October 16, 2012 Jason Aldean's latest album 'Night Train' arrives in stores today and if you're an Aldean fan, you won't be disappointed. Its full of music. 15 songs worth. The last time I had an album with that many songs, it was a 2 CD deluxe addition.
Blake Shelton sets a high bar for 2012 holiday albums with 'Cheers, It's Christmas,' his new collection of originals and classics. The singer with the sharpest tongue in Nashville doesn't seem like a natural fit to reminisce of yuletide fun, but he's supported by a strong stable of backup singers and collaborative partners on this offering.
An album cover has never represented the music it protects better than Jerrod Niemann's 'Free the Music' artwork. The 'Shinin' on Me' singer's sophomore project is a busy collection of instruments and themes that take some effort to sort through and enjoy.
The very nature of the EP lends itself more to an artist's most faithful supporters than middling fans looking for an entry point into a new style or sound. Jake Owen's 'Endless Summer' EP allows his warm weather party with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw to last a little longer, but like summer love, the four songs will be little more than memories by the first yellow leaves of fall.
Brad Paisley's new single 'Southern Comfort Zone' is another socially important song, joining previous hits like 'Welcome to the Future' and 'This Is Country Music.' The singer's voice carries more weight in 2012 than it did in 2008 or 2004, and one senses that he's aware of his influence. This song recorded by someone like Hank Williams Jr. or Toby Keith would be labeled as pretentious or preachy, but Paisley's understated delivery (combined with a lovable personality) allows him to pack the punch he's been working toward.
It's easy to heap praise on Easton Corbin's sophomore album for the same reasons fans and critics enjoyed his self-titled debut. 'All Over the Road' -- available in stores and at digital retailers now --is full of traditional country music that goes down like a spoonful of George Strait's sugar. However, Corbin misses an opportunity to identify himself with this 11-song project.
Little Big Town assert themselves as a vocal quartet with real power and attitude on their new album 'Tornado.' The project -- their most consistent and satisfying yet -- sheds the milquetoast midtempo exercises that bogged down previous albums in favor of ones with true grit.
'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.
You don’t need a late afternoon cup of coffee to get you through a long work day. Just turn up Lucas Hoge’s new song, ‘Do What Makes You Feel Good.’ The ready-made smile surfs along a funky Caribbean guitar riff, providing a three minute-long (and some change) vacation.
EPs are often like movie sequels in that they often feel like a ploy to make a few dollars instead of a chance for an artist to expand upon a theme. Much like ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ and more recently, ‘Toy Story 2′, Dierks Bentley‘s ‘Country and Cold Cans’ proves to be an exception.
At his best, Dustin Lynch falls in line with the George Strait tradition of good, solid country music sung with enviable ease. The newcomer doesn’t have a dynamic voice, but he’s certainly not a hum-drum bore. Highlights from his self-titled debut album are melodic and in control.
