As frustratingly inconsistent as Brad can be -- as seen by my previous reviews -- he is nearly untouchable when he's at his best. And this song is definitely up there. The concept of being able to write a letter to your past self is fascinating on its own merits, especially for someone like me who struggled in their teenage years. But what goes in said letter is where this shines. Individual lines evoke sadness ("go hug Aunt Rita every chance you can"), subversion ("these are nowhere near the best years of your lives"), introspection ("Pain like that is fast and it's rare"), and humor ("When you get a date with Bridget, make sure the tank is full / On second thought, forget it, that one turns out kinda cool"), and it's all wrapped up by a gentle, relaxing, acoustic-driven read. Literally every damn thing works on this song, and its central message of "life may not be perfect, but it'll still get better" is universally relatable. I still tear up a little every time I hear this. A+
This is a legitimately funny spin on the "overprotective dad" trope. This guy doesn't remember much from high school except threats from an equally suspicious father figure, who'll be "up all night still cleaning this gun." And now the narrator is in those same shoes, knowing his daughter is going to be with some horny young boy who might take things too far. At no point does it feel like there's any danger of the narrator going postal; after all, he goes out of his way to say nobody will actually get hurt. And as someone who's deathly afraid of guns, the fact that I laughed at the punch line is proof that he got his point across without sounding angry. I think Rodney's rough-edged delivery with a hint of a chuckle to it helps the message go down; it's also way stronger melodically than is the norm for Casey Beathard (who, for the record, does have a knack for good father-centric songs). Why has this guy's discography aged so well? A-
March 15: "All-American Girl" by Carrie Underwood
The father in this song wants a boy he can watch play football, but instead gets a perfect girl -- one who, 18 years later, is dating the high school football star, whose head is no longer in the game because he's in love. It's not really breaking any new ground lyrically, but with a title like that, I'm not expecting it to do so. It does what it does by sounding like something that could have actually happened and never feeling trite. Besides, the detail of his scholarship being on the line is a bit inspired, and the melody's great. It's also got a strong melody with a bit more fiddle than usual, which offers some grounding even after she goes for that high E on the bridge. To use an appropriate football term, this was a great fumble recovery after "So Small." B
March 29: "Small Town Southern Man" by Alan Jackson
Just like the previous song, this one succeeds by being a straight-ahead, no frills story about an everyday American life. Only this time, it's about the narrator's father. It's almost like an expansion of "Home" from much earlier in his career, telling of a hard-working father (his own, obviously) who settled into the "natural way of life, if you're lucky." I also like the actual detail of how Alan was the fifth child after four daughters, raised in a house the father himself built. "He said his greatest contribution is the ones you leave behind" is also a winner of a line. You know the father's going to get old and die, but both the father's and narrator's observations of his high spirits even in his twilight years keep the story moving along. The fact that AJ's voice is a little softer and weaker by this point only emphasizes that world-weariness he sings about, and the production smartly stays out of the way. This song emanates humility and selflessness, two qualities that should appeal to all parents and children alike. A
April 12: "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins
And speaking of positive portrayals of fathers... This one finds the daughter being embarrassed by her dad when being dropped off at school, being visited by him in her apartment in adulthood, and then having an observation on childhood from a plumber in the third. The setup sounds smooth and natural, each time reflecting on the ups and downs of parent-child relationships. As macho as Trace was in this timespan (again, "I Got My Game On"), it was refreshing to see him drop the posturing and go for a calm, introspective bent again. And that line from the plumber when he's being bothered by the children -- "I've got two babies of my own; one's 36, one's 23" -- is a hell of a payoff. No matter how old you are, you're always somebody's "baby." I'm glad his stint on The Celebrity Apprentice gave a signal boost to one of his best songs. A+
May 3: "I Saw God Today" by George Strait
Sometimes it's the small things in life that remind believers of the existence of God. Unlike Lee Ann Womack's awkward "There Is a God" a year later, this one avoids implying that only believers can get cancer cured, or that science goes against God's will or something. The narrative here actually has cohesion, as the guy is taking a break while accompanying his heavily pregnant wife -- only to come back and witness the birth as another example of the Big Man's existence. If it's a predicable payoff, it's one that King George sells with a slightly poppier yet still charismatic read. I may be an atheist, but I believe he saw something that day just because he's so convincing at telling me. A-
May 17: "Just Got Started Lovin' You" by James Otto
How did this guy only have one hit? With a soulful delivery and great groove -- gotta love that Wurlitzer electric piano -- this is one of the coolest sounding songs to have hit the top during this stretch. Everything about it is just so chill yet sensual, never feeling gross or lazy. It hits that "just right" groove that says "sex" without rubbing it in your face. "I'm thankful for the weekend, but two days in Heaven just ain't gonna do" says a lot about how he isn't in it for just a one-night stand. This is someone he loves. Maybe it's not quite as classy or as set on the far future as "I'd Love to Lay You Down," but the fact that I'm able to invoke that song at all is proof that he's doing something right. I'm at a total loss as to why he, of all acts, had to be a one-hit wonder -- because he had the goods to go a lot longer. A
