Every #1 Country Song of the 2000s: 2008

2008

February 2: "Letter to Me" by Brad Paisley

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+

March 1: "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)"

by Rodney Atkins

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-

June 21: "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood

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+

June 28: "Better as a Memory" by Kenny Chesney

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

July 19: "Home" by Blake Shelton

I admit, I'm not much of a Michael Bublé fan; this is probably the only song of his I ever liked. His version actually cracked the country charts in his native Canada, so it made sense to serve up a cover. This was a weird transitional phase for Blake, shedding the hard country of his early years but not yet shifting into the more formulaic releases of the 2010s. He doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but his warm and slightly gritty voice is a perfect match to this aching lyric about being a traveling musician who misses his lover. It's a theme that fits perfectly into country, and while the arrangement isn't exactly traditional, it's still very charismatic and inviting while also having that yearning sensation that the lyrics call for. Let's just forget the ham-fisted Christmas rewrite existed and take in the goodness of this song, whether in its original or Blake's highly likable cover. A

August 2: "Good Time" by Alan Jackson

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+

August 23: "Should've Said No" by Taylor Swift

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

September 20: "Waitin' on a Woman" by Brad Paisley

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

December 20: "Roll with Me" by Montgomery Gentry

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

Every #1 Country Song of the 2000s: 2006

2006

January 14: "She Let Herself Go" by George Strait

I love a song that lets a woman have agency. This woman breaks free from her relationship, and the man thinks she'll be a wreck without him. And sure enough, once it's over, she "let[s] herself go" -- on multiple vacations, a trip to the spa, a blind date, and off to buy a new car. It's not a mere punch line; it's surprisingly feminist in how she's able to regain control so quickly after freeing from an unsavory man. It's the kind of wordplay you'd expect from Dean Dillon, and Strait gives a breezy vibe that's slightly different from the usual for him. As I said in the previous entry, "twisting a formula around is almost always a good move," and this one sticks the landing. Let yourself go listen to this again and again; you won't regret it. A

January 21: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood

I have a term for this early-noughties trend of motivational/inspirational songs: "Chicken Soup for the Soul Country." This one is squarely within those paramters, but other than the odd scansion of the date being both "last Friday" and Christmas Eve, it really does nothing wrong. If you have a near-miss car accident that puts your life in danger, you'd probably take it as a wake-up call too. It's not a terribly original narrative, but the change from a literal wheel to a metaphorical one is far less contrived than it sounds on paper. Sure, she hadn't fully fleshed out her interpretive skills yet (it could've been a little less belt-y), and as her first real bow post-American Idol, a song of this nature can come across as pandering. This is made more for the Hallmark Channel crowd than it is for me, but for what it is, it more than does the job. B

March 4: "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley feat. Dolly Parton

I have no problem with the "what will happen when I get to Heaven" narrative, as George Strait's "You'll Be There" and Trent Tomlinson's "One Wing in the Fire" are among my all-time favorites. Conversely, this one isn't nearly as wrong-headed as Diamond Rio's utterly awful "God Only Cries." I just think it starts off wrong with lines about petting lions and riding drops of rain, which give an almost infantile tone. The chorus and second verse are fine, and it doesn't really stumble again until the generic "and so much work to do" which calls to mind Annie Coghill's "Work, for the Night Is Coming" (probably the most popular hymn I've seen since "In the Garden" that has nothing even remotely Christian to say). And maybe it's the 20 years of church organist speaking, but can we please start referencing hymns other than "Amazing Grace"? From a vocal and production standpoint, everything here is perfectly fine -- it's not bombastic and I like the modulation on the bridge, although I would've had Dolly sing a few lines herself and not just backup. Overall, it's not the worst; it's just the first time since "Little Moments" that one of Brad's ballads did nothing for me. C+

March 11: "Your Man" by Josh Turner

This one got mauled by overplay for me, but in the years since, I've come to find renewed appreciation for it. It's just chill, reserved, and sensual without feeling icky -- not even when he sings "I can't believe how much it turns me on." It helps that Josh Turner's asset is being laid-back and smooth; while it can occasionally spill over into stuffy conservatism ("Everything Is Fine"), that's thankfully not the case here. The gentle shuffle melody and lighthearted production (I hove how piano and steel cut in and out between verses, playing something a little different each time) make this a smooth little treat. While overall it's not really breaking any new ground, it's covering familiar territory in a way that never feels dusty or stodgy. B+

