “Dog In the Yard“, and “In Color” along with some others! Other songs that were played were “Keep your Hands To Yourself“, “La Grange“, “Georgia” and “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.” One song in particular that was ended with a standing ovation by fans was “Turn The Page“, the multi-genre classic was accompanied by such soul from Johnson. However this was true for every note he sang that night, there is no denying that the man has a one of a kind voice! I will take it upon myself to speak for everyone who was there that night in saying it was a spectacular performance that compared to no other! I’m not sure if it was the sound of his voice or the echoes of the cowboys hollering praises, but I found myself with chills on many occasions. Jamey Johnson has a wonderful array of fans that are very welcoming! I highly suggest you catch a Johnson performance in the NEAR future and become one of these fine people! You are sure to have a good time, while hearing some great music!!! You can purchase any of Johnson’s three studio albums at this time, with the most recent being The Guitar Song.

Montgomery Gentry Rebels On The Run Review

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Montgomery Gentry Did Good Things On Their New Album! Montgomery Gentry are Average Joe’s entertainment recording artists and have been one of country music’s top duos since 1999. Although they have a new label, Troy and Eddie are the same non-apologetic, down to earth performers they always have been! Their new album, Rebels On The Run, is out today and we at the CMNB office were lucky enough to have an advanced copy! This new piece of work from these boys is definitely worth the drive to Wal-Mart! It includes 11 tracks of honest country music. A number of the songs (“Damn Right I Am“, “Where I Come From“, “I Like Those People“), give tribute to the duos hometowns, which is a routine we are use to with them. Others are fun tunes (“Ain’t No Law Against That“, “Work Hard, Play Harder“) about exactly that, having fun! “Damn Baby” is a love song about that feeling when you’re so happy that you can’t even get the words out of how you feel, all you can come up with is damn baby. Again, staying true to country music honesty, “Empty” is about the loneliness a man feels after a relationship ends. I really enjoyed this one with its steel guitar and great melody! Possibly one of my favorites off of the entire album was “So Called Life!” It has a fast pace and an awesome chorus! Like I said, the album is available today, so do what you gotta do to hear Montgomery Gentry for the first time with their new label! Track Listing 1. Damn Right I Am 2. Ain’t No Law Against That 3. Damn Baby 4. Empty 5. Where I Come From 6. I Like Those People (feat. Charlie Daniels & Randy Owen) 7. Rebels On The Run 8. Simple Things 9. Missing You 10. So Called Life 11. Work Hard, Play Hard

Scotty McCreery Clear As Day Album Review

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Scotty McCreery’s Debut Album Is A Good Start. As I am sure most of you have noticed by now, I have not been the biggest supporter of Scotty McCreery. I was unimpressed by his debut single “I Love You This Big“, and I was prepared to dislike his debut album, Clear As Day. I am happy to report however, that Scotty has surprised me. It really is rare for an artist these days to release a complete concept album. Most of the releases we see now are just albums full of “singles”. While Clear As Day certainly qualifies as the latter, I still think that these singles collectively really do have a represent a common theme. This theme can be easily summed up in one word: “youth”. I was worried about this album in many ways because of Scotty’s age. When he entered American Idol he was 16, and by the time he won he was still only 17. I was concerned that this would have a limiting effect on his options as far as content was concerned. However, the songs chosen for this album all deal with stories and concepts that really seem to be representative of Scotty and his life experiences. Instead of trying to make Scotty seem older than his years, he and his team carefully chose songs which embrace his youth. This really helps to provide depth to the individual tracks and the album as a whole. Essentially, I believe that Scotty believes what he’s singing about, and this will carry the album further than it would have gone otherwise. Also, there is a really nice variety in pace on this album. There are upbeat songs appropriate for a young guy like “Out of Summertime“, “Water Tower Town“, “Better Than That“, “Write My Number On Your Hand“, and “You Make That Look Good“. At the same time there are more sentimental, heart-string strumming songs like “Clear As Day” and “Back On The Ground” and “That Old King James“. The slower sentimental songs are just as believable as the faster songs even though the content is more serious. They still contain references to family and memories that really seem to be a part of Scotty’s life. The best of these slower songs is probably “Back On The Ground” because it tells the story of a young man coming home again to see his Momma, and it really seems to be a parallel of Scotty’s experiences with success on American Idol and coming home after all that. The most poignant moment on the album probably comes at the end of the title track “Clear As Day” when it resolves into a surprising conclusion which changes the entire meaning of the song you just spent 3 minutes and 58 seconds listening to (Don’t worry, I won’t give it away!). My favorite song on the album has to be “You Make That Look Good“. It is an adorable song, and it definitely has potential to be a crowd favorite at Continue reading Scotty McCreery Clear As Day Album Review→

