Single Review – Miranda Lambert – ‘Fastest Girl In Town’

The third single from Four The Record finds Lambert revisiting familiar territory as the gun-touting tough girl brought to life in “Kerosene” and “Gunpowder and Lead.” Both of those hits succeed because they were fully formed statements of both artistic and personal fury, fueled by infidelity and pent up rage. The formula also worked wonders when refined into “White Liar” and, to a lesser extent, “Baggage Claim.”

Now, it just seems silly. Co-written with fellow Pistol Annie Angaleena Presley, “Fastest Girl In Town” is the most immature of these singles yet, opting for regression over growth in an attempt to add another dimension to her well-worn persona – she’s a fast driver with a lead foot. Problem is, Lambert cannot be badass behind the wheel without explaining why. Without probable cause for her actions, none of this has a purpose.

When she sings “My reputation follows me around, just makes me want to give them more to talk about” in the second verse, it’s like she’s responding directly to anyone who feels her rise at country radio has compromised her artistic integrity. She’s surely displayed her vulnerability more often than not lately, but its helped her grow artistically credible and kept her from being pigeonholed. (We’ve all seen what being pigeonholed has done to artists over the years – Gretchen Wilson, anyone?)

If she’s out to prove she’s still a tough cookie, couldn’t she found a better way to say it than this? I mean who would’ve thought Lambert would sing such lines as:

I see the blue lights, we better run

Throw out the bottle and I’ll hide the gun

If he pulls us over I’ll turn on the charm

You’ll be in the slammer and I’ll be on his arm

Call it growing up, a new maturity, or whatever you want but the Lambert we all know would never turn on the charm for a police officer. She’d be in the slammer long before settling as his arm candy.

But if there’s a bright side, she got the packaging right. If country has to go in a rocker direction, this is honestly the best production we could ask for. At least the aggressive guitars are called for this time around and though they’re loud (and a far cry from traditional country) they never hinder Lambert’s vocal. It’s just too bad she didn’t deliver a more substantive lyric worth being heard.

Couldn’t her label have chosen “Mama’s Broken Heart” instead?

Grade: C

Album Review – Marty Stuart – ‘Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best’

Released in June 1996, Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best marks the final album of the hit-making portion of Stuart’s career. His sixth release for MCA Records, and produced as usual by Tony Brown, the album had four singles and peaked at #27 on the charts.

The lead single and title track reunited Stuart with Travis Tritt for their first duet in four years. Released in April of 1996, “Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best” wouldn’t be nearly as successful as their previous collaborations, missing the top twenty completely, and peaking at #23. It didn’t help that the song rocked harder than their previous work and Stuart’s growly vocal may’ve been a slight turn-off for radio programmers. To make matters worse, the mix of loud guitars and screaming steel hasn’t aged well. But the lyric, about a misunderstood boy who’s born to honky tonk, is still relevant today.

Second single “Thanks To You” wouldn’t faire much better on the charts, peaking at #50 that same year. But Stuart and Gary Nicholson wrote an outstanding lyric that holds up extremely well today. A love song, it’s a thank you note to the woman who saved the man’s life:

I searched for love my whole life through

Then it came like a blinding flash from the blue

Thanks to you

Empty nights and long lost days

Roving eyes and rambling ways are through

Thanks to you

“You Can’t Stop Love,” a guitar-heavy mid-tempo number co-written by Stuart and Kostas, peaked at #26 in 1997. Not as commercial as the previous two singles, it amazes me this garnered more airplay than “Thanks To You,” a much better single choice for the late 90s. But it’s still a good song, although the moody and somewhat dark arrangement is a better fit for Gary Allan than for Stuart.

A final single, “Sweet Love” came in the spring of 1997 but failed to chart. Written by rock and roll singer Del Shannon, “Sweet Love” was far too out of step with the times upon its release. Stuart, meanwhile, seems overproduced a bit and the loud guitar-heavy accompaniment drowns out his vocal.

As “Sweet Love” aptly illustrates, at his core Stuart is an individualist. By not bucking to trends or trying to sound like his contemporaries, his albums come off unique to the man creating them. That downside is that uniqueness doesn’t have a home on country radio. But commercial aspirations aside, it makes for a very interesting listening experience.

