Single Review: Sara Evans – ‘A Little Bit Stronger’

It’s been five years since Sara Evans released a full-length studio album or had a Top 10 hit. She seemed to be getting back on track artistically with 2005′s Real Fine Place, only to falter again with the four new tracks that were included on 2007′s Greatest Hits package. Last year’s “Feels Just Like A Love Song” died at #59 and dropped off the charts entirely after only two weeks. The album which “Feels Just Like A Love Song” was to have led was delayed and is now more than a year overdue. That’s a career slump by almost any measure. For her comeback, Evans needs to knock one out of the park with a record that is strong, bold, catchy and memorable. Unfortunately, none of those terms applies to her new release “A Little Bit Stronger”.

I had hoped that Evans would take advantage of her sabbatical from the airwaves following the failure of “Feels Just Like A Love Song” to reassess her career and get back in touch with her roots. But instead of changing directions and trying something different, she’s offering up more of the same. “A Little Bit Stronger” was written by Hillary Scott along with Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsay, and it’s possible that Evans thought the link to Lady Antebellum would garner some attention from radio programmers. That seems like a long shot considering how mundane both the lyrics and melody are.

“A Little Bit Stronger” is about a woman who is getting over a bad break-up, a theme that has been revisited countless times in country music. But unlike such classics as “‘Ti I Can Make It On My Own” or “For My Broken Heart”, “A Little Bit Stronger” never allows the listener to feel the depths of the protagonist’s pain. All we’re told is that she brushed her teeth, drove to work and is feeling a little better now. Likewise, it lacks the spunk of other getting-over-you songs such as Tammy Wynette’s “Another Chance” or Evans’ own ‘Cheatin’.

A catchy melody can make up for dull lyrics, but unfortunately the melody here just plods along until reaching an almost bombastic stage at the bridge with some over-the-top electric guitar riffs along with some traces of pedal steel that seem to have been thrown into the mix as an afterthought.

A Little Bit Stronger’ was produced by Tony Brown and will appear on the soundtrack album to the upcoming film Country Strong starring Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow. It is also supposed to appear on Evans’ next studio album, now slated for an early 2011 release, though it is unclear whether this is the same album that was supposed to have been released last year or if a new album has been recorded in its place. Either way, “A Little Bit Stronger” inspires very little confidence that Sara Evans’ career is once again on track.

Grade: C-

Listen to ‘A Little Bit Stronger’.

Classic Rewind: Dierks Bentley – ‘What Was I Thinkin’

Single Review: Ashley Gearing – ‘What You Think About Us’

It’s a little-known fact, but Ashley Gearing has already made history on the Country Singles chart. In 2003, a 12 year-old Gearing signed a deal with Lyric Street Records and released her first single, ‘Can You Hear Me When I Talk To You?’ to country radio. It made a little ripple and peaked at #36, but that was enough to break a 46-year record formerly held by Brenda Lee. A follow-up single failed to chart, and she was soon without a record label. But then an indepenently released album helped secure a contract with Curb Records in 2007. In true Curb Records fashion, after the first single failed to gain traction in 2008, the label waited 2 years to release a follow-up. And that’s a real shame because they’ve really got something in Ashley Gearing, now a gorgeous 19 year-old with a set of pipes to rival the best of the superstar belters.

Ashley Gearing’s big voice is reminiscent of another blonde signed to Curb in the 90s. While Gearing’s vocal prescence can rival that of LeAnn Rimes, she’s not hitting the airwaves with a knockout punch like Rimes had in ‘Blue’. What she does come to the table with is an engaging performance of an infectious song. Co-written by the singer with Brian Davis and Ben Glover, ‘What You Think About Us’ is a pleasant slice of pop-country. Producer Byron Gallimore isn’t shy about adding layers of production, but when they come in at all directions in the chorus – from the wailing guitars to the cooing backing vocals – that big, emotive voice comes through and remains the centerpiece. And with all she’s given to overcome, that’s quite the accomplishment.