May 31: "I'm Still a Guy" by Brad Paisley
I think this song is one of the reasons I came out as non-binary. I've always had a disdain for conventional gender roles, and I'm willing to poke fun and subvert the hell out of them. But just like other forms of comedy, you need to actually remember to write a joke. And this one starts out as a bunch of played-out "battle of the sexes" lines that were even more stale now than they were back at "I'm Gonna Miss Her." Just like with "Online," I don't actually think Brad is the kind of guy who would un-ironically use the word "sissy" or punch someone for hitting on his wife. And while this could just be a rewrite of Alan Jackson's "Work in Progress," it's the last verse that really rubs me the wrong way. You know, the verse where he calls out men who accept more conventionally feminine roles. Again, I don't think Brad is the kind of person who would have called an effeminate man or a transgender person a slur (even in 2008, when trans awareness wasn't a fraction of what it is now), but just the fact that he thought it was okay to write a line about "men linin' up to get neutered" at all is more than a little bit icky to me. C-
I've seen this derided as "Before He Cheats Part II" but I'm not seeing it. If anything, it's Alan Jackson's "I Don't Even Know Your Name" only with the sexes reversed and a more Shania Twain-styled performance. She gets so drunk that she ends up marrying a guy in Vegas without even bothering to find out that much about him. It's kind of gaudy and over-the-top, but damn it, it's fun enough for me not to care. Plus, I like how "I don't even know his last name" becomes "I don't even know my last name" on the final chorus, which is a bit more of a payoff than this kind of song usually gets. Just from "Before He Cheats" to here, you can tell she's gotten a bit better at gruffness, and it works in this song's favor. Songs like this have done wonders to make her feel a lot less like a Stepford wife in my book. B+
This song is one mixed metaphor away from greatness. I like the "I can't settle down" narrative here, and unlike most, I don't feel that Kenny overplayed it. And besides, "my only friends are pirates" is a good twist on his usual beach bum formula. This guy knows his restlessness and self-destructive nature are what's keeping him out of the loop, and he expresses it through a mix of colorful ("I move on like a sinner's prayer") and direct ("I don't want to be that mistake"). It never feels like it's pretentiously propping up the vague, superficial, or exceedingly obvious as if they were deep meaningful truths, unlike "Troubadour" or Rodney Crowell's "The Obscenity Prayer." The vibe is low-key, allowing the mixed emotions to shine. Unfortunately, one line trips up this whole song: the one that begins with "goodbyes are like a roulette wheel" and ends with "left holding a losing hand." That's the most blatant mixed metaphor I've seen in a song since Kathy Mattea's "Clown in Your Rodeo." How did a co-writer who's a music critic never catch that? Oh well, it's just one line; everything else here is great. A-
July 12: "Back When I Knew It All"
by Montgomery Gentry
I never got a sense of machismo from most of MG's songs. It's probably because they take time to reflect and poke fun at themselves, as is the case here. "I'm learning so much more than back when I knew it all" is humorous yet introspective, summarizing this look backward at their past cockiness and current maturity. I also love how Eddie and Troy trade off on the verses, making it sound like two buddies bonding over a conversation. Sure, the guitar riff sounds a little close to "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds, but that's a good riff worth drawing inspiration from. I liked this song so much that I once wrote an answer song called "I Never Knew It All." So yeah, I get where these guys are coming from, and I'm here to laugh and think along with them. A
AJ tries to evoke the five-minute "extended mix" line dance novelties of the '90s and pulls it off. This one's got an appropriately gangly shuffle guaranteed to fill dance floors. Sure, it's not the most impressive thing lyrically, but I can relate with "I've been workin' all week and I'm tired, and I don't wanna sleep, I just wanna have fun." (That same mentality keeps me up until 3 AM writing reviews of 15-year-old country songs I haven't heard in ages.) There's also a lot of nuance to the production, thanks in no small part to Brent Mason shredding and chicken-picking the hell out of everything, along with some fiddle, harmonica, jaw harp, and even a talk box! Although some AJ songs are bogged down by over-writing, this one never feels over-long, probably because it's just been so long since he hit with an upbeat number and he sounds like he's having so much fun doing so. (I especially like the heavier bass and sound effects of the "Too Hot to Fish" remix, further evoking all the filigree of those "extended mix" versions.) For having no greater ambition than being the next "Boot Scootin' Boogie," I think he actually beat Brooks & Dunn at their own game by being a lot looser. A-
August 16: "All I Want to Do" by Sugarland
Whether or not you like this song may have a lot to do-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh with how much you're willing to put up with Jennifer's extended melisma. My mom hated when Aaron Tippin did that on "My Blue Angel," but she never had a problem with it here. And I don't mind it, either. It's not trying to be anything more than a lighthearted look at just relaxing after household chores and enjoying the company of your partner. Does that sound fluffy? Yeah, but Jennifer's vocal is on point, and I like the production -- mostly just clicking drum sticks and a guitar figure with a lot of suspended chords. For being a low-stakes ear-worm, it's got a bit more texture than you might think, and is all the better for it. B+