March 18: "Living in Fast Forward" by Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney spent most of this decade in high gear, so I can believe the narrative of a hectic life from which he wants to escape -- even if it's a well he went back to a few too many times. But as one of his first takes on that formula, this one's more than likable enough. It's got a good hook and some great guitar work. (Is the line about treating the body like a honky-tonk and not a temple an homage to Confederate Railroad, or was that already a joke before then?) While I doubt that Kenny Chensey was partaking of "greasy cheeseburgers and cheap cigarettes," I'll allow the artistic license. And then I'll get distracted halfway through the review and realize how un-memorable this song ultimately is, and wonder why I'm not reviewing the infinitely superior "Who You'd Be Today" instead. You almost had me there, Kenny. B-

April 8: "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts

First I hated this song. Then I liked it. Then I hated it again. Now it's probably my favorite of theirs. I think the different production style threw me -- it's definitely harder than most of their songs prior had been. "I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house / That don't bother me" is a great opening line. This man is vulnerable but, despite his brave front, he can't deal with a lost love that slipped through his hands. It's a surprisingly nuanced and emotional lyric, a very different style for Jeffrey Steele to be sure. Literally everything works on this song for me; I think I just had to peel back some of the layers first. And it probably also helps that hindsight has shown that compared to some of their more bloated efforts in later years, this is practically Nickel Creek by comparison. Either way, it's dramatic, deep, and unique in a lot of small intangible ways, and I think that is ultimately its greatest asset. A+

May 6: "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi feat. Jennifer Nettles

I hate to ding the first verse twice in the couplet "Like a blind dog without a bone / I was a gypsy lost in the Twilight Zone" for not only the mixed metaphor, but also the slur. (To be fair, not everyone knows that, and I think even fewer people did in 2006.) Literally everything else on this song works: it's bright and sunny but has some grit, Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles have amazing chemistry (arguably, even more than she has ever had with Kristian Bush on almost any Sugarland song), and the theme of finding what you need by going back home is an interesting twist on common wanderlust tropes. There's certainly more than enough here to recover the fumble early on, and I love that something so off-kilter managed to connect. B+

May 20: "Wherever You Are" by Jack Ingram

Jack Ingram is one of many Texas country artists who spent years building up a cult following with tough, gritty songs before finally breaking through with his only major hit. While fellow Texan Pat Green managed to break through with a song that didn't sacrifice the grit ("Wave on Wave"), Jack Ingram instead leaned into the generic. Against a guitar riff that sounds like someone needed a royalty-free rewrite of Radney Foster's "Nobody Wins," Ingram gives an admittedly textured read of an uninspired "find the one I love" narrative. There are no emotional stakes; just a bunch of "I'm missing you and want to find you" vagueness without anything to make it stand out. And yet it's still less infuriatingly bland and derivative than "Maybe She'll Get Lonely." I wonder what would have happened had he gone with "Love You" as the first single to a fully studio album, instead of stapling two tracks -- that much better song and this generic radio-bait -- onto an existing live album. Maybe he could've found a more convincing way to balance artistry and success, and we could've been spared the desperation of covering "Lips of an Angel" while we were at it. C

May 27: "Why" by Jason Aldean

I wish I didn't have to talk about Aldean at all, but I will begrudgingly admit there was a time when he didn't suck, as a musician or a human being. I once heard someone say this song sounds like an abuser spewing out half-hearted apologies to regain trust in a woman before abusing her all over again (probably not helped by Shannon Brown's pronoun-flipped version, where "abuse victim" is a legitimate read). But even with Aldean's later scumminess in mind, I can't get there myself. To me, this is a guy who knows he keeps making mistakes in his relationship, and is throwing out rhetorical questions about why he can't fix his own stupidity. That's a level of self-awareness this kind of narrative usually lacks, and it's all the better for it. Aldean always had kind of a weird singing voice and he never sounded great in concert, but this is legitimately one of his best vocal reads to date. I have to wonder what his career arc would be like if he had more songs like this and "Amarillo Sky," and fewer like "Try That in a Small Town." B+

June 3: "Settle for a Slowdown" by Dierks Bentley

I like the narrative here. Not unlike "Nothin' but the Taillights," he's stuck outside, watching her car drive off. He doesn't want her to turn around and come back to him; he just wants her to stop for a moment and think about it. It's a clever punch line, and the verses mesasure up. I like how he admits he looks stupid standing out in the rain, and how he reveals she wanted to leave him for Hollywood. I also like how the last chorus changes the words to show that she's further away now. While the melody is a bit repetitive at times, the gritty delivery, spaghetti Western-tinged guitar hook, and resolution to minor key at the end of each line all make up for any other shortcomings in sound design. I'm not settling for anything here; this is a damn good song. A