The song’s basic premise is of the lady asking her guy to dig a little deeper with his revelations about himself. So far, she knows he doesn’t like going work on Mondays; but he does like driving fast, playing the radio loud and watching the Red Sox on TiVo. The second verse reveals that she has at least learned enought to know he’s a decent, down-to-earth guy with real ambitions. So, she’s got a good thing here, and wants to know just how he feels about their budding relationship.

Overall, ‘What You Think About Us’ is a decent song, not great, but proves Ashley Gearing to be an excellent singer, who, with the right material could really go places.  With a sound like this, coupled with that voice, she’s bound to have a hit, thereby increasing her chances of getting A-material.  I’m truly hopeful and excited for what the future holds for Ashley, and certainly want to hear more music from her.

Grade: B

Buy the song at amazon.

Classic Rewind: Randy Travis – ‘Storms Of Life’

Album Review: Dierks Bentley – ‘Dierks Bentley’

Dierks Bentley was the singer’s major label debut, which appeared in 2003, two years following the independently released Don’t Leave Me In Love. The major label phase of Bentley’s career received a jump-start with his first single, the infectious ‘What Was I Thinkin’, which quickly shot to #1 and became Bentley’s first gold single. Irresistibly catchy, it was one of the very few — perhaps the only — #1 hit that year to feature the dobro as a prominent instrument. Capitol hoped to duplicate this success with the follow-up single, the slightly syrupy and sentimental ‘My Last Name’, a tune about family pride and honor, which stalled at #17. Bentley recovered with the album’s final single, the upbeat “How Am I Doin’”, which climbed to #4. Like its two predecessors, ‘How Am I Doin’ was co-written by Bentley, as were eight more of the album’s thirteen tracks.

All three of the album’s singles were enjoyable, but the album cuts are where the truly interesting material can be found. Bentley and producer Brett Beavers seem to have deliberately followed a strategy of building the album around some hit singles, and using the rest of the album as an opportunity to branch out a little more with some more traditional material that was considered less radio-friendly. Overall, the approach works well and the end result is an album that has more depth and breadth than most debut efforts.

Among the more traditional cuts on the album is ‘Bartenders, Etc.’, which Bentley wrote, and had previously recorded for his independent album. Not a drinking song per se, it pays homage to the barroom. This type of song has long been a staple of country music. As an uptempo number, it initially seems like a good choice for a single, but the barroom theme may have been a little to politically incorrect for country radio in 2003. “Distant Shore” was also strong enough to warrant release as a single, but Capitol may have been reluctant to send another ballad to radio after ‘My Last Name’ failed to reach the Top 10.

‘My Love Will Follow You’ was written by Buddy and Julie Miller. One of only two songs on the album not written or co-written by Dierks, it had previously appeared on Buddy’s 1995 album Your Love and Other Lies. The other tune in which Dierks did not have a hand in writing is ‘I Bought The Shoes’, a honky-tonker which is my favorite song on the album:

I bought her fancy clothes, for all occasions
And that new car so she could go just any ole where she pleased
I bought the golden band she wore, on the hand that closed the door
And I bought the shoes that just walked out on me

In what would become a tradition for Dierks’ albums, the set closes with a bluegrass number, ‘Train Travelin’, on which Dierks is joined by the Del McCoury Band. It stands out in stark contrast in an era in which country stars often claimed to have a deep appreciation of country music’s traditions but rarely demonstrated that appreciation in their own music. Dierks was the sole writer of ‘Train Travelin’, which adds to its authenticity; this song wasn’t the product of a “songwriter’s committee” where the artist got a songwriting credit merely for being present in the room while professional writers did all the heavy lifting. It also serves to underscore that there is a lot more to Dierks Bentley than what we hear from him on the radio. I’ve been underwhelmed by some of his single releases over the years, but hearing his debut effort has made me realize that listening to some of his later albums in their entirety may be a worthwhile exercise.

Grade: A-

Dierks Bentley is widely available from major retailers, including Amazon and iTunes.