I still think Taylor Swift's debut album is her best. It just had the charm of a talented teenager doing something she was passionate about, and showing a wisdom beyond her years. However, I still consider this song the only weak link on it. Her voice sounds even thinner than usual, with odd phrasing on the word "weakness," not to mention lines like "You should've known that word 'bout what you did with her get back to me" that are as clunky as they are grammatically incorrect. While the production is an interesting mix of country and post-grunge (and surprisingly, not a brick-walled mess unlike Nathan Chapman's more contemporary work), the lyrics and tone (especially how she sings the title) are probably the only time I can describe a country song as sounding "bratty." This was the only time on the album that I actually went "yeah, this is totally a teenager" (well, other than the "I'll tell mine you're gay" line in "Picture to Burn"), and while it may have appealed to the iCarly crowd, I don't think it held much merit beyond that. D
September 6: "You Look Good in My Shirt"
by Keith Urban
I'm still a bit bitter that Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing didn't have any #1 singles on it, because I find that stretch to be his strongest (including the stunningly kinetic "Once in a Lifetime," my personal favorite). But I'll accept this as a consolation prize. The image of a woman waking up in her boyfriend's shirt is a well-worn one (pun intended), but it's one worth repeating. And this song keeps it simple by leaving the verses short (why yes, Mark Nesler did write this), and hinting at how early in the relationship it even is for the two of them: "Maybe it's a little too early to know if this is gonna work / But all I know is you're sure lookin' good in my shirt." The song was originally recorded for his Golden Road album in 2002, but this version is superior by having a more charismatic, playful delivery and slightly tighter production. It's cute, charming, and never over-stays its welcome. Seriously, go buy a copy of Greatest Hits: 19 Kids off Amazon or search up the bootleg upload of this on YouTube, because that seems to be the only way to find this verison. A
September 13: "Do You Believe Me Now"
by Jimmy Wayne
Jimmy Wayne is a fascinating person -- a man who has lived through homelessness and a suicide attempt, and who had a lot of journal entries about the same play a role in his early music. But other than "Kerosene Kid," his life never seemed to come off on record. I get on the surface how he wants to play the "I hope my ex is miserable" narrative à la Chris Cagle's "Miss Me Baby," but to say he sounds more like Dan + Shay in fedoras would still be too nice. When he sings "I knew what I was talkin' about...he's the one that's holdin' you, baby; me, I'm missin' you way across town," you expect the line to end with "milady." It's like only he has the right to tell this woman what she can and can't do, because only he can be right in any situation. You can just hear the scumminess in his voice, and even see it in that stupid haircut. The bloated production doesn't help things either, and it gets almost ear-splitting with the wall of guitars on the chorus. If this had a line about how all humans are worthless except for the ones he wants to have sex with, I'd totally believe Onision wrote it. F
This is yet another case where a sluggish melody drags down an otherwise great song. And it's a shame, because it's one of the only times I've seen "men vs. women" humor played with a sense of self-awareness since The Red Green Show ended. Even in an era where the term "dead mall" was already well-known, the image of a husband waiting for his wife to finish shopping at the mall is relatable. The fact that the old man is amused by his situation shows a degree of sympathy and tolerance that such a setup usually lacks. And it leads to the narrator realizing that he's been doing a lot of "waiting" on his woman, too -- again, without the tiniest bit of cynicism or degradation. I even like the punch line, where he imagines himself up in Heaven waiting for her, which manages to be funny, sweet, and a little sad all at the same time. Given how utterly condescending "Little Moments" was, it's refreshing to see Brad taking a warm and sympathetic tone on similar content. It just could have used a little more seasoning in the melody and production. A-
October 4: "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"
by Darius Rucker
Hootie going country seemed so bizarre, but you listen to "Let Her Cry" and tell me (outside the Michael Stipe name-drop) that's not a country song. This is a little less glossy and free from the "hunger dunger dang" singing, with Darius giving a very charismatic read. That hook is great, and while the rest of the lyrics don't quite measure up -- the shift from "heard you found a real good man and you married him" to "I wonder if sometimes I cross your mind" is particularly jarring -- but the relaxed production and vocals make them seem a lot less stock than they look on paper. While the subtext of this being the first #1 country hit by a Black artist since 1983 is admittedly more fascinating than the song itself, I think it's still an enjoyable enough song on its own merits. B
October 18: "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven"
by Kenny Chesney feat. the Wailers
I remember some critics back in the day savaging this song for the reggae production, and how mismatched it seemed to the lyric. But I don't see it at all. I haven't heard a song lean that hard into such an influence since, well, "Get into Reggae Cowboy," and the whole concept of relaxing and having fun because "nobody wanna go [to Heaven] now" practically screams "reggae" to me. The song also gets major points for its criticisms of religion. A holier-than-thou preacher tries to nag the narrator into redemption and swindle extra money out of him (instead of coming at him with love and compassion), only to get shot down by the narrator's savage retort. This is probably the sharpest anti-religion country song since "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex." Laid-back, funny, satirical, and distinctly produced all at once, this song finds Kenny laying a whole lot of new ground. A+
