Single Review: Ronnie Dunn - 'Bleed Red'

In his first solo outing since Brooks & Dunn disbanded, Ronnie Dunn has gone the play-it-safe route with a radio-friendly, if somewhat bland, power ballad. This is probably a wise choice from a marketing standpoint, given the historical difficulty that has plagued artists who sought solo careers after long associations with with successful bands. Dunn’s age is also working against him, since at 57, he is well past the point where artists are typically put out to pasture by country radio. It was crucial for “Bleed Red” to strike a chord with radio programmers, and in that respect Dunn and his team have apparently succeeded, since “Bleed Red” debuted at #30 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

From an artistic standpoint, “Bleed Red” is more of a mixed bag. The Tommy Lee James and Andrew Dorff-penned composition is more AC-leaning than most of Dunn’s work with Brooks & Dunn. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Martina McBride’s “Anyway”, with its positive theme and dramatic string arrangements. Hopefully, “Bleed Red” does not mark the beginning of a long artistic decline for Dunn, as “Anyway” did for McBride. No fault can be found with Dunn’s vocal performance; he is still one of the best male vocalists in mainstream country. And while the song’s message is worthwhile — and well-timed given the current rancorous political climate — the lyrics are generic. They seek to inspire, but never quite live up to the drama of the production, which gradually builds in intensity as the record reaches its climax. In short, the entire effort is utterly forgettable and will likely fade from people’s memories as soon as it has fallen off the charts.

A stellar vocal performance combined with positive lyrics and generic, middle-of-the road production are probably enough in the current radio environment to propel “Bleed Red” to the upper realms of the charts, but I’m hoping that when Dunn’s forthcoming solo album is eventually released, it will contain some material with a little more edge and substance than this.

Grade: B-

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