Classic Rewind: Joe Nichols – ‘Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off’

Album Review: Sammy Kershaw – ‘Better Than I Used To Be’

It really is tempting fate for any artist, particularly one who is past his or her commercial peak, to entitle an album Better Than I Used To Be, because (almost always) it begs a negative answer. Rich-voiced 90s star Sammy Kershaw has been away from the charts for a while, most recently concentrating on a venture into Louisiana state politics. His new album is on an independent (possibly self released) label, Big Hit Records. However, while I don’t think Sammy’s music is “better than it used to be”, the new album stands up pretty well against his back catalog. There are no obvious hit singles here, but Sammy is still in fine voice, and Buddy Cannon’s supportive production is excellent, and undoubtedly country.

The album is bookended by songs Sammy himself had a share in writing. The unremarkable but energetic ‘That Train’, which he wrote alone, opens the album. In an interview with the 9513 earlier this year, Sammy admitted:

“I’m not much of a songwriter but every once in a while I get lucky and write one in 10 or 15 minutes. If it goes any longer than that, I get rid of them. I never work on them again”

Frankly, this song does indeed sound as though it only took a few minutes to write, although it clearly inspired the cover art. Much better is the co-write with John Scott Sherrill and Scotty Emerick which closes the set. ‘Takin’ The Long Way Home’ places the protagonist in a bar, because he has too little to go home for, with a woman who’s obviously on her way out. The sweet sadness of the fiddle line underscores the delicately understated emotion of a man who has no remedy for his sense of abandonment, as he concludes at the end of the evening,

And it’ll be time for me to go
Where I’m going I don’t know
I just know I’m takin’ the long way home

However rash it may be as the title track, ‘Better Than I Used To Be’, written by Brian Simpson and Ashley Gorley, is a highlight of the record. It is a tender, even inspiring, promise from a man who has made mistakes in the past and is in the process of turning his life around:

I can’t count the people I’ve let down
Or the hearts I’ve broke
You aint gotta dig too deep
If you want to find some dirt on me
I’m learning who you’ve been
Ain’t who you’ve gotta be…

Standin’ in the rain so long
Has left me with a little rust
But put some faith in me
Someday you’ll see
There’s a diamond under all this dust

But he acknowledges this is a work in progress in this lovely, mature song. A video was made to support this song as a single earlier this year, and it is a shame it failed to make many waves.

Equally good is the subdued sadness of ‘Like I Wasn’t Even There’, written by Wes Hightower, Monty Criswell and Tim Mensy. The protagonist runs into his ex for the first time since the breakup, and is ignored as though their relationship never existed.

Classic Rewind: Glen Campbell – ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’

Album Review: Joe Nichols – ‘Revelation’

Joe’s second album, Revelation, was not quite as successful as its predecessor, but it has some great songs on it. Produced once more with taste and subtlety by guitarist Brent Rowan, the songs are mainly understated and a little downbeat, and those who like a lot of changes of pace may find this record disappointing. Personally, I think it rewards the time spent listening, and it is one of my favourite Joe Nichols albums.

The lead single, the earnest Harley Allen song ‘If Nobody Believed In You’, made the top 10. It ventures into both socio-political and religious territory as he moves from criticizing over-critical fathers stifling a child’s efforts and an adult son belittling his elderly father to raising the question of prayer in schools. Although it is a heavy handed lyrically, it is beautifully if a little languidly sung.

‘Things Like That (These Days)’, written by Byron Hill and Mike Dekle, tackles similar subject matter to rather gloomy effect. It tells of a boy with supportive parents who bring him up properly, and grow up to coach a children’s sport team, but the melody, while pretty, has a mournful feel, as Joe broods about those from less fortunate backgrounds:

Have mercy on all the kids (parents) out there
Who haven’t been raised to even care
About things like that these days

Iris DeMent’s ‘No Time To Cry’, which also refers to the problems of modern society (murdered babies and bombs exploding), is outright depressing. The protagonist confesses wearily the sorrow brought to his life by bereavement, tears which he cannot afford to shed. It is beautifully sung and written, but undoubtedly ends the album on a downer.