The most unique of all the songs on the album is “The Mississippi Mudcat and Sister Sheryl Crow,” which features Bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin along with his country music coon dog and beagle hounds. The track opens with Martin giving a recitation as though he and Stuart are relaxing on a porch in the country. The barking dogs give way to bluesy number heavy on guitar and originality but low on appeal. This is an acquired taste kind of song, and out of place on a commercial country record.

Album Review – Marty Stuart – ‘This One’s Gonna Hurt You’

By the summer of 1992, Stuart was finally in favor with mainstream country music. Released in late 1991, “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin,” the inaugural duet between him and Travis Tritt, peaked at #2, the highest peak Stuart would ever see. The duo would also go on to win a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration that same year, marking Stuart’s first such win.

Capitalizing on his recent success, Stuart released “This One’s Gonna Hurt You (For A Long, Long Time),” another duet with Tritt in June. The title track for his third album with MCA Records, it would prove successful as well peaking at #7. Written by Stuart, it’s just as good, if not better, than their previous collaboration. The tale of love gone wrong is framed in a stone cold arrangement complete with steel and piano that helps accentuate the mournful and clever lyrics.  I love how she’s the one who’s going to hurt, not him.

Released next, the bluesy “Now That’s Country,” written solely by Stuart, would peak at #18. A honky-tonker complete with electric guitar and steel flourishes, it depicts the ways in which Stuart was raised:

Well, that’s country,

I was born, yes, a country child

Now that’s country, but baby that’s my style

The almost dirty production is very good and helps elevate the song. But with very little to hold onto lyrically, the tune isn’t particularly memorable.

“High On A Mountain Top” came next, peaking at #24. Written by Alex Campbell and Ola Belle Reed, it isn’t to be confused with the Loretta Lynn song of the same name. This “High On A Mountain Top” is a rocker complete with accents of mandolin that details the story of a man reflecting on the journey that led to the current moment:

High on a mountaintop, standing all alone

Wondering where the years of my life have flown

High on a mountaintop, wind-blowing free

Thinking about the days that used to be

It’s too bad producer Tony Brown saw fit to create such a cluttered arrangement, as this could’ve been a wonderful song. The screaming guitars hinder Stuart’s vocal and nearly drown it out.

Classic Rewind – Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – ‘Truck Driver’s Blues’

From RFD-TV’s The Marty Stuart Show:

Classic Rewind – Marty Stuart and The Nashville Grass – ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone’

Here’s Marty circa 1976 in his Bluegrass days:

Classic Rewind – Porter Wagoner – ‘A Picture From Life’s Other Side’

Here’s Porter Wagoner singing ‘A Picture From Life’s Other Side’ which closes Marty Stuart’s latest album Nashville Volume 1: Tear The Woodpile Down as a duet with Hank III:

Album Review: Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives – ‘Nashville, Volume 1: Tear The Woodpile Down’

Of Nashville, Volume 1: Tear The Woodpile Down Marty Stuart says, “This record is the subtotal of a 40 year journey. It represents most everything I love about Country Music.” And that’s what Stuart has created, a historical document embodying the past while transporting it into the present.

Picking up where 2010’s Ghost Train – The Studio B Sessions left off,Tear The Woodpile Down follows in Stuart’s tradition of marrying newly written originals with well-chosen covers and instrumentals. He once again displays his acute skill of writing music that sounds and feels decades old while his band, His Fabulous Superlatives, have never played with such heightened intensity.

The Superlatives proficiency as a tight unit, due to recording the album with Stuart in the same room, is perfectly displayed on the title track, a honky-tonk number distinctive for its muscular guitar, strong harmonies, and banjo work by the legendry Buck Trent. “Tear The Woodpile Down” is easily the coolest sounding song on the album; a convergence of honky-tonk meets country rock that never looses traditional sensibilities yet feels modernistic in execution.

But the track’s selling point is the memorably comedic lyric. “Tear The Woodpile Down” details the trouble a man finds himself in while on the town with a gal – a night in jail and time before an unsympathetic judge. The sense that it doesn’t take itself too seriously only adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.

Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives also cut loose on “Hollywood Boogie” the sole instrumental among the ten tracks. Like “Tear The Woodpile Down,” “Hollywood Boogie” is brawny in nature but acts as a showcase for the band’s playing prowess, most notably Harry Stinston’s mesmerizing drum work. It’s rare in modern music to find this talented a band and “Hollywood Boogie” is a wonderful showcase for the breadth of their abilities.

In keeping with Stuart’s finest work, the heart and soul of Nashville, Volume 1 comes when he celebrates the past, something he does for most of this project. A favorite of his for years, Dwayne Warwick’s “Sundown In Nashville” first appeared on his 2003 album Country Music with far more distracting instrumentation. This mix is much more tasteful, allowing the cautionary tale painting Music City as the land of broken dreams (“A Country Boy’s Hollywood”), to breathe and sink in with the listener.

Stuart also resurrects two country classics – Jerry Chestnut’s “Holding On To Nothin’” which Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton brought to #7 in 1968 and “Pictures From Life’s Other Side,” A Hank Williams, Sr classic written as a Luke The Drifter poem.

“Holding On To Nothin’” succeeds because Stuart, a fan of the song from The Porter Wagoner Show, remains faithful to Wagoner and Parton’s record down to bringing in Trent to reprise his banjo work. Stuart’s version, though, has one key difference – he makes the guitar more prominent and in turn modernizes the overall feel of the song.

In contrast, “Pictures From Life’s Other Side” has had so many versions over the years; it’s hard to pick a definitive one. Doesn’t matter, though, as the inclusion of Hank III makes this essential listening, with his pure and raw vocal drawing me in. It’s my favorite song from Tear The Woodpile Down and one of the top album tracks of 2012 thus far because of his stunning guest vocal.

Another standout is “A Song of Sadness,” written by Stuart for Lorrie Carter Bennett (Anita Carter’s daughter and Mother Maybelle Carter’s granddaughter) to sing with him. Another smart choice on his part, her vocal adds extra flavor and creates beautiful contrast to his deeper vocal tones. But the framing of their voices against the backdrop of pedal steel is the real selling point. The mix is so effortless it feels like he has sung with her all is life.

The final resurrection comes in the form of a trucker’s anthem, a seemingly lost ideal in modern country music. “Truck Drivers Blues,” which contains the records only mention of Connie Smith, celebrates the truck driving lifestyle with radiant authenticity. Another fantastic catchy sing-a-long, it comes complete with a mandolin heavy arrangement that helps it stand out for more than just extremely clever lyrics alone.

Tear The Woodpile Down also includes three Stuart originals (“Matter Of Time,” “Going, Going Gone,” and “The Lonely Kind”) that bear trademark Nashville Sound ideals. “A Matter of Time” glides along with a gorgeous guitar riff that repeats throughout, “Going, Going, Gone” mixes pedal steel and electric guitar with an effortless lyric that slithers off the tongue, and “The Lonely Kind” has a moody vibe to distinguish itself from the pack; almost reminiscent of Gary Allan’s “Smoke Rings In The Dark” or classic Roy Orbison.

Overall, I’ve rarely heard a ten-track album this perfectly constructed in my more than fifteen years of listening to country music. While additional songs and a guest vocal by  Smith would’ve enhanced the listening experience, it’s hard to improve upon what Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives have created here. To call Tear The Woodpile Down astonishing would be an understatement. It’s a record for the ages, essential listening for anyone with a love of country music.

Grade: A+ 

Classic Rewind – Lester Flatt and Marty Stuart – ‘Bluebirds Singing For Me’

Here is a fourteen year old Marty Stuart singing with Lester Flatt on The Porter Wagoner Show in 1973:

Album Review – Vern Gosdin – ‘Back In The Swing of Things’

Back In The Swing of Things was originally released in 1998 as The Voice. It was repackaged and released under its new title in 2004. Since Gosdin was long out of the spotlight by then, the album didn’t produce any singles and failed to chart. It would also mark his final album release as he passed away in 2009.

