June 28, 2008 by Willis.

“As frontman for Lonestar, Richie McDonald’s distinctive voice drove such country and AC hits as “Amazed” and “I’m Already There.” He exited the group last year to pursue a solo career and fulfills a longtime goal with the release of his first inspirational project. Most country artists who’ve tapped the Christian market have recorded familiar hymns and gospel standards, but McDonald delivers a collection of new songs that Christian audiences should eagerly embrace. He wrote nearly every song on this project. “What Would He Do” is a challenge to Christians to put their faith into action, while the title track is a powerful anthem that celebrates the hope and comfort found in a relationship with God. McDonald should be just as successful in the Christian arena as he’s long been in the country field. —Deborah Evans Price”

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June 26, 2008 by Willis.

“Those who believe it’s been far too long since Alison Krauss + Union Station’s Dan Tyminski released his 2003 solo debut will be thrilled that his sophomore effort is at hand. Marked by the fine picking, strong vocals and well-chosen songs that AKUS fan have come to expect, “Wheels” is a stunning second effort. In true bluegrass tradition, “Some Early Morning” is a fine, haunting tale of a man wrongly accused and “Making Hay” is a reminder that you can’t get above your raising. Tyminski ably handles AKUS bandmate Ron Block’s “It All Comes Down to You” and the Kitty Wells classic “Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On,” while “Who Showed Who” deals with the aftermath of a woman’s murder of her husband (”Who’s right or wrong/Two children left without a home”). —Ken Tucker”

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June 14, 2008 by Willis.

“Emmylou Harris has been so busy in recent years—collaborating with Mark Knopfler, touring with Neil Young and Elvis Costello, assembling a boxed set—that it’s surprising to realize her last album of new material was five years ago. Blending five originals with a selection of tracks by others, the prosaically titled 13-song set represents a fusing of Harris’ past and present. Produced by longtime collaborator Brian Ahern, “Intended” blends the country and folk flavor of her early recordings with the ethereal ambience that’s marked her work of the last dozen or so years. There’s classic balladry via Harris’ own “How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower” and her renditions of Merle Haggard’s “Kern River” and Mark Germino’s “Broken Man’s Lament.” Dolly Parton lends just the right touch to Harris’ “Gold,” while Vince Gill joins in for a duet on Billy Joe Shaver’s “Old Five and Dimers Like Me.” Harris’ take on Tracy Chapman’s “All That You Have Is Your Soul” is definitive, and “Beyond the Great Divide” provides a sublime closing to an album that was well worth the wait.—Gary Graff”

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June 9, 2008 by Willis.

“Nine years after first debuting on the country charts, Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry are still practicing their own brand of country rock and doing a first-rate job of it. But like their audience, the two are a little older and a lot wiser than they were a decade ago, and their new set reflects hard-earned maturity balanced with the desire (and ability) to get into a little trouble on occasion. That mix is perhaps best represented by “I Pick My Parties,” which features summer tour mate Toby Keith. All three singers, it seems, are a little more selective than they were in their wilder days. While the nostalgic title cut is currently top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, the album’s best song may be the melodic and mature “Roll With Me,” which features Gentry on lead vocal. —Ken Tucker”

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June 6, 2008 by Willis.

“Jewel has been a pop chart fixture since 1995, but ever organically rooted to make her move to country a convincing transition, and the format has already embraced top 15 single “Stronger Woman.” Her seventh album and first full-length country project, “Perfectly Clear,” is not only persuasive, but down-home, old-school country. It’s not just the addition of steel guitar that sells Jewel’s passage, but the whole of her delivery and lyrical themes. Potential hits abound: Best are the searching, chug-along “I Do”; remorseful ballad “Everything Reminds Me of You”; the uptempo, playful “Rosey and Mick,” about a long-term imperfect relationship; and the mannered “Anyone but You,” which sounds like a Tammy Wynette classic. Jewel continues to surprise and inspire, and “Clear” is an ideal transition for the 34-year-old Texas dweller. —Chuck Taylor”

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June 2, 2008 by Willis.