In contrast, the second and last single was the cheery (and very short – not much more than two minutes) ‘What’s A Guy Gotta Do’, co-written by Joe himself with Kelley Lovelace and Don Sampson, which peaked at #4 early in 2005. The dateless protagonist wonders why he’s not getting any interest, when
Ask anybody, I’m a pretty good guy
And the looks-decent wagon didn’t pass me by

It may be fluff, but it has a self-deprecating charm which makes it endearing, and more importantly it is one of two bright up-tempo fun songs which lighten the mood , foreshadowing the way for Joe’s next big hit, ‘Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off’. The other is ‘Don’t Ruin It For The Rest Of Us’, recorded the same year a little more rowdily by June’s Spotlight Artist Mark Chesnutt.

The humble ‘Singer In A Band’ is written by Gary Harrison and Tim Mensy, as the protagonist gently chides his fans for idolizing him, comparing his life to the everyday struggles of others:

You see me up there on center stage
In the spotlight for a while
But in the things that really matter
I’m just sittin’ on the aisle
…
When you look for heroes know that I’m just a singer in a band

It verges on sentimentality, but the palpable sincerity, almost sadness, of the delivery makes it work.

Classic Rewind: Johnny Paycheck – ‘If You Think You’re Lonely’

Week ending 9/4/10: #1 singles this week in country music history

1950: Goodnight Irene — Red Foley & Ernest Tubb (Decca)

1960: Alabam – Cowboy Copas (Starday)

1970: Don’t Keep Me Hangin’ On — Sonny James (Capitol)

1980: Cowboys and Clowns — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)

1990: Next To You, Next To Me — Shenandoah (Columbia)

2000: What About Now — Lonestar (BNA)

2010: All About Tonight — Blake Shelton (Reprise)

Week ending 9/04/10: #1 albums this week in country music history

1965: Connie Smith – Connie Smith (RCA Victor)

1970: Charley Pride – Charley Pride’s 10th Album (RCA)

1975: Charlie Rich – Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)(Epic)

1980: Various Artists – Urban Cowboy: Original Soundtrack (Asylum)

1985: Hank Williams Jr. – Five-O (Warner/Curb)

1990: Clint Black – Killin’ Time (RCA)

1995: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2000: Various Artists – Coyote Ugly: Original Soundtrack (Curb)

2005: Brad Paisley – Time Well Wasted (Arista)

2010: Trace Adkins – Cowboy’s Back In Town/a> (Show Dog/Universal)

Classic Rewind: Bill Monroe – ‘Uncle Pen’

Classic Rewind: The Kendalls – ‘The Pittsburgh Stealers’

Album Review: Joe Nichols – ‘Man With A Memory’

Joe Nichols actually started his recording career in 1996 with a self-titled album on the Intersound label.  When this album failed to chart any of the singles, Joe was back to square one: a singer without a record deal.  Several more years of toiling in Music City finally yielded a second chance for Joe Nichols when he was offered a contract with the mighty Universal South label machine.  In 2002, his debut album for the new label, Man With A Memory was released.  Influences from the greats of traditional country run amuck this album.  These influences are so strong and evident that at times it’s hard not to pinpoint the exact artist and song that the songs on this album owe debt to.  Paying tribute to tradition is one thing; bringing tradition along with your own artistic endeavors is another, and Joe Nichols ably accomplishes that here.  The results didn’t go unnoticed by the general listening public, or the critics, either.  While critics were hailing Nichols the new saviour of country music, fans were busy snapping up a million copies of the album, as it was certified platinum by the RIAA. Man With A Memory charted inside the top 10 of the country albums chart at #9, and it would spawn 4 top 20 singles, including a chart-topper and another top 5.