The twelve-song album opens with the title track, a delightful western swing number that finds Gosdin in a barroom to recover from a break-up only to get over his sorrows when he hears his song on the jukebox.  I love the production on this song, a peppy mix of fiddles, steel guitar, and upright bass. A departure from the ballads he usually prefers, “Back In The Swing of Things” offers a nice change of pace.

Another track in this same vein is “Chip Off The Chip Off The Old Block,” a number finding Gosdin declaring he’s country “From My Hat back to my White Socks” and comparing himself to George Jones and Merle Haggard.  Lofty comparisons aside, it’s a catchy little tune. The fiddle and steel provide a nice bounce and help the listener engage with the otherwise inane lyrical content. I understand the intent he was going for here, but he shouldn’t have to try this hard to prove his worth, especially after recording “Chiseled In Stone.”

The album also has two songs with distinct 90s style production. “Fire In Our Bedroom” is a typical Gosdin cheating song but with a twist – he and his girl are fine; it’s everyone else who’s sleeping around. “Maybe Then I’ll Be Over You” should’ve been great, but the somewhat creepy hook – “when they lay me six feet under, maybe then I’ll be over you” leaves me kind of cold. But the Diamond Rio-esque arrangements make both songs highly listenable and fresh sounding.

On Back In The Swing of Things Gosdin appears to be making an effort to keep his production modern and in turn those choices keep the album from sounding dated. But he doesn’t stray too far from his wheelhouse either as he proves with “Baby, That’s Cold” a traditional ballad led by heavy steel guitar. Much like George Strait’s “You Can’t Make A Heart Love Somebody,” we have a woman telling her man she never really cared about him in the first place. The production is perfectly placed here but the chorus is lacking in substance – he mentions how her admission hurts him, but he never gets to the heart of his true pain. Nevertheless, “Baby, That’s Cold” is still a beautiful song to listen to.

“How Can I Believe In You When You’ll be leaving Me” and “I Know What Its Like (To Be Alone)” are also in Gosdin’s classic style of songs with relationships on the rocks. Both, though, are in different stages of breakup – in the former, the relationship is nearly over while in the latter he’s been alone for more than two years. Both songs are okay, but can’t match the power of “Baby, That’s Cold.” If I had to choose, I like “How Can I Believe In You When You’ll be leaving Me” better because of its barroom setting and more moody production.

Thrown in for good measure, are two covers of excellent country songs. “Would These Arms Be In Your Way” was a #36 peaking single for Keith Whitley in 1987 and the lead from his Don’t Close Your Eyes album. Gosdin treats the song differently than Whitley does, with a fiddle-laced arrangement. In a side-by-side comparison, I like Gosdin’s version better as it feels more easygoing. He also seems to perform the song with just a bit more conviction.

The other cover, “A Picture Of Me (Without You),” is one of four duets with the vocalist LaDonna Kay, a Bluegrass and country singer. Already familiar with the Jones, Connie Smith, and Lorrie Morgan versions of the song, I had never heard it as a duet. Compared with Morgan’s version (of which I’m most familiar), Gosdin puts a contemporary spin on the arrangement that comes off too modern for my tastes. But Kay has a good voice and gives the track an extra dose of flavor, which I like.

The other three duets with Kay are just as good. From a production standpoint, “Let’s Don’t and Say We Did” is easily the warmest and most inviting. “Streets of Gold,” a song about Heaven, uses fiddles to help it ease along, and “We Must’ve Been Out Of Our Minds” showcases the blending of their voices to stunning effect.

Overall, Back In The Swing of Things is a very enjoyable album from Gosdin. He found (and co-wrote) some great songs, and the addition of Kay as a duet partner gave the album an added dimension. I highly recommend this to anyone willing to seek it out; unfortunately it’s out of print.

Grade: A-

 

Classic Rewind – Patty Loveless and Kathy Mattea – “Someday Soon”

Originally sung by Ian and Sylvia in 1962 and Judy Collins in 1969, “Someday Soon” crossed over to the country charts in 1982 when Moe Bandy turned it into a #21 peaking hit. Suzy Bogguss then recorded it for her Aces album from which it was a single in 1991. Bogguss had the most successful version of the song, peaking at #12.

