Tim McGraw - Damn Country Music
Big Machine Records BMRTM0300A
With his third Big Machine release, Tim McGraw continues to push the boundaries of modern country music where his TWO LANES OF FREEDOM and SUNDOWN HEAVEN TOWN albums left off. A modern traditionalist—defined by his classic country vocal style and contemporary interpretation of songs—his records have always been more Mellencamp than Merle. An album rich in diversity and creativity, McGraw’s unique style of soul-influenced, rock-sprinkled country has led to him selling in excess of 40 million albums since his debut some 22 years ago. He rarely writes, so he relies heavily on the Music Row scribes, and I have to say that he has never sounded better or had such quality material from top to bottom. There appears to be a theme of being at a crossroads in life, with a feel of life-changing decision-making running through the songs. Never more so than on the excellent title song, which neatly sums up the dilemma of following a dream of being a singer—the heartaches, the losses, the highs and lows, the hard-travelled road and, the fly-by-night fame and fortune—all summed up in a no-holds-barred three minutes.
The songs range in emotion from the mellow Here Tonight—a duet with daughter Gracie—to the percussive and lyrical Losin’ You to the rockin’ California, featuring Big & Rich. McGraw digs back into country music’s rich past for the long-forgotten Don’t Make Me Feel At Home, a minor 1995 country hit for the vastly underrated Wesley Dennis. Easily the most die-hard country song on the whole album, it’s a track that needs to be a single … it’s just what American country radio needs in 2016, as the perfect antidote to the bro-country that still dominates. The first single, Top Of The World, is an upbeat track; the catchy guitar chords and vocals certainly stick in one’s mind making for the perfect radio single. The album ends on a high with Lori McKenna’s intimate, inspirational ballad Humble And Kind. A combination of country warmth in the lyric and his delivery, and classical precision in the music and arrangement, you’ll have some idea of what makes Tim McGraw stand out from the crowd.
www.timmcgraw.com
With his third Big Machine release, Tim McGraw continues to push the boundaries of modern country music where his TWO LANES OF FREEDOM and SUNDOWN HEAVEN TOWN albums left off. A modern traditionalist—defined by his classic country vocal style and contemporary interpretation of songs—his records have always been more Mellencamp than Merle. An album rich in diversity and creativity, McGraw’s unique style of soul-influenced, rock-sprinkled country has led to him selling in excess of 40 million albums since his debut some 22 years ago. He rarely writes, so he relies heavily on the Music Row scribes, and I have to say that he has never sounded better or had such quality material from top to bottom. There appears to be a theme of being at a crossroads in life, with a feel of life-changing decision-making running through the songs. Never more so than on the excellent title song, which neatly sums up the dilemma of following a dream of being a singer—the heartaches, the losses, the highs and lows, the hard-travelled road and, the fly-by-night fame and fortune—all summed up in a no-holds-barred three minutes.
The songs range in emotion from the mellow Here Tonight—a duet with daughter Gracie—to the percussive and lyrical Losin’ You to the rockin’ California, featuring Big & Rich. McGraw digs back into country music’s rich past for the long-forgotten Don’t Make Me Feel At Home, a minor 1995 country hit for the vastly underrated Wesley Dennis. Easily the most die-hard country song on the whole album, it’s a track that needs to be a single … it’s just what American country radio needs in 2016, as the perfect antidote to the bro-country that still dominates. The first single, Top Of The World, is an upbeat track; the catchy guitar chords and vocals certainly stick in one’s mind making for the perfect radio single. The album ends on a high with Lori McKenna’s intimate, inspirational ballad Humble And Kind. A combination of country warmth in the lyric and his delivery, and classical precision in the music and arrangement, you’ll have some idea of what makes Tim McGraw stand out from the crowd.
www.timmcgraw.com