At last! I've been in meaning for a long time to start a column to review country singles... I've been reviewing albums for years now, but for some reason (working, raising a family) I haven't had time to review singles... until now! So, hopefully, I'll be able to kick this new feature into gear and let you know what's hot,and what is not... The idea is for it to be like those old jukebox columns in country magazines in the 1940s and '50s... Just kind of a chatty look at some new songs. We'll see how it goes. You can also check out my full Guide To Hick Music for album reviews and artist profiles.
This month: Danielle Peck, Trisha Yearwood
For starters, it's that time of year again: my Hillbilly Holiday section is back, for those of you who like a little Christmas cheer while you're stuffing your turkey. Hopefully we'll get to review a few new holiday records as well...
Ryan Bingham "Bad For Me" (Lost Highway, 2007)
(Produced by Mark Ford)
I don't know if this tune actually is a single... But it ought to be! This is the first song I've heard in ages that made me just stop and play it over and over for two days straight -- a catchy Southern rock stomper with real outlaw sass. The song (like Bingham's entire album) is a triumph of feeling over format: it starts off with a tightly sculpted banjo-drum-keyboard backdrop that came straight off the Nashville faux-roots assembly line. You think, Uh-oh... but then the slide guitar kicks in -- a loud, greasy, joyful riff that would make Dickey Betts or Son House proud. It cuts through your brain and makes your feet start to stamp, your head start to bob and your eyes start to smile. Bingham is the real deal -- an Austin indie dude who's hooked up with with Mark Ford, one of the original members of the Black Crowes, he's kept his music raw and raucous, but with this track one wonders if he might also have a place on the country charts, what with the current nostalgia for '70s-style Southern rock. The phrase "coonass smile" might keep this off the radio (it makes me cringe, too...) but man, is this one catchy song!
Danielle Peck "Bad For Me" (Big Machine, 2007)
(Produced by Jeremy Stover)
She likes chocolate, and wine, and shopping for fancy stuff... But they're not good for her. Yup. You got it. You can see where this one's going from a mile or two away... And here comes the chorus: "But of all the things/I shouldn't do/Number One/Is lovin' you..." Still, despite being really, really obvious, this is is a cute, fluffy novelty song, with a theme that would have fit in just as fine in the 1970s, '80s or '90s as it does now. Plus, Peck's got a nice, husky voice that lends itself to smoother production, but hints at a rootsy side as well. I'm curious to hear more from this gal!
Trisha Yearwood "Heaven, Heartache, And The Promise Of Love" (Big Machine, 2007)
(Produced by Garth Fundis)
Nice to hear Yearwood and Fundis still working together after all these years. Here, on her indie debut, Trisha goes back to her bluesy country roots, growling a little and riding atop a nice, thumping beat. It's a nice change of pace from all that soul and pop stuff of the last few years. Woe betide the DJ who has to back-announce that song title, though! (Just kidding, Trisha -- nice to hear you playing some traditional-sounding stuff... Keep up the good work!)
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