Here is a rare duet version of “Someday Soon” from Patty Loveless and Kathy Mattea taken from an old John Denver Christmas special in the early 90s. This version was never made available which is a shame:

Single Review – George Strait – ‘Drinkin’ Man’

I remember reading someone criticize George Strait’s foray into songwriting, saying that he’ll likely never be introspective or pen anything substantive. That was back in 2009, three years before he’d release one of the finest story songs of his career with “Drinkin’ Man,” a tune co-written with his son Bubba and Dean Dillon.

“Drinkin’ Man” succeeds on two distinct fronts – Strait’s storytelling abilities and the raw honesty conveyed within the story, cumulating in the stunning hook, “It’s a hell of a lot to ask of a drinkin’ man.” With so many modern country songs romanticizing the partying lifestyle, down to the endless tailgate parties, scantily clad women, and overflowing Red Solo Cups, its refreshing to hear a drinking song that tackles the ravaging effects of alcoholism in such an honest manner.

The song begins with the male protagonist at the age of 14, drunk by 10am despite a pack with God to never again bring the bottle to his lips. He’s already in trouble – keeping his addiction from his parents and ignoring the advice from his friends to straighten up – but the tall order of sobriety is just too much to bear:

I just laughed, said, you don’t understand

That’s a hell of a lot to ask a drinkin’ man

The addiction escalates in the next verse, finding him at 16, on his own, with the whole world figured out. The wild child, he’s causing concern for his parents and has even added marijuana to his drug cocktail. At the end of the verse Strait brilliantly puts everything back into perspective, as another brush with sobriety comes up short:

 Stayed sober once for nine days in a row

I quit cold turkey and damn near almost made it to ten

But that’s a hell of a lot to ask of a drinkin’ man

“Drinkin’ Man” brings to mind that other brilliant tale of alcoholism, Collin Raye’s 1994 #2 “Little Rock“ (written by Tom Douglas) but goes a step further by making the pain of alcohol the focus opposed to spending so much time focusing on what the man has lost as a result. It’s the better song because of that slight switch, which comes to light in the chorus, the most stunning display of self-reflection you’ll likely hear all year on a mainstream single:

I look into the mirror, bottle in my hand

I’d like to pour it out, I just don’t think I can

‘Cause that’s a hell of a lot to ask of a drinkin’ man

After that emotional zenith, he falls in love and almost gets his life together but like any great country song, the temptation of the bottle is too much to ignore. We never find out what became of the man but that hardly matters as Strait has crafted one of his greatest achievements with this song, the depths of which knows no bounds. It’s so nice to see the last of the elder statesmen able to score huge radio singles, using their platform to deliver age appropriate and thought-provoking material worthy of their legacy. It’s going to be tough to push this up the charts in the summer months, but if anyone can get this single to masses its Strait.

Grade: A+

Classic Rewind – Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Joe Diffie and Porter Wagoner – ‘Can I Trust You With My Heart’

Here’s a Grand Ole Opry performance of Travis Tritt’s #1 single from early 1993. The original version can be found on his T-R-O-U-B-L-E album. It was the second single from that project:

Album Review – Vern Gosdin – ‘Out Of My Heart’

Released in 1991 on Columbia, Out Of My Heart was Gosdin’s final album to chart reaching a peak of #41. It wasn’t the overwhelming success of his late 80s efforts and only managed to produce three low-charting singles.

The album was led by “I Knew My Day Would Come,” which reached a peak of #64 in 1991. A gorgeous mandolin-soaked mid-tempo ballad, the song tells the story of a downtrodden man who has nothing to his name but the eternal optimism that his circumstances are going to turn around. The effortless ease of Gosdin’s delivery helps make this a winner and it’s a bit disappointing it wasn’t a bigger hit.

Second single, “The Garden” would fare a little better, peaking at #51. It’s less commercial than the lead single, with the heavy steel guitar working against Gosdin’s thin vocal. The story of a man returning home to his wife in the garden of heaven is good but isn’t enough to have connected with radio listeners in 1991.

The third and finale single, “A Month of Sundays,” peaked at #54. It’s a honky-tonk inspired tune perfectly in keeping with the traditionalist sounds of country radio at the time. The song tells the classic tale of someone partying a little too hard on Saturday night thus needing a month of Sundays to recover. It’s very good, although, the arrangement is a bit stiff for my tastes and the overall recording hasn’t aged well in more than 21 years.