June 17: "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney

This was the first Kenny Chesney song since "I Will Stand" that really missed for me. And that was before I read a Country Weekly article where he said he asked the writers to remove a line about snow cones because he didn't know what they are. While it's the only song I can think of that name-drops Yoo-Hoo, it's about as appetizing as a warm bottle of Yoo-Hoo that's been sitting on the floorboards. The melody is a static so-mi-so-mi-so pattern on the chorus, only to reach painfully out of his register on the chorus (seriously, it hurts my ears to listen to), and the guitar textures are equally harsh. Plus, the hook is just a dull thud: "It's a smile, it's a kiss / It's a sip of wine, it's summertime." Almost no thought feels like it went into writing this, and very little went into the production or arrangement either. Seriously, one of his worst. D+

July 22: "The World" by Brad Paisley

After the great Mud on the Tires, this was around the time where Brad hit a rough patch for me. While this album cycle started off strong with the genuinely clever "Alcohol" (a comedy song that name-drops Ernest Hemingway is clearly going way smarter than songs like that usually do), this one is just an endless barrage of "To X, you're Y" lines with no real punch lines. And of course it builds up to a lame, predictable girl/world rhyme. I don't think a single joke lands in the entire song, and it's not helped by how much plainer Brad's voice was already getting by this point. While I'm also hit-and-miss on his guitar work, that's one of the few points in this song's favor -- 32 tracks, if I recall correctly, layer in a lot of interesting textures that make this a cut above sonically. It's just a shame the rest of the song couldn't measure up. C

August 12: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" by Rodney Atkins

A motivational song with actual tempo and some degree of a narrative? Be still my heart. This one brims with energy from the get-go in a way this kind of song usually lacks. Every line runs into the other in some of the most creative wordplay I've ever heard ("You step off the straight and narrow and you don't know where you are / Use the needle of your compass to sew up your broken heart/ Ask directions from a genie in a bottle of Jim Beam and she lies to you"), leading to that killer of a chorus. This song is just plain fun to listen to, and it hits even harder if you know about Rodney's back story -- he was allegedly born through date rape and subject to a number of health issues in his youth, and his early recording career was plagued with production and management issues (two words: Curb Records). This one is as sympathetic as it is fun to listen to, and it's all the better for it. The "I Hope You Dance" crowd would be better served with songs like this. A

September 9: "Leave the Pieces" by the Wreckers

Michelle Branch going country feels like a no-brainer. She had that folksy kind of approach with just enough polish, and adding Jessica Harp for some extra texture only made things even better. This was good for the Sheryl Crow/Jewel crowd, but the fiddle and banjo recall the Chicks as well. It's a breakup song, as you'd expect, but the hook is the real killer here. "There's nothing you can do or say / You're gonna break my heart anyway / So just leave the pieces when you go." I also love how confident she is in telling him to just get on with it, because she can bounce back. This song is sturdy, feminist, folksy, and meaningful in ways that weren't in vogue at the time, and I have to wonder if the decline of the Chicks played a factor in them not sticking around longer. Because from this song alone, they were too damn good to have only one album. A+

September 23: "Brand New Girlfriend" by Steve Holy

This song walks a fine line between funny and obnoxious. We start off with a diminished-chord intro where he lays out that she needs some time to herself. I like how there's a little "um" between "I did what any gentleman would do" and the more cheery "I got a brand new girlfriend." Lines like "kissy kissy smoochy smoochy" may wear on you after the 20th listen or so, but for the first few listens it's kind of funny. Maybe I'm a bit biased because I haven't heard it in years by now, but it did get a chuckle after a re-visit. The only real letdown here is that this was the song that got him back to the top, and not the stunning "Go Home" or "Put Your Best Dress On." But at the same time, at least it wasn't nearly as loud and obnoxious as "Men Buy the Drinks (Girls Call the Shots)." B

September 30: "Give It Away" by George Strait

We've seen George Strait broaden his horizons considerably in this stretch, and here's another example of him doing just that. The bluesy guitar tone recalls "Gone as a Girl Can Get" (one of the few George Strait songs where he was backed by the Ace in the Hole band). His talk-singing is delightfully laid-back but never muted,  laying out the divorce narrative. She doesn't even want his things, and tells him to just "give it away" because they're too tired from fighting. And after a few more failed attempts with other women, he's got a broken heart that he can't even give away. It's clever as hell, and the spoken-word narrative reminds you that yes, Whispering Bill did co-write this (although if I recall correctly, it was actually one of the other writers who suggested that). I especially love the little "hmm"s, as if he's trying to sort out the story himself. This was the song that claimed Strait's record for the most #1 hits, and I think it was a fantastic, inspired song worthy of that honor. A