“Coming onto the country scene in 1996, Steve Azar struggled to break through on major label Mercury. But listening to his new self-released set one gets the sense that this is the album he’s always wanted to make. Ultimately listenable, the at-times-rocking, at-times- bluesy, at-times-country collection fits Azar and the listener as comfortably as an old shoe. Named for the Mississippi birthplace of B.B. King, the set includes “Flatlands,” which with its greasy slide guitar speaks to Azar’s Delta roots. “Crowded” finds Azar bemoaning urban sprawl, while “The River’s Workin’ ” is a working man’s anthem that conjures John Mellencamp, Bob Seger and Jackson Browne. “You’re My Life,” written with Radney Foster, could have been a hit for the Traveling Wilburys. Comparisons aside, this is an album that only Azar, with his varied influences, could make. —Ken Tucker”

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June 2, 2008 by Willis.

“While “American Idol” has produced its share of stars, Julianne Hough is the first artist to emerge from “Dancing With the Stars,” the hit show on which she has made a name for herself as a two-time champion. Her solid debut proves she’s also capable in the recording studio. “That Song in My Head” does just what the title implies—it sticks in your head, as does “You, You, You.” While the set is mostly G-rated, “Hide Your Matches” is filled with smoking sensuality. On “Hello,” she admonishes a pal for her bad choices in men while “Help Me, Help You” finds her assisting a friend struggling with alcohol addiction. Some of Nashville’s top songwriters contributed and Hough handles their offerings with the grace and style that “Dancing With the Stars” viewers have come to expect. —Ken Tucker”

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April 23, 2008 by Willis.

“You know the country’s in trouble when a guy like Phil Vassar—who gets songwriting royalties for penning hits for Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina and others—declares that “They can kiss my price of gas/It’s time to speak my mind.” Country music’s not in trouble for having a new Vassar album, though. The Virginia native and Nashville veteran’s delayed fourth studio set was well worth the wait, with some of his most evocative songs brought to life by even richer arrangements and production. A piano man in a twangy guitar world, Vassar’s instrument of choice gives each of these dozen songs a full-bodied foundation. There are rowdy rockers (”Around Here Somewhere,” “Baby Rocks”) and more reflective pieces (”My Chevrolet,” “Crazy Life”), but the bulk of the songs muse about relationships, cars, late fathers and rockin’ girlfriends (or wives).—Gary Graff”

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April 14, 2008 by Willis.

“James Otto’s second album (his first was released four years ago on Mercury Nashville) proves that some things are indeed worth the wait. His brand of “country soul,” as he calls it, comes across strong and confident on this new set. “Just Got Started Loving You” is a sultry promise of passion in the tradition of Conway Twitty’s “I’d Love to Lay You Down.” “For You” is a soaring ballad that Otto squeezes every bit of emotion from, and “Where Angels Hang Around” is a moving tribute to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Otto moans his way through the blue-eyed, soul-filled “The Man That I Am,” which he accurately describes as “sex on tape.” It’s not all love and tenderness love songs; the hilarious “Drink & Dial” warns against mixing alcohol and late-night phone calls. —Ken Tucker”

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April 8, 2008 by Willis.

“Not only is this one of the best new-artist debuts in recent memory (think Dixie Chicks in 1998), Lady Antebellum’s self-titled set will go down as one of the year’s best, period. The singing/songwriting combination of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and multi-instrumentalist Dave Haywood is fresh and mature. The trio’s unique vocal arrangement—Kelley’s blue-eyed soul leads on some songs, Scott effortlessly leads on others, and the two also duet—sets them apart. “Love Don’t Live Here” is driven by Kelley’s powerful vocal, while Scott shines on the defiant “Long Gone” and the romantic “Can’t Take My Eyes off You.” “All We’d Ever Need” and “I Run to You” finds the pair seamlessly intertwining in the tradition of Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris. —Ken Tucker”

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April 7, 2008 by Willis.

“George Strait is one of music’s most consistent hitmakers for a reason—he knows a hit song when he hears one and he only sings it if it fits him. “Troubadour” is chock-full of classic Strait. “I Saw God Today” is a perfect example of a track that speaks to the country core, while the title cut finds the singer reconciling his age with how old he feels. “When You’re in Love” cleverly equates romance with a vacation destination (”There’s so much to see and do when you’re in love”), and “River of Love” will have women swooning at King George’s invitation to a “stream of kissin’ about 10 miles long.” “House of Cash,” with Patty Loveless, is a powerful tribute to the loss of the Cash family home to fire a year ago. —Ken Tucker”

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April 6, 2008 by Willis.