November 1: "She Never Cried in Front of Me" by Toby Keith
After a mix of testosterone-fueled swagger ("She's a Hottie"), awkward attempts at sensitivity ("Love Me If You Can"), and outright shitposting (also "She's a Hottie"), Toby Keith is back to one of his formulae that I like the most: the vulnerable male. It's a standard narrative of a man who was too proud and emotionally blind to see he wasn't treating his woman right until he sees her with another man. That "too late" realization is such a staple of country music (e.g., "I See It Now" by Tracy Lawrence), and this one twists the knife a bit further with the line "if she ever did cry for me / They were tears that you can't see." Sometimes emotional damage is harder to read, and I like that this song acknowledges that. You can tell he's torn up about wanting to un-ring that bell, knowing full well he can't. Literally the only thing I can knock this song for is the overly loud production, which sounds like a hair metal ballad and threatens to undercut Toby's consistently strong voice. But other than that, this is a damn good song that I'm surprised didn't stick around longer. A-
November 8: "Just a Dream" by Carrie Underwood
This one gets full marks out of the gate for its concept alone. After the first half of the decade was swamped with cartoonishly pandering jingoism, we started getting songs about the soldiers themselves and the impact their lives have -- whether they return with PTSD ("I Just Came Back from a War") or don't return at all ("If I Don't Make It Back"). This one twists things even further, starting out sounding like it's about a bride headed to her wedding -- only to drop the revelation that the husband-to-be died in combat. I love the details of her putting a sixpence in her shoe, and the military salute feeling "like a bullet in her heart." It's all clever but never feels manipulative or contrived; this is a story line I can believe actually happened. Carrie's voice is already a lot more nuanced by this point, finding times to restrain herself before amping back up, and the "dreamy" production keeps up with her. That one long "just a dream" drawn out at the end feels a lot less like an "impress the Idol judges" long note and more like a scream of frustration from the woman in the song. Great stuff. A
November 22: "Love Story" by Taylor Swift
Can we please stop using Romeo and Juliet as a metaphor for love, unless the actual interpretation you're going for is "they rushed into things and both paid the price"? To be fair, she tries to balance it out with another reference to The Scarlet Letter, but that only feels even more disjointed. And to be even fairer, I don't think I was that good at literary analysis at age 19; hell, I don't think I'm that good at it now. I do genuinely like the banjo-heavy production mixed with the poppy hook, showing that Taylor was clearly from the Chicks/Shania school of "add pop without subtracting country" at the time. There's really nothing that memorable about the boy-meets-girl narrative, making it feel like a step down from the cleverness of songs such as "Tim McGraw" or "Our Song." Overall, it's not really good or bad, just kind of forgettable. C+
December 6: "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band
Just from the sound alone, I knew these guys had something special. Acoustic and organic at a time when it wasn't popular, and even risking a few stretches of a cappella for good measure, the arrangement alone makes this song. Admittedly, the lyrics aren't much when you actually bother to listen to them -- the chorus is a list of random unconnected things, and the verses touch on Southern stereotypes like sweet tea and America -- but there are flashes of something different here. In particular, I really dig the line "there's no dollar sign on peace of mind." I honestly didn't expect this to be nearly a tenth the hit it was, especially because I was one of the few people not to actually hear the far less remarkable Lost Trailers version before it got pulled from radio. I certainly didn't expect it to be one of the biggest hits of the entire decade (nine times platinum) and the start of an interesting career. It's not a fantastic song, but I'd say the pluses out weigh the minuses here enough for me to say its legacy is at least somewhat justifiable. B
Just like "Roll with Me," MG are doing a great job taking stock of their lives. I never had trouble following the hook "maybe it's time to be livin' a rhyme / when I'm singin' a song about nothin' but right," as clunky as it may look typed out. It's nice to hear a lyric about settling down, and how the motivation to do so is the transience of life after witnessing one taken away prematurely -- a lyric that hits all the harder after the death of Troy Gentry. The production is gentle and relaxed, and it's a bit more harmonious than usual thanks to Five for Fighting joining in on the vocals. (And in a way, it does feel like a pleasant complement to his own "100 Years.") And if you want to live your best life, why not have someone to share it with? It's a shame this one (and their career) fizzled out so quickly, because they were really on a roll. A
