Jan 4, 2012

.99 Reviews: Brantley Gilbert - You Don't Know Her Like I Do




























(click to listen)

The People's Take:
(album reviews)

. (5 Stars)
by tyler831
Brantley is what's gonna save country music

Best ever (5 Stars)
by Walt1991
BG is the realist country singer out there! Keep it up man

Refreshing (4 Stars)
by David Whitehorn
Nice to see an up and coming country band incorporate their own unique style. Let's hope their style isn't tainted by Nashville.

(Editor's note - Snicker, snicker....)


My Take:

First of all, this isn't a country song… so let's get that out of the way.

From the opening notes, I know this is a power ballad. It has some bluesy tones going on, so there's that positive note anyway. If it wasn't for the mumbly semi-drawled delivery and the lack of over-the-top guitar, this could be a Cinderella song. Look 'em up. 

There's another positive note to mention - this is a sad song. What's that? A sad song released to country radio post-2000?? Yep. However, it's a sad song from the male's point of view that in no way puts out the possibility that the female the male is sad about did anything wrong. That's very important - women = never wrong…especially on country radio.

I had to look up the lyrics because, to put it mildly, Brantley's articulation is not crisp. He's the depressed, buzzed (southern) college guy at the bar who's starting to slur his words as he misquotes George Strait lyrics to let you know how sad he is about his girlfriend leaving him last weekend. And he's got a sinus infection.

His enunciation is such that the first line of the chorus sounds like "you don't know like I do"…you can't even hear the 'her.' Despite his lazy diction, the vocals are slightly above the tolerable range, even showing a hint of soulfulness that belies Gilbert's usual posturing and redneck braggadocio.

Said chorus is fairly catchy. The lyrics aren't anything to make cute little Tumblr graphics about though. "That girl's my best friend" makes certain no man will ever feel comfortable singing along with this in male company. 

The second verse takes the lyrical quality even lower. 
"And I can't cope, it's like a death inside the family
It's like she stole my way to breathe"
Could those two lines be much more awkward? Is a 'death inside the family' one that occurs when the family is gathered in a locked-arms circle, kicking an intruder who's lying in the middle? "My way to breathe"…she stole your lungs? Holy shit! That sounds painful.

One more positive - there's no happy ending to this song. We're left with him hopelessly pining for the girl as his friend tries to provide support on the phone. In my book, reality is nearly always better than the slight ray of hope that's usually thrown into Nashville 'sad' songs in the form of a more upbeat bridge.

As much as I can't stand Brantley Gilbert and everything he stands for, he's shown to be fairly adept at balladry so I'll give him a higher grade than you might expect. He still sucks, though.

Total Value:
.60/.99

8 comments:

  1. Get a damn life, seriously do you not have anything better to do??? You are one miserable human being!!! As a BG fan, I say FUCK YOU!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I thought it was a pretty fair review. Go have a beer and settle down, it's just a silly blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some people just don't get it. Fans of bad music really are sensitive.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @ first comment. haha, almost as much of a joke as some of Gilbert's other songs. As the review said, this one is actually alright though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. He has plenty of alright songs. He actually some I would go as far as saying are 'great', depending on your standards (But I can guarantee you'll never actually here THOSE on the radio...). But there's just far too much posturing and pseudo-outlaw attitude going on to not be annoyed.

    As someone from BG's part of Georgia, I've been listening to his music long before he was...this. His music really wasn't that bad when he was just an indie artist writing and recording his own stuff. There wasn't this front. Just a good ol' boy with a wild streak singing some songs he wrote.

    It really is almost unbearable now though. Nashville's trying to make him this country thug/outlaw with a softside and they've taken music that was a decent blend of raw country/rock and polished and shined it up. It's just not authentic anymore, and I think whether you actually like him or not, that's what's frustrating.

    ReplyDelete
  6. whoever doesnt like brantley gilbert can piss up a tree. =]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just finished. The side of the tree is all wet. Now what?

      Delete
  7. I suggest you reevaluate your own life if youre calling someone a douche based on how they dress, you fucking retard

    ReplyDelete

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