The remaining tracks continue in the same vein as the three singles, bringing in a nice mix of traditional country sounds. Its easy to see why this album wasn’t a huge success since its hard not to feel like Gosdin was just a bit out of touch with the overall feeling of country music at the time. He still had that same great voice, but his music wasn’t warm and inviting in a way that would draw in listeners hearing the youthful exuberance of Trisha Yearwood and Diamond Rio for the first time.

Of the album tracks, the only real standout is “Love Will Keep Your Hand On The Wheel,” a trucker driver’s lament detailing lonely nights on the road and the focus love gives a person to push through in pursuit of home. The moody accompaniment perfectly captures the late-night essence of the song.

Overall, Out Of My Heart isn’t a bad album, just one in need of a jolt of energy. The sound was becoming a bit dated by 1991 as the new traditionalist movement was making way for the commercial boom of the 90s. But even though the album is out of print, the tracks are still worth checking out and can easily be found on YouTube.

Grade: B 

Album Review – Vern Gosdin – ‘Too Far Gone’

Released in 1984 on RCA Records Too Far Gone, finds Vern Gosdin in a peculiar place in his career – the infamous Urban Cowboy period was nearing its end but the new traditionalist movement hadn’t yet taken hold. So Gosdin created an album that would appeal to the slicker sounds of the time while also keeping one foot planted in the traditional sounds that shaped his career.

The album kicks off with the mid-tempo “Too Far Gone to Find,” a song drenched in acoustic guitar, that finds a man pleading with his lover to let him go and never be heard from again. Once the steel guitar and background singers kick in on the chorus, though, the tune begins to show its age. But overall it’s a very enjoyable track and an inviting way to open the album.

The string heavy ballad “Just Give Me What You Think Is Fair” comes next and it’s the rare lyric in which a man is willing to share his lover with another msn as long as she gives him as much of her as she feels he deserves. The clever lyric really helps sell the song, as does Gosdin’s vocal, which is clear and commanding. So it’s unfortunate that the mix of heavy strings and steel guitar would wear so thin overtime as to sound a bit cloudy.

Another relationship song, “Don’t Ever Leave Me Again” finds a man in the same pleading position as the previous tracks, but this time he’s begging her not to leave. Another very strong vocal and lyric help greatly in elevating the campy production values, which begin in what feels like a sensitizer and piano haze, but smartly give way to a more tasteful mix of light procession and pedal steel.

“Cowboys Are Common As Sin” opens like another track all together, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson’s “Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” but quickly turns into its own thing, signaled by the drum introduction. One of the more country sounding songs, it’s set in an old tavern and offers a warning that the female protagonist is “asking for trouble” by “hanging around cowboys like me.”

Another of my favorite tracks is “Lady” which rolls along with such a gentle ease, it’s easy to be lost in the vulnerability Gosdin is displaying here by admitting to his woman how he can’t quite put his feelings for her into words. The vocal and lyric are great, but like most of Too Far Gone, the production, a bit too pop leaning for my taste, leaves a lot to be desired.

That cat and mouse game between production, lyric, and vocal plays out again on “It Might Have Been” an ode about regrets, with the man thinking back to when love was young, and what could’ve come of the relationship during those innocent times. It’s too bad the somewhat indistinguishable arrangement comes off so cloudy since sparser instrumentation might’ve pushed this over the top.

Thankfully the same can’t be said for “Damn The Fever” which is an excellent cheaters lament finding the man sneaking home in the morning after spending the night with another woman. I really like this one because of the production – the mix of pedal steel, acoustic guitar, and light drums is delightful.

The album closes with “Only For You” which makes use of Gosdin’s vocal and is an ample showcase for why he was nicknamed “The Voice.” The tasteful mix of guitars and pedal steel elevate the track to new heights, which is one of the album’s distinct highlights.

Overall, there’s definitely more pluses than minuses on Too Far Gone. The songs are all top notch and Gosdin delivers with his usually impressive vocal abilities. Stemming from the early 80s makes it somewhat easy to forgive the now dated production values but its hard not to imagine what this same record would’ve sounded like during Gosdin’s peak just a few short years later.