So how did Brad Paisley follow up a cheesy yet boring list song? With another cheesy and even more boring list song. This one is just a list of random objects that represent the woman in his life, and while it's played more seriously than "The World," it still feels like too much of a carbon copy. It's not helped at all by some absolutely drab production and vocals, which are shackled to a very static melody. A couple of the lines actually do work, such as the slight chuckle on "stealer of the covers" and the mention of an "unborn children's mother," and a sudden spark of emotion at "she's the one I'd lay down my own life for" (as over-the-top as that sentiment may be). But these brief moments are mere speckles of color in an otherwise total sea of gray. As frustratingly hit-and-miss as Brad may be, at least most of his songs manage not to be boring. But this is one of the first I actually would describe as boring. C-
January 27: "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins
There's some intangible cutesy-ness to the melody that makes me think "diaper commercial" more than I would like, but other than that, this is far less cloying than I expected. I actually heard a station play this song before it was a single, and I thought it had potential. By this point, Rodney had settled into a gravelly tone that made his songs instantly less slick, and it works in this one's favor. I like that the examples set by the father to his son are both bad (swearing) and good (praying), and that the father has a sense of remorse over the former. It's a bit more nuanced than these father-son narratives usually get. I'm not a parent and I don't ever plan to be, but I can understand where this guy's coming from and the narrative feels like something that could have actually happened. B+
February 24: "It Just Comes Natural" by George Strait
It's almost like George and longtime producer Tony Brown knew they had a light-hearted list song, so they went a little extra on the production. There's a slight reverb/processing effect on George's vocal here, and even if he clearly fluffs the note on "tumbleweeds roll," it's otherwise a bit of a different take that adds a little more grit. The production and chord progression also have a gently insistent groove that remains a little left of center for King George. Again, this is a very lightweight song -- just listing off random things as "natural" as his love for his woman -- but the charismatic delivery, deliberate word choice, and most importantly the production all make it considerably weightier and less infantile than, say, "I Just Want to Dance with You." B
March 10: "Ladies Love Country Boys" by Trace Adkins
How was this the song that finally got him back to the top a full decade after the fantastic "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing"? I admit, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" never got under my skin, because any song with a lyric like "got it goin' on like Donkey Kong" is clearly too silly to be lecherous. This one isn't nearly as cringe as predecessor "Swing" nor as reeking of toxic masculinity as "I Got My Game On," but at its best, it's still a weak rehash of "Trashy Women" without that song's obvious tongue-in-cheek tone. The narrative of "upscale city woman falls for a country boy" has been done to death, and this brings nothing new to the table other than him trying too hard to bend "subdivision" to rhyme with "chicken" (presumably she came from a "mansion somewhere in Wiscansin"?) and an annoying, clashing chorus of "na na na"s. It's just messy and boring at the same time. Skip this and go straight to "I Wanna Feel Something." D+
Silly observation of the day: I love that the Wikipedia article on this song has to be at "Beer in Mexico (song)" because the title "Beer in Mexico" is used for the history of, well, beer in Mexico. Because to me, that's far more interesting than the song. While Kenny's forte is usually that sense of introspection, he kind of failed to stick the landing on The Road and the Radio. This is just a warmed-over rehash of "Living in Fast Forward" only with some barely-audible mariachi horns in the chorus and a much weaker hook. (I think the main problem is him trying to match that inward looking lyric with a way too loud production style. He'd gotten the balance right before, and he'd get it right again.) It's a shame that by far the two good songs off this album didn't get to #1. On the plus side, this is just a momentary dip before some damn good cuts later in the decade. B-
April 14: "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" by Tim McGraw
I'm embarrassed to admit I love this one. It's loud, gaudy, and over the top in a way that screams "yep, Big Kenny wrote it," but that's why I dig it so much. This dude's just infectiously happy despite all the things going on in his life, but he never feels like a Pollyanna. Hard times are there; they just aren't cutting him down. "If I ain't got nothin', I got nothin' to hold me back" is a brilliant way of expressing this. But what really sends this one over the top for me is how much fun Tim and producer Bryon Gallimore seemed to be having in the studio. There's a cheerfulness to his delivery, enhanced by the blasting guitars, the "ha ha ha ha"s, flanger effect, and even his kids singing along. Like so many of his other #1 hits from this era, I'm baffled as to why this one seemingly had zero staying power. We need more unabashed happiness like this in music. A
April 21: "Wasted" by Carrie Underwood
When I bought her first album, this was the track to me that was just begging to be released as a single. Both sides of my family are alcoholics, and I've long feared becoming one of them -- so a narrative where someone kicks the habit is always compelling to me. I like how this shows two separate people struggling with their addictions, implying their stories may even intertwine in some way. There's no judgment or moralizing; just two people who've hit rock bottom and are looking for a way back up. I also love the image of the moon and sun floating side by side, implying the days are blending together. I also like how "wasted" refers not just to intoxication, but also by the time and resources lost to a bad habit. The timbales in the production add some nice sonic flourishes, and Carrie's all-in vocal delivery is perfectly matched to the performance. By nailing a tough topic, this one is easily among her best. A+
May 12: "Stand" by Rascal Flatts