After getting radio’s attention with the first single, the pat and predictable ‘The Impossible’ (a #3 hit), Joe Nichols hit us with the power-punch of the album’s second single.  ’Brokenheartsville’ did for Joe Nichols what ’1982′ and ‘Here In The Real World’ had done for Randy Travis and Alan Jackson, respectively: it firmly established him as a capable and willing torch-bearer for the neo-traditional country sound; this time for the new millennium.   And where ‘The Impossible’ stumbled along on cliché’s and a terribly boring storyline, ‘Brokenheartsville’ was not only a throwback to the sounds of Randy and Alan, but on its own it delivered on several levels. From the one-two punch of a story about the devil in a Coupe Deville come to steal his lady away to the almost-profane hook, ‘here’s to the past they can kiss my glass, I hope she’s happy with him‘, Joe’s perfectly suited singing voice wraps around the lyric and the layers of steel, a heartbreak country song has never sounded better.  I remember hearing it on the radio as it climbed the charts in the Spring of 2003, and after it went to #1, it held the status of the song on the radio that year.

Next up was the exquisite ‘She Only Smokes When She Drinks’.  It’s both a shame and a small miracle that a slow-burning song set in a barroom made it to #17 on the country singles chart.  The lady who only smokes when she drinks is trying to drink away another heartache, but it’s common knowledge that she only drinks alone.  Trying to hook up with her tonight is futile.

Aside from the awesomeness of the second and third singles, Man With A Memory is a showcase of Joe’s vocal talents and good taste in song selection.  ’Joe’s Place’ sounds more like a Kenny Chesney album cut, with its island-themed instrumentals.  Here, the singer is describing his favorite hangout, a diverse and eclectic mix of people and things.  It’s a fairly forgettable feel-good number, but another reminder of the excellent set of pipes on the singer.

Several steel-drenched tracks tell stories about heartbreak, for one reason or another, while others tell of love just beginning or lasting for decades.  In each case, we’re in for more of the neo-traditional sound that makes the album so great.  ’You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet’ invokes the memories of Vern Gosdin’s ‘Chiseled In Stone’, though not to quite the same effect.  ’Can’t Hold A Halo To You’ finds a man professing angels couldn’t possibly be as lovely as his lover.

‘Everything’s A Thing’ is bland, boring and kinda pointless, but it does balance out some of the ballads, if nothing else.  ’Cool To Be A Fool’ doesn’t really offer anything new or memorable either, but its got a nice groove, and the lyrics are less mundane than ‘Thing’s.  As the album’s final single, it peaked at #18.  The best of the up-tempos, ‘You Can’t Break The Fall’ is a bit of advice to those who haven’t yet had that first major heartbreak. ‘You might as well give up the fight’, Joe croons, before concluding ‘And when it comes, you’ll be down before you knew you fell‘.  The snazzy keyboard solos somehow give the song an air of smugness that’s very fitting for the lyrics.

Another favorite of mine is the album closer and title track.  The production choice here is one of more ‘Marina Del Rey’ or ‘Miami, My Amy’, but the lyrics are the best part anyway.  The bartender is our eyes through this narrative about the lonely souls down at the local tavern, as he watches love grow and die and offers: ‘When you’re livin’ for the love and the love doesn’t last, you get a man with a memory, a woman with a past’.

The theme of this album could have been ‘honky tonks of America’, and the decidedly traditional production and Nichols’ smooth, drawling baritone make nearly every track an essential listen.  On subsequent releases, Joe hasn’t quite yet captured lightning in a bottle like he did with this debut.  Man With A Memory is his magnum opus so far, and a five-star effort from start to finish.  With it, Joe Nichols hit the scene with a sound that was both reminiscent of Merle Haggard, and paid great tribute to the legacy the Hag and others left behind.

Grade: A

Man With A Memory is readily available from amazon and all other retailers.

Classic Rewind: Joe Nichols – ‘Brokenheartsville’

Single Review: Dierks Bentley – ‘Draw Me A Map’

A lot of artists have been going bluegrass lately, but most of them are singers past their commercial peaks with no realistic hopes of mainstream radio play, however good the music is. Dierks Bentley is rare in diverging from the demands of radio to take an artistically rewarding detour down the backroads of bluegrass, while still a major contender, and challenging country radio to play something a little different from its usual fare. The fascinating meld of bluegrass, country and other music on his Up On The Ridge album has just been rewarded with Dierks’ first CMA nominations for Album of the Year and Male Vocalist. (He won the Horizon award back in 2005, but had been ignored ever since.)