Too Far Gone is out of print, but the individual tracks are easy to find on YouTube and worth checking out.

Grade: A- 

Single Review – The Band Perry – ‘Postcards From Paris’

Since their debut in late 2009, The Band Perry have made their mark on country music – the brothers and a sister trio have racked up a couple number one hits (“If I Die Young” and “All Your Life”) a #2 (“You Lie”) and an all but forgotten top 20 (“Hip To My Heart”) while keeping the instrumentation decidedly country, a foreign concept to many of their contemporaries. Their latest single, the fifth from their self-titled debut, follows perfectly in that trend.

Written by the trio, Kara DioGuardi and Jeff Cohen, “Postcards From Paris” is the tune they couldn’t leave as an album cut even though their label wanted to move to their sophomore album. The release is a smart move, though, as “Postcards” is the perfect song to help bring them to the next level of superstardom and like others have stated, is one of the strongest lyrics on their record.

It also doesn’t hurt that producers Nathan Chapman and Paul Worley strike the ideal balance between old school country and new age country-rock with the blended production. The fiddle hasn’t sounded this good on any single thus far in 2012, and the punchy drums at the end of the chorus extenuate Kimberly’s anger perfectly, all while giving the song enough of a kick to keep the modern bent alive.

But it’s the offbeat lyrical content, quickly becoming The Band Perry’s signature quirk, which really helps sell the song. “Postcards” is, on the onset, a simple story of newly found love until you realize she’s with the wrong man:

I was with my boyfriend, a new boyfriend

He was as sweet as he could be

One look at you and I was through

My heart switched up on me

Like any great song, the emotions of being with the wrong person are fully flushed out – every decision she’s made is now coming into question, as though the universe got it backwards and her diamond ring was actually a fake. Now that she feels she’s supposed to be with someone else, the protagonist can’t help but let out her primal scream (accompanied by those well-placed drums) – And now I’m ruined, I’m ruined.

And it’s that twisty angst element that’s helped to form the trio’s sound and thusly helped them emerge as one of the most exciting acts having hits right now. So far each one of their hit singles has had a tinge of darkness to it. For them, it isn’t enough to sing a simple love song. Kimberly always has to be ruined when a better catch comes along or obsessed with the person who doesn’t notice her. With her gorgeous and tantalizing twang; she pulls off each character with the ease of a singer with twice as much life experience.

Like all their hits, “Postcards From Paris” proves that by singing material that digs far deeper than the average mailed-in fluff, The Band Perry are creating a rich listening experience that deserves further cultivation in the years to come. Their songs aren’t perfect yet, but with time, I have no doubt they’ll get there.

Grade: A

Classic Rewind – Jim Reeves – ‘Am I Losing You’

Written by Reeves, “Am I Losing You” was originally released in 1957 and spent two weeks at #3 on the country charts. A re-recording of the song charted in 1960 and peaked at #8. A third version, by Ronnie Milsap, hit #1 in 1981.

Classic Rewind – Lorrie Morgan – ‘Something In Red’

Here is Morgan performing a song she initially refused to hear until the end because she thought the woman in the song ultimately ended up wearing black. Her recording of “Something In Red” went on to become her signature song although it wasn’t a #1 single. The song, also the title track to the accompanying album, would peak at #14, 20 years ago this spring:

Classic Rewind – Lori McKenna – ‘Stealing Kisses’

Album Review – Lori McKenna – ‘Lorraine’

The mark of a great album lies in the ability to match exceptionally well-written and well-crafted songs, with an equally as powerful a singer. When one element is missing, the whole project fails. In the case of McKenna, she has crafted perfection. Lorraine is also the best country album by a female artist since Miranda Lambert’s Revolution. The mixture of both heartbreak and hope, coupled with a sense of deep longing, make this project sparkle. Never has the emptiness of loosing a parent at a young age (McKenna lost her mother when she was seven) been so palpable and the ache in moving forward so heartbreakingly real.