“Before Carrie Underwood and other “American Idol” alumni came to Nashville, season-two finalist Josh Gracin helped prove reality show stars could find a home in country music. But after scoring three top five singles, including 2005 No. 1 “Nothin’ to Lose,” Gracin struggled to reconnect at radio, and his second album has been long in coming. Now on the strength of a coming-of-age title cut, fans will be happy to know this solid follow-up is at hand. “Favorite State of Mind” stands out for its sheer energy, while “Livin’ It Up,” which includes the much-used line “I can sleep when I die,” has an ’80s rock feel. And the simply written “Unbelievable (Ann Marie),” which Gracin penned for his wife, might be this decade’s “Amazed.” —Ken Tucker”

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October 16, 2007 by Willis.

Reba McEntire - Duets - Album Review

1 - When you love someone like that (feat LeAnn Rimes) - Pretty Good. 7/10
2 - Does The Wild Still Blow In Oklahoma (feat Ronnie Dunn) - Too Old School For Me. 4/10
3 - Because of You (feat Kelly Clarkson) - Decent Hit, surprised not doing better. 9/10
4 - Faith In Love (feat Rascal Flatts) - Decent, Rascal Flatts adds a lot to this track. 8/10
5 - She Can’t Save Him (feat Trisha Yearwood) - Just Alright. 5/10
6 - Everyday People (feat Carole King) - Blah. 3/10
7 - Every Other Weekend (feat Kenny Chesney) - Pretty Good Combo. 6/10
8 - These Broken Hearts (feat Vince Gill) - One of the better songs on the album. 7/10
9 - Sleeping With The Telephone (feat Faith Hill) - Strange hook, alright song. 6/10
10 - The Only Promise That Remains (feat Justin Timberlake) - Shocked at this duet? I was too. Disappointed too. 6/10
11 - Break Each Others Hearts Again (feat Don Henley) - Pretty Good Slow Song. 7/10

Overall album review:
I really dig the sytle of this album, pairing up with 11 different artists, 1 on each track. I was more artists would try this. I really wish different genre bands would try to mesh their art form together. The album is decent, but doesn’t stick out to me too much. Overall 6/10

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October 14, 2007 by Willis.

Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride Review

1. Flat on the Floor - Pretty decent, shows off her voice on this track.  6/10
2. All-American Girl - A high school love song, i can see this going places.  8/10
3. So Small - One of my favorite songs of the year.  10/10
4. Just a Dream - Unbelievable song.  A new favorite of mine.  9/10
5. Get Out of This Town - I was iffy at first, but this is growing on me.  7/10
6. Crazy Dreams - Just ok.  5/10
7. I Know You Won’t - She shows her vocals hard core on this one.  Just alright. 6/10
8. Last Name - Alright, i guess.  5/10
9. You Won’t Find This - I like this song a lot.  8/10
10. I Told You So - Good Ballad.  7/10
11. More Boys I Meet - Single chick song.  5/10
12. Twisted - Pretty good.  8/10
13. Wheel of the World - Not a fan at first, but getting there.  7/10

This is overall a pretty fantastic album.  Similar to her last album, i see several hits coming off of this album.  I’m sure several of these songs will grow on me as well.  Overall Rating - 8/10

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September 24, 2007 by Willis.

1 -Take Me There - Already a huge hit. Love this song. 10/10
2 - Here - Most likely the next single. 9/10
3 - Bob That Head - Decent. 7/10
4 - Help Me Remember - Slow song, but a good one. 8/10
5 - Still Feels Good - I love this. 9/10
6 - Winner At A Losing Game - Just OK, 6/10
7 - No Reins - Gonna be a hit. 8/10
8 - Every Day - One of my fav’s on this album. 9/10
9 - Secret Smile - One of the poor songs on the album. 6/10
10 - Better Now - Pretty slow but really great. 8/10
11 - She Goes All The Way - I don’t like this track. 4/10
12 - How Strong Are You Now - Depressing but great. 8/10
13 - It’s Not Supposed To Go Like That - Could have been left off. 5/10

One final note, I’m surprised Revolution from the Evan Almighty Soundtrack isn’t on this album. Decent Song.

Overall Album - This album is pretty fantastic, a little slow at times, but overall a great album. Completly worth the wait. 9/10

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