Despite the forceful beat and familiar lyrics which made the album’s title track and lead single, ‘Up On The Ridge’ appear to be its best bet on radio, it peaked disappointingly outside the top 20. He is following it up with perhaps the album’s best track, the entirely more subdued and graceful ‘Draw Me A Map’. Dierks wrote the song with his producer Jon Randall (aka Jon Randall Stewart), and they created an extremely fine record together. All too often these days country singles have well-written lyrics but poor production, or a great melody but bland lyrics; it’s a delight to hear a song where everything works together.

The acoustic production is restrained enough to let the beautifully constructed lyrics breathe. Like its predecessor, it is not pure bluegrass, with drums and cello in the mix as well as more familiar bluegrass instrumentation, including Ronnie McCoury’s mandolin, Scott Vestal’s banjo and Randy Kohrs’ dobro, all beautifully played but never overshadowing the song.

This is a very serious sounding record, with a melancholy sense of longing and a Celtic touch to the melody, especially the fiddle line in the instrumental section at the end of the song. The protagonist has lost his way in his relationship and is floundering and he’s wondering how to find safe harbor again. We don’t know exactly what went wrong or how he is at fault; the detail of the past isn’t important compared to the sense of desolation felt in the present, and the hope that the future may bring a way back home. He dares not even ask for forgiveness for this mysterious wrong, because he isn’t sure she cares enough to give it:

If I took for granted that I held your heart
I’d beg forgiveness, but I don’t know where to start

While it is addressed to, and in the presence of, the lover he is trying to regain, is she even listening? The sadness imbuing Dierks’ vocal makes the response to his plea unknown, unknowable, but somehow there doesn’t seem to be much hope here. The pensive mood is perfectly realized. Dierks’ voice is at its best on this single, with an interesting grainy quality underpinning the heartfelt emotion of his delivery, with tasteful harmonies from Alison Krauss delicately ornamenting the track.

Let’s hope that Dierks’ CMA nominations are translated into radio play for this beautiful song. It’s certainly one of my favorite singles of the year.

Grade: A

Listen to it here.

Classic Rewind: Conway Twitty – ‘Hello Darlin’

Today would have been the 77th birthday of ‘the best friend a song ever had’.  We miss you, Conway.

Group Spotlight: the new New Traditionalists

This month we’re trying something a little different with our Spotlight Artist feature. We thought we would look at some of the major label artists who have been carrying the torch for more traditionally rooted styles of country music in the past decade, but none of whom have released enough music for us to spend a whole month on individually. For want of a better term, we’ve been calling them “the new New Traditionalists”, as these artists are a generation younger than the original New Traditionalists of the late 80s and early 90s. Most of them are on major labels, with a few on respected independent labels, but they have all made some impact on the scene.

Joe Nichols was the first of our selected artists to debut on the country charts. Born in Arkansas in 1976, he got a couple of unsuccessful record deals in his early 20s before breaking through in 2002. He was an immediate success with his smooth baritone, ear for a melody, and pure country instincts. In 2003 he won the CMA Horizon Award. He has released five studio albums for Universal South, the most recent of which, last year’s Old Things New, produced his third #1 single, ‘Gimmie That Girl’. He has revealed his good musical taste by his choice of covers of lesser known classic country songs on his albums. A struggle with alcohol slowed down his career for a while in the second part of the last decade, but he seems to be back at the top, and is one of the brighter spots on country radio. His latest single, ‘The Shape I’m In’, has just been released.

Dierks Bentley (a year older than Joe) was the next to come to our attention, when his debut single ‘What Was I Thinkin’ reached #1 in 2003. Six more #1s have followed, with a string of other hits, and his first two albums went platinum. He was the ACM’s Top New Artist in 2004 and won the Horizon Award in 2005. He has managed to balance traditional country leanings with a commercial sound, writing much of his material. Notably, and almost uniquely among current chart acts, he has made a habit of including a bluegrass track on each album until this year, when his fifth studio album on Capitol, Up On The Ridge saw him make a temporary change of direction completely incorporating bluegrass and Americana influences into his sound, bravely defying the trends of country radio. The latest single is ‘Draw Me A Map’. He also has a sideline as a radio host, broadcasting on The Thread every Monday at 2pm CST and you can tune in online.