Leann Rimes Lady & Gentlemen Album Review

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Leann Rimes Makes Magic With Her 12th Studio Album! Leann Rimes has done a brilliant thing with the help of Vince Gill and Darrell Brown! Lady & Gentlemen was released late September and is a collection of some of Rimes’ favorite country classics! As the album title says, this is a playlist full of gentlemen hits sung by a lady with a powerful voice! “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights”, “Rose Colored Glasses“, “Help Me Make It Through The Night“, and “When I Call Your Name” are just a few songs from the ablum that literally brought a smile to my face and chills to my body when I heard them for the first time! It is more than obvious that Leann Rimes has one of the most gifted and talented voices in music that there has ever been (anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves!). She has definitely done Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, John Conlee, George Jones, John Anderson and the rest of her heroes proud! Taking their legendary songs and tweaking them ever-so-slightly to make sense from a woman’s perspective is easily one of the best pieces of work created in a long while! Me telling you how great this album is will not come close to the beauty that comes from hearing it first hand! I HIGHLY suggest that you get your paws on a copy pronto! The last track on the album, “Give“, is her current single on radio now! Below is the video for that touching tune! =) Lady & Gentlemen Track Listing 1. Swingin’ 2. Wasted Days And Wasted Nights 3. The Only Mama That’ll Walk The Line 4. I Can’t Be Myself 5. 16 Tons 6. Help Me Make It Through The Night 7. Rose Colored Glasses 8. A Good Hearted Woman 9. When I Call Your Name 10. He Stopped Loving Her Today 11. Blue 12. The Bottle Let Me Down 13. Crazy Women 14. Give [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vALhBgHC_FE]

Stoney LaRue At George’s Majestic Lounge

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Stoney LaRue Visits George’s Majestic Lounge For The First Time Since The Release Of His Newest Album. Stoney LaRue was welcomed with open arms by his fans this past Wednesday at George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Ar. This was his first performance at the venue since the release of his latest album, Velvet. The show, as usual, was phenomenal! The crowd sang along word for word to his classics (“Idabel Blues“, “Feet Don’t Touch The Ground“, “One Chord Song“, “Down In Flames“, etc.) and danced with excitement to the beat of the new tunes! It’s hard to narrow down a single favorite part of the night at any Stoney show, but especially this one! I really enjoyed hearing the new material for the first time live and of course belting his time-honored songs with the best of my abilities! Obviously being an Oklahoma native, I thoroughly enjoyed “Oklahoma Breakdown” (written by Mike Hosty) and couldn’t get enough of “Te Amo Mas Que La Vida“! If he would have sang that song three times in a row I wouldn’t have minded. LaRue will be hitting the Wormy Dog Saloon tonight in OKC and then will travel to Nacogdoches, Tx Saturday. His new album is available now on iTunes! Velvet Track Listing 1. Dresses 2. Wiregrass 3. Look At Me Fly 4. Travelin’ Kind 5. Sharecropper 6. Sirens 7. Te Amo Mas Que La Vida 8. Has Been 9. Way Too Long 10. Velvet 11. Travelin’ Kind (Acoustic) Here is a video that features LaRue performing “Velvet” on an acoustic guitar! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKgYXI7sWQ]