Jason Aldean--"Night Train"

Jason Aldean's fifth studio album, "Night Train" should sit comfortably with his fans.

The songs on "Night Train" are a mix of what Aldean is best known for, rockin' honky-tonk, ballads, and yes, even a bit of rap.  It's as though he's taken what's successful on his first four CD's and mashed them together to make "Night Train".

Granted, fifteen songs on a CD is a great deal; however, when most of those songs are basically the same as earlier ones, what's the point?

Even Aldean's first single,  "Take A Little Ride", seems to be playing it safe.  There's nothing about the song that really makes it stand out from other tunes on "Night Train", or any of Aldean's previous efforts.   Whether it's the label, the producer, or Aldean himself, it seems that no one is willing to stray too far outside the box and try something new.  Yes, there are a couple stand outs on "Night Train"; even if they still fall within safe perimeters.

For instance, "The Only Way I Know" is your basic Aldean tune. Combine it with other artists, (in this case Luke Bryan and Eric Church), and that "basic" song gets a new feel and vibe.  What really stands out on "The Only Way I Know" is how the three distinct and diverse voices of Aldean, Bryan and Church all blend together so well, without overshadowing one another.  Definitely a song worth considering as a single.

Another standout is "Black Tears".  The song is a haunting ballad about a woman who works at a strip club, and would rather not be there.  What makes this song shine brighter than the rest is not only Aldean's delivery, but the way the song was written as well.  Songwriters say they try to tell the same stories in different ways.  "Black Tears" certainly is a new take on an old subject; and the writers should be proud of the job they've done.

Probably the catchiest tune on "Night Train" is "1994".  If you're not really paying attention, this song can blend in with the rest of the tunes on the CD.  Really listen though, and you'll see why it's so catchy.  "1994" is basically written about country singer, Joe Diffie.  Not only is Diffie mentioned by name, so are several of his hits, like "John Deere Green" and "Pick Up Man".  Though probably not worthy of being a radio single, "1994" still will put a smile on most peoples' faces; especially those familiar with Joe Diffie.

If you've liked Jason Aldean's music in the past, and want more of the same, "Night Train" will meet your standards.  If you're looking for more than the same old, same old however, save some money and just buy the downloads of the stand out songs from this CD.

Eric Church--"Creepin'"

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)

Eric Church's latest single from his CD "Chief" is a song called "Creepin'".  While over the years radio has played plenty of songs with eerie music and words, in all genres; Church's offering stands out from the norm.

Unlike most songs with eerie lyrics and music, "Creepin'" is actually an old story told with a new twist.  It's about love gone wrong and lost, and how the person reacts to the situation.  

The lyrics are a bit ominous, but not too much; just enough to paint a picture for the listener.  Combine these lyrics with the music though, and the song takes on a much creepier tone.  At least that's how I feel when I hear "Creepin'". The tempo is upbeat for most of the song; when it comes to the chorus though, the tone turns a bit dark.

So far it's a winner; though time will tell whether it's novelty will last, or wear off eventually.

Guess Who?--Part 2

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and STRIKETHROUGH.)




One of my earliest posts was about how some newer country artists sound similar to other, established country singers: http://kuplramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/guess-who.html

Since that post, I've realized that I left out an obvious pairing of similarities, (to me at least), a new artist to add to the list, and a country singer I didn't think sounded like someone, until it was brought to my attention.

The artist I left off the previous list is Justin Moore. From the first time I heard Moore's music, I've thought he sounds like Blake Shelton.

Recently I was able to hear Moore and Shelton duet, live in concert, and to me, they're totally similar in sound. I'm sure there are those who will disagree; as I said, it's just what I hear when I hear both voices.

The first time I heard Hunter Hayes' "Storm Warning", I thought it was a new Rascal Flatts tune. Took me a few times of hearing it, to remember it's not Gary LeVox.

Though I haven't heard any other cuts from Hunter Hayes' debut CD, others have told me not all the songs sound like the Flatts boys.

I've always thought Eric Church had his own style of singing; until his latest single, "Springsteen". Even then, until I heard Earthquake Jake mention it on "Simon in the Morning", I didn't notice how much Church sounds like Willie Nelson on this song.

Even then I wondered if maybe I heard it because it was suggested that Church sounds like Willie. Then one day I heard the song on the radio, and had a moment where I couldn't remember the song. Eric really did sound like Willie Nelson!

If/when I come across any other country artists who sound alike, I'll add them to this growing list. I hope you find these match-ups as FUN and interesting as I do.

I Don't Get It

Honestly, I really don’t know how CMA, (or any award for that matter), nominations are done. I know they’re voted on, etc; beyond that though, I don’t know anything about it. Because of that, maybe I really shouldn’t say anything; though that’s never stopped me before.

With that said: I don’t get how Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and even Chris Young can STILL be nominated for “New Artist”. How many times has this been for Luke now? I like Luke, and Chris, (not so big on Eric), but really? If it’s just because they need to “round out” the list, I’d think there are plenty of new artists that could have been nominated.

What about Craig Campbell? He’s had two big songs out this year.

How about James Wesley? He's had "Jacksonhole", "Real" and "Didn't I".

Heck, even the LoCash Cowboys had a couple of good songs on the air.

I’d also throw the Eli Young Band into the mix; though I think “Crazy Girl” came out after the time frame for nominations.

Maybe their hits haven’t been as big, but they’re still newer artists than Luke, Eric, or Chris. To me, any of these acts, (or others I haven’t thought of at the moment), are deserving of nominations; whereas Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Chris Young are a few YEARS past the “new artist” stage. Again, this is just my opinion.

I totally agree with The Band Perry, and Thompson Square being nominated for "New Artist"; and I think the Band Perry has the win.

Since it seems obvious the Band Perry will win, would it really matter who else is nominated? Or do you think it’s because the Band Perry seems so obvious that they threw in the other three as a distraction?

As I said at the beginning of this blog, I just don’t get it. So I wanted to throw this out to see what others think.