October 14: "Would You Go with Me" by Josh Turner

This song is utterly charming in its promise of undying love. I think the narrative is inspired, in how every line forms a question. The lines are whimsical -- fields of clover, edge of the sea, etc. -- but they never feel like they're going to spill into Care Bears territory. That pretty production does a lot to set the scene, with its frequent mandolin and Dobro runs, along with its unexpected resolution into minor key. Josh Turner's voice also gets a hell of a workout, going all the way from basso profondo on the verses to falsetto on the chorus. Rarely since the heyday of Vince Gill has a love song sounded so warm, pretty, and evocative. If I were the woman in this scenario, I'd say "yes" before he even got to the chorus; he's just that damn convincing here. A+

October 28: "I Loved Her First" by Heartland

Who the hell let a bar band onto the charts? This was a baffling success: some nobodies on an indie label zoom up the charts and then immediately disappear. Everything about this record seems like it should have "not ready for prime time" written all over it (looking at you, Perfect Stranger), but it actually does manage to be slightly more than the sum of its parts. I like that it's a waltz, and that the production is actually laid-back; it gives a bit more nuance to a "father giving his daughter away" song. And "I loved her first" is actually a pretty good hook to explain the sentiment. Maybe overall it's a tad generic and lacking in artistic identity. But just enough charm manages to shine through in a way that I think this record would have lacked with more mainstream gloss behind it, and its endurance is proof that it did something right. B

November 4: "Every Mile a Memory" by Dierks Bentley

The melody's a bit clunky, but I like the imagery here: old theater marquee signs (fun fact: there used to be a farm supply store near me in an old small-town theater, and they kept the marquee up), mossy town squares, and red sunsets all paint clear images that evoke that "desert sky" feel I saw in a lot of '90s country (e.g., "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'"). And of course, all these memories of a traveling musician just remind him of the woman who isn't there anymore -- which is summed up in the great line "'Round every bend I only see just how far I haven't come." I almost wonder if the slightly better "Long Trip Alone," where he pleads for someone to be by his side, is a sequel song. Even if it's not, that's still some interesting artistic cohesion showing how far he has come as an artist by the third album. A-

November 11: "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood

I remember a lot of people laying into this song, thinking she's a petty psychopath who vandalizes property. But if you pay attention to the lyrics, she knows what he's doing because he's done it before. I know the kind who badly sing Shania at karaoke, and who put on "our exquisite replica of Polo Sport" in the Love's bathroom. The kind who get too hands-y when trying to line up a pool shot. And yes, the kind who would totally vandalize their boyfriend's car after catching him cheating. (Is this song really out of place in a universe where Miranda Lambert was kicking ass and taking names in "Kerosene" and "Gunpowder & Lead"?) Plus, this song was Carrie switching from her nice girl persona and offering up her first viewing of her grittier side, and it's just self-aware enough that you can tell Carrie wouldn't actually recommend doing this herself. I'm sure it was cathartic for a lot of women who wanted to seek revenge in a similar fashion. B+

December 16: "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts

Somehow, a blatant retread of "I Hope You Dance" manages to be slightly less irritating than that song. Maybe it's because this kind of slick sentimentality isn't as far off the mark for Rascal Flatts as it was for Lee Ann Womack. It's also not quite as bombastic, even if it is still more than a little bit list-y. (To be fair, I do like that Jeffrey Steele wrote in a nod to Van Zant's "Help Somebody," a great song he also co-wrote.) The melody is rather sing-song-y, and there's really nothing that makes it stand out among other songs of its ilk. But knowing what's to come later on in Rascal Flatts' catalog, this is merely mediocre and derivative -- which is far from the worst a song can be, but still not my cup of tea. C-

December 23: "Want To" by Sugarland

They may have lost a member, but they didn't lose any of their talent. Jennifer Nettles' phrasing is on point, and maybe it's the lack of Kristen Hall, but Kristian Bush is higher in the mix than usual too. The energy of  trying to play it cool while on the brink of love is palpable, thanks to lines like "We could keep things just the same / Leave here the way we came, with nothing to lose / But I don't want to, if you don't want to." It's by little details like how they're out having a picnic on the lakeshore. The acoustic production style is yet another example of a song evoking the heyday of the Chicks; as someone who can actually play one, I am forever in favor of more mandolin in country music. Also, since I'm here, can I ask: why did they lower the pitch for the music video? (No, that's not a Vevo glitch; I rememeber it being that way on CMT too.) A+