A few months after the release of Dierks’ debut album, Josh Turner’s Long Black Train came rolling down the line. The darkly religious title track was only a modest radio hit, but it and Josh’s unforgettable deep bass voice made a massive impact, and sales were impressive. He was nominated for the Horizon Award in 2004, but lost out to Gretchen Wilson. Three of his singles have hit #1, and his second album Your Man has been certified double platinum. His fourth MCA record, Haywire, came out earlier this year, and the second single ‘All Over Me’ is currently in the top 10.

TV reality shows may sometimes be sneered at but they can showcase genuine talent. Tennessee-born Chris Young, a decade younger than the other guys on this list, won the 2006 season of Nashville Star thanks to a fine classic baritone voice and his original song ‘Drinkin’ Me Lonely’. The show has not been as successful at launching country artists as the multi-genre American Idol, and Chris’s first album failed to make an immediate impact. Happily, his label, RCA, had faith in the young singer, and persevered until ‘Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)’, the second single from his second album became his first real hit just last year. He has cemented his neotraditional credentials with his excellent EP Voices, and is a nominee for this year’s CMA New Artist of the Year.

Jamey Johnson’s career has been the most chequered of all this month’s artists. He had a hit with the sentimental ‘The Dollar’ in 2006, but then everything went wrong. The follow-up single flopped, label BNA dropped him, his marriage broke up, and his life collapsed. But this all cued one of the most startling turnarounds in recent years. Jamey channeled his personal disasters into some of the most intense music in Nashville at the moment. He was seeing success as a songwriter with songs like George Strait’s hit ‘Give It Away’, and in 2008 Mercury picked up That Lonesome Song, the album he had recorded independently and re-released it. ‘In Color’ became one of the most memorable hits of the year, and although other singles were not as radio friendly, Jamey sold 650,000 copies of the critically acclaimed album. His much-anticipated new double album, The Guitar Song, is due out this month.

Sunny Sweeney is the least commercially successful of the group so far. Her debut album (recorded independently, like That Lonesome Song) was re-released by Big Machine in 2007. Critically admired if not yet accepted on radio, her music is unmistakably hardcore country. She has now been transferred to Big Machine’s daughter label Republic Nashville, and her second album is hotly awaited. The lead single, ‘From A Table Away’, is her first to chart, and shows her refining her style.

Joey + Rory are perhaps the most surprising success story. Lead singer Joey Martin was signed to Sony in the early years of the decade, but nothing ever materialized. She was dropped after she married songwriter Rory Lee Feek, and in 2008 they entered the CMT contest Can You Duet, despite never having sung together before. The couple finished in third place, but Joey’s outstanding voice and the couple’s obvious chemistry led to a deal with the respected independent label Vanguard. A critically acclaimed album came out later that year, and the irresistible ‘Cheater, Cheater’, which they had performed on the show, was a top 30 hit. They won this year’s fan-voted ACM award for Best New Duo, and the appropriately titled Album # 2 is due this month. They’ve also been nominated in the CMA Duo of the Year category again despite limited mainstream exposure.

Finally, our youngest contender is singer-songwriter Ashton Shepherd, a young wife and mother born in Alabama in 1986. Her debut album on MCA elicited two modest hit singles in 2008, and she is reportedly working on a follow-up.

Another artist who fits our criteria is Easton Corbin, just rewarded with a CMA Single of The Year nomination for his breakthrough hit ‘A Little More Country Than That’; Razor X reviewed his debut album earlier in the year. Easton is also up against Chris Young for this year’s New Artist award.  Also making waves on the Texas music circuit is honky-tonker Amber Digby, a fine singer and songwriter who’s released 4 albums on the independent Heart of Texas Records.

All these artists, and the fact that they are gaining real success, give us renewed hope that the future of country music isn’t going to completely lose touch with its roots.  We’ll be telling you more about them and their contemporaries all month long.