This song has so many interesting similes: a candle in a hurricane, a picture with a broken frame, and so on. Unfortunately, for all the somewhat inspired imagery, it never does anything with them. What do all these images mean when placed next to each other? Also, it kind of derails on the chorus with "When push comes to shove, you taste what you're made of." You taste what you made of? Where did that come from? They all build up to an image of dusting yourself off and standing back up -- an inspired and necessary message, sure, but none of the surrounding verses have anything to do with it. (And what does "life's like a novel with the end ripped out" even mean?) The slick over-production and strident vocals -- again, thankfully not as bombastic as they'd get later in the game -- recall the bland, interchangeable CCM my boss listens to at work. If you did get something out of this, then I won't take it away from you. But to me, it's just Motivational Song Mad Libs. C-
May 19: "Settlin'" by Sugarland
This one starts off strong with an interesting organ riff and doesn't let up. Jennifer's vocal is on fire, and Kristian carries a bit more of the song than usual for a reminder that yes, this is a duo. Lyrically, it's a bit of a rehash of "Something More" and "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" with its whole yearning for a better life (to the point that it even reuses the former's reference to red wine), but if you're going to revisit themes, those are far from bad songs to draw inspiration from. The title lyric "I ain't settlin' for anything less than everything" says more, and more emphatically, in eight words than the entirety of "Stand" did. And in some interesting inside baseball, this song got the #1 position over "Stand" due to the only ever tie on the Billboard country charts, with "Settlin'" getting the position because it gained in airplay while "Stand" decreased. I guess they weren't "settlin'" after all. B+
I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of how turning right at the fork in the road will bring her back around to him. Maybe they're on a circular road? Whatever, this song's too charming for me to let that bring it down. Billy's delivery is charming and laid-back, sounding just like the kind of country boy who'd be asked for directions -- and then chew himself out for not even getting the name of the pretty lady who stopped in the first place. It sounds like the kind of small town where strangers really would offer directions and sweet tea to lost passers-by, and the way the punch line (and title) is held off until the very end is genuinely clever. I also like that the contrast between the city girl and country boy is never played for any sense of superiority or cultural clash -- they just are who they are. Even a novelty song can have layers, and this one is all the better for it. A
June 16: "Moments" by Emerson Drive
The "homeless man offers advice" trope is so well-worn, but this is probably the best take on it. The narrator is planning to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge when he is stopped by said homeless man, who tells a bit of his own life story. Of course, the narrator shares his own too, and it's that realization -- that level of detail -- that immediately makes this song a million times better than its setup would have you think. At no point do those first two verses feel trite; in fact, it's subtle commentary on the situation of homeless veterans and on those of us with inferiority complexes. (I've never felt suicidal myself, but I can relate to someone who still does positives, like this man's giving up alcohol, yet still feels like it wasn't enough.) They both walk away with newfound re-contextualizations of the big and small things in life. But to me, the best part is that the song continues to characterize the homeless man in the third verse, painting him as a real human being and not just a dispenser of advice. Brad Mates' vocals are a lot warmer and more relaxed than usual, and the overall melancholic yet subtly uplifting vibe recalls some of the high points in Sawyer Brown's career (e.g., "Cafe on the Corner," "All These Years"). This was easily their best song, and I'm glad they got recognition for it. A+
June 23: "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" by Tracy Lawrence feat. Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
When you're stuck in an unfavorable situation, such as a car wreck or a moment of homelessness that requires you to couch-surf, those are the times when you find the people most willing to help you. The friends sung about here are the selfless, generous, charitable kind the world can use more of. It's a positive, relatable, charming message. And the way it's told here, at least lyrically, is on point without ever sounding trite or preachy. If you listen to the remix that has Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney chiming in, there's a sense of chemistry that underscores the message (and works on a meta level, because those two singers -- actual friends of Tracy's -- are the reason this song got to #1.) Even the production is delightfully chill. As with most Casey Beathard co-writes, literally the only mark against it is the rigid, uninspired melody -- those same so-mi-so-mi-so-mi-so runs that I can hear in well over half his body of work. As a music theory nerd, I can't ever not notice stuff like that,but I don't think the average listener would care too much. A- (McGraw/Chesney version) / B (solo version)
Not long after this song came out, my house actually was hit with a tick infestation thanks to one of my dogs. So yeah, I'm not a fan of those little suckers. And the thought of checking someone for them, something I actually did have to do multiple times until we finally eradicated them? You're freaking gross, Brad. I get what you're going for with this sleazy, intentionally bad pickup line -- like some sort of modern-day "I'd Lie to You for Your Love" -- but why'd you have to pick that? Brad's voice continues to be much flatter and less charismatic than before, further helping to ensure that his tryhard comedy lands with a resounding thud (shame, since I do like the chicken-pickin' guitar work at the beginning). C-
July 7: "Lucky Man" by Montgomery Gentry
Things aren't going right for this guy: he hates his job and his favorite team lost, and he's stuck in a perpetual loop of the grass always being greener on the other side. But before he spirals into cynicism, he takes stock of the fact that he's got the basics in life -- food, shelter, money, and love. From the chorus onward, the song continues in that more positive vibe, highlighting other minor victories in life (such as his dad surviving a health scare, a line that hits all the harder after Troy Gentry's sudden unexpected death). Record executives would later pan this album for being "too soft," but I think that softness results in some of Montgomery Gentry's most compelling moments and helps the more swaggering ones go down easier. This and "Some People Change" were a hell of a one-two punch in terms of tempering the macho with the meaningful. A+
July 21: "Lost in This Moment" by Big & Rich
One of the most surreal facts in country music history is that this, and not "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," is Big & Rich's highest chart entry. Granted, Big & Rich were no strangers to ballads, and some of their best works ("8th of November," "Wild West Show") are among their more serious songs. John Rich has a surprisingly nuanced vocal read here, to the point that he manages to channel Hal Ketchum of all artists on the first verse. Big Kenny's crooning bass harmony is as on-point as ever, although there are times when both solo and together, they come dangerously close to cloying. Really, the only downfall of this song is that it's a generic wedding ballad, with none of the spark of their aforementioned best ballads. Of course, it doesn't help that their up-tempos became downright un-listenable ("Loud," "Party Like Cowboyz," "Fake ID"), nor that John dove headfirst into deeply troubling conservativism both on and off the record. (Fun fact: did you know the Twitter account for his Redneck Riviera bar has me blocked?) But on its own, this is just bland, which is not a word one would usually use to describe either their best or worst. C
August 4: "Never Wanted Nothing More" by Kenny Chesney
I told you we'd get back to the good Kenny Chesney songs. This one has a twangy, banjo-driven approach he'd never tried before or since, and he manages to fit it like a glove. The central concept of wanting all manner of things -- a car, a sexual encounter, marriage, and salvation -- flows naturally without ever feeling forced, a tough needle to thread in the "repurpose the chorus three times" formula. (Seriously, in a world where contrived examples like "Don't Take the Girl" and "Keep It Between the Lines" exist, this is one of the best ones.) Kenny also sounds invigorated on the verses, perhaps doing his best to channel a little bit of one of the writers. You know, some guy named Chris Stapleton. That something so spirited and credible is still only the second-best single off the album says a lot, both for this album cycle and for Kenny as a whole. A
I think some of Rodney Atkins' best moments come from being a highly likable everyman. His previous hits didn't reach too high, and told relatable stories that sounded more lived-in thanks to his unpolished voice. This one sounds like it's going to be another paean to small-town life, but he goes out of his way to highlight the foibles. These are college dropouts who smoke and get a reality check when they realize they can't "run this town" and who get into fights during softball games, but at the end of the day, they've got each other's backs regardless. I also like how the melody slides down the scale then back up, almost as if melodically suggesting the line "we fall down and we get up." That's clever. Overall, this song is way more substantial than I remembered. A-
September 15: "More Than a Memory" by Garth Brooks
I like how dark and moody the verses are -- images of him trying to forget her, deleting her number from his phone, and so on are then ripped away by that powerful chorus. It's easy to believe this guy is desperate to stop thinking about her, yet still finds himself driving by her house. He sounds miserable, angry, and drunk, and the hard-hitting chorus feels like he's screaming out in rage over this maelstrom of emotions. It's moodier, angrier, and heavier-produced than almost anything in Garth's catalog, helped by some strings and a resolution to a dissonant minor-second chord along a nearly whispered "forget." I can hardly think of any songs as raw and angry that were as successful -- to the point this literally debuted at number one. Garth's always been about being larger than life, and both in and out of context, this is one of his biggest. A+
September 22: "Take Me There" by Rascal Flatts
I'm amazed that this song took only ten weeks to hit #1 and spent three weeks there, because it had zero staying power -- it's not even certified gold, which is almost unheard of for a song with that strong of a chart showing. And it's not hard to see why. With an un-memorable droning guitar riff so badly mixed that it clips, the song goes nowhere and spends a lot of time doing it. Even the melody isn't that memorable, which is unusual for a Neil Thrasher co-write. The idea of being "taken" to his lover's favorite hangouts and places of memories is somewhat admirable, but both lyrically and production-wise, it just never gets off the ground. Literally the only thing that stands out is Gary's voice cracking on the line "tell me what yout story is." So yeah, it's not hard to see why this one fell off almost immediately. Fortunately, this album gave us the much more likable "Winner at a Losing Game"; unfortunately, it also gave us the train wreck that was "Bob That Head." C-
October 13: "Online" by Brad Paisley
I've been a lifelong victim of bullying, I am on the autism spectrum, and until my early 30s I still lived with my mom and worked fast food. So on a more cynical day, I might complain that this song cuts too close to home for me. On the other hand, as someone who turned to the furry fandom in high school, I can relate to the concept of being an unpopular sort who finds comfort in pretending to be someone or something else through the magic of the Internet. Also, Brad's laid-back delivery makes the song's tone not feel nasty or mean-spirited, and it's helped by some clever production tricks (such as the organ intro, which evokes 8-bit video games or dialup modems, and the auditory punchline of a marching band at the end). Plus, Brad just doesn't seem like the kind of guy to say something like "never been to second base" un-ironically, so it doesn't feel like a famous person punching way too far down. (Besides, who's to say the nerd's lines about his unpopularity aren't exaggerations too?) In short, this song is about a self-deprecating loser who finds solace in the escapism of the Internet -- in other words, it's about people like me, and I think it's pretty cool. A
Remember how I said I initially thought "American Soldier" was written entirely to try and soften the blow from "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue"? It turns out this song was a response. Lines like "I sometimes think that war is necessary / But every night I pray for peace on earth" sound like he's desperately trying to walk back, not apologize or reconcile. He wants to "agree to disagree," which can work when it's pizza toppings or tastes in country songs, but not so much when it's pushing fear-mongering and bigotry. I was an "able soul," yet I still didn't have a real job until I was 27. Would he have given me money, or just screamed "get a job, loser, and stop wasting taxpayers' money" at me? Even in the context of the song, I'm inclined to believe the latter. I'm also not a fan of him putting the title phrase into the mouth of Jesus, which just makes him sound wishy-washy. If you recall the account of Jesus turning over the money changers' tables in the temples, that was not the image of a half-hearted man. I also think it's kind of icky and egotistical for him to project himself onto Jesus. And to think people got mad when Phil Vassar had God say "all I'm asking for is love" in "This Is God"? I dunno, that sounds like a far more accurate and less ego-centric exegesis to me. This is just trying to cover up pandering with more pandering. D
October 27: "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney
Sympathetic portrayals of the elderly are a surefire way to get my attention. Here, the narrator hears a news interview with a 102-year-old man. The man's "secret to life" is "Don't blink; just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap / Then you wake up and you're 25..." I still remember some of the early 90s, when things from the 60s and 70s hadn't quite been put away yet -- things that were as far away then as my high school years are from now. I feel like I wasted a lot of my 20s through bad decisions, but nowadays, 37 isn't old. I've still got time to live life. I especially like how the second verse and bridge show the narrator reacting to the man's words and taking stock of his own life, which is exactly what this kind of song should set out to do. Kenny is relaxed but not lethargic, and the production is that calm but electric-driven sound he mastered around this point. Don't blink; you might just miss one of the best songs in a staggeringly strong discography. A+
November 24: "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)"
by Dierks Bentley
The repetition of the title gets a little bit overbearing at times, but other than that, this one is about as "free and easy" as you can get. It's just a carefree ride that never feels laconic or lazy, and I love that banjo. Plus, who am I to argue against name-dropping the supremely talented Cross Canadian Ragweed? A good travel song always gets me in the mood, and sometimes it's okay to just have a low-stakes drive. This one has a very likable groove that just feels like the kind of relaxing, unwinding road trip it's singing about, and I think that's pretty neat. Got any room for me in the passenger seat, Dierks? B+
December 1: "So Small" by Carrie Underwood
Something about the concept of love making everything else feel so small just rubs me the wrong way. It feels like she's trivializing the troubles of the world -- not in a "don't worry, it'll be okay" manner, more of a "just think rainbows and puppies" manner. It comes dangerously close to an ignorant, Pollyana type of blind happiness. You mean to tell my depression, poverty, and being bullied will all go away with love? What is this, the Care Bears? (No pun intended.) I also think that the production and belting work against the message; why would you make the hook "so small" and then blast it to the rafters? Isn't that the least appropriate way to produce the word "small"? The message seems clumsy and insincere, and the bombastic vocals and delivery feel like they're trying way too hard for style over substance. No thanks. C-
December 22: "Our Song" by Taylor Swift
This was one of the most country sounding songs on her debut, thanks in no small part to that banjo. Although she wrote it at a relatively young age, there's a lot of thought put into it. The concept of tying one's memories to a song is well-worn, and the twist here is brilliant. Instead of naming a specific tune, their "song" is the sound effects of everyday life. Slamming screen doors, tapping on windows late at night, hesitant late-night phone calls; they're all believable images that tie into the theme. I also like the conclusion where she sings "I wrote down our song," putting an even greater meta spin on this whole trope without feeling cutesy or overdone. Her vocal delivery is a little rough (the last "real slow" almost has a valley-girl cadence that comes out of nowhere), but I think the lack of vocal polish just makes the rest of the song feel all the more charming. A