To listen to McKenna is to hear the truth of a woman who has endured and lived. She lives with her husband, a plumber, and their five children in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She was quietly perfecting her sound when, in 2005, she caught the ear of Faith Hill. Hill was so taken aback by what she heard, she demanded to hear everything McKenna had ever written. As a result, Hill included three of McKenna’s songs (“Stealing Kisses”, “Fireflies,” and “If You Ask”) on her 2005 Fireflies album. McKenna has since gone on to record a major label country album (2007′s Unglamorous) and have her songs covered by the likes of Sara Evans, Tim McGraw, singer/actress Mandy Moore, Jimmy Wayne, and most recently Keith Urban. And a track she co-wrote, “Chances Are,” was sung by actor Garrett Hedlund and included in the movie Country Strong. The major label deal has since ended, and her new album Lorraine, her given name, and that of her mother, is self-released through Signature Sounds.

McKenna’s greatest appeal isn’t her singing and songwriting – it’s the throwback nature of her music. She isn’t bred from the same cloth as Jennifer Nettles or Carrie Underwood and she’s more accessible to the mainstream audience than either Patty Griffin or Lucinda Williams. McKenna is most importantly a thinking person’s country singer, a modern day Emmylou Harris, and the rightful torchbearer of that all but dead subset of the genre. Her country is neither polished or glossy – it’s just her truth as she knows it.

On the 13 tracks, McKenna proves she is leaps and bounds ahead of her peers by actually having something substantive to deliver to her audience. By staying clear of the cliche machine that is Nashville, she never once succumbs to the trickery of the business. Making her mark by taking complete creative control and forging her own path, McKenna puts quality first – something sorely missing from 99 percent of the recordings emerging from Music City. Lorraine showcases a woman free to do what she pleases and deliver spectacular results.

The opening song, “The Luxury of Knowing,” recently scooped up by Keith Urban for the deluxe edition of his Get Closer album, sets the scene. Both somber and brooding, “Knowing” commands attention for McKenna’s stunning vocal alone. She stretches her unmistakeable twang further than ever before, creating an emotional ache so palpable you feel right along with her. Credit must also go to Urban who clearly knows a true gem when he hears it. It’s just too bad his version will never bring the song the mainstream attention it deserves. It hardly matters anyway, after hearing McKenna’s performance on the song, no one else will dare touch it.

Another standout track, “Still Down Here,” the story of a person talking to their loved ones up in heaven, is an early favorite for song of the year. Anyone who has suffered the loss of a close relative or friend will instantly relate to McKenna’s yearning to be remembered by those from beyond the grave. With all the attention focused squarely on “Knowing,” “Here” will likely be left in the cold. But if you only buy one song this year, make it this one. Very rarely does a song come along, especially nowadays, so compelling in nature. It’ll haunt you long after it’s over.

The remarkable thing about Lorraine is the production – never too loud or too soft, the musical arraignments fit each song perfectly. One mark of a great album is the ability to let the lyrics take center stage. When the musical arraignment swallows both the lyrics and vocal performances, all potential for greatness is lost. One could argue McKenna needs to rock a bit harder every now and then but what would that prove? Optimism and joy aren’t her nature and it isn’t like she’s looking to stand alongside Kenny Chesney at football stadiums. With Lorraine she’s found the perfect marriage every major label artist should be striving for – you don’t need to make noise to be heard. Let it be a lesson for everyone.

One could argue that McKenna spends far too long as the brooding sufferer – the wife begging for attention from the man who once couldn’t get enough (“Stealing Kisses”) or the woman allowing herself to forgive the man who strays (“If You Ask”). To listen to her music is to listen to someone hurting. You could also fault McKenna for still seeming stuck by the most significant moment of her childhood. But to write her off is to turn your back on one of the most important singer-songwriters working today. Lorraine is a masterpiece because of its authenticity and because it’s a clear anecdote to every current trend in country music. Simply put, Lorraine has visible heart and soul. She doesn’t pander or succumb to anyone but her own gut – and she’s all the better for it in the end. I couldn’t ask for more.

Grade: A+ 

Classic Rewind: Pam Tillis and Gretchen Peters – ‘Let That Pony Run’

Here’s a performance of Peters’ song, which Tillis took to #4 in 1993. Includes an introduction by Peters: