Chris Young- "I'm Comin' Over" CD Review

Chris Young- "I'm Comin' Over"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 11

Favorite Songs:
- "Heartbeat"
- "Think Of You" (Featuring: Cassadee Pope)
- "Sunshine Overtime"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "What If I Stay"

Review:
Chris Young brings that twangy country voice of his that I love to his new album "I'm Comin' Over". I'm usually not the biggest fan of duets but "Think Of You" with Cassadee Pope is one of the best duets I've heard in a long time. My favorite thing about Chris Young's music is that the beat is consistently matched with the perfect lyrics throughout all of his albums. I can always count on a Chris Young album to make my heart feel alive, whether it's a love song and I feel warm and fuzzy or it's a song of love lost and I feel broken, his music is always powerful enough to make my heartbeat. 

94% (MUST BUY!!)

Previous Chris Young Albums:

- The Man I Want To Be (2009)- 93%

- A.M. (2013)- 91%

- Neon (2011)- 90%

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The Stellas- "It Wouldn't Be This" CD Review

The Stellas- "It Wouldn't Be This"

"All the roads that we didn't take
They'd have led us to some other place
And I'm not saying life wouldn't be great

Just wouldn't be this"
- "It Wouldn't Be This"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "It Wouldn't Be This"
- "Not Enough Time"
- "Stay Awhile"
- "Kitchen Party"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Baba O'Riley"

Review:
The Stellas released their second studio album titled "It Wouldn't Be This" which featured 10 new songs. This married Canadian duo placed 4th in the U.S. television show "Can You Duet" back in 2009. Their second album remains very similar to their first with the same upbeat classic country sound. I love the song "It Wouldn't Be This" which talks about doing what you want versus what others want you to do and "Never Be Enough" which is about how there is never be enough time. The Stellas continue their rise upwards and I look forward to seeing their next album.

80% (Excellent)

Previous The Stellas Albums:
- The Stellas (2011)- 70%

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Autumn Hill- "Anchor" CD Review

Autumn Hill- "Anchor"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Anchor"
- "It Don't Get Better Than This"
- "Mixtape"
- "Good Night For Going Nowhere"
- "Summertime Free"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "August In The Rain"
- "Never Be Mine"

Review:
Anchor is the second studio album from this Canadian duo. My favorite thing about Autumn Hill is that I love the girls voice and the guys voices separately just as much as I do together. That's really hard to find. This album sings about the good times ("Good Night For Going Nowhere", "Memphis", "It Don't Get Better Than This"), the first loves ("Anchor", "Mixtape", "Summertime Free") and the heartbreaks ("Return Policy", "Blame). Coming off the really high score that I gave the first album, this one just goes to prove how consistently amazing they really are.

93% (MUST BUY!)

Previous Autumn Hill Albums:
Favorite Mistake (2013)- 93%

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Jason Michael Carroll- "What Color Is Your Sky" CD Review

Jason Michael Carroll- "What Color Is Your Sky"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 15

Favorite Songs:
- "Love Like July"
- "Here With Me"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Urgency"
- "Blown Away"

Review:
Jason Michael Carroll released his fourth studio album What Color Is Your Sky which features 15 new songs, including one demo (“Waste Their Life”). Jason had a lot more radio play back in the late 2000s but since then has flown under the radar as one of the most underrated country artists around. With his soulful country voice, every song that he sings comes out beautifully which makes choosing my favorite songs from this album extremely difficult. 

84% (Excellent)

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Keith & Renee- "Feel Good Thing" CD Review

Keith & Renee- "Feel Good Thing"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 12

Favorite Songs:
- "Better With You"
- "Shoulda Stayed In Bed"
- "Laugh"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Back To Me"

Review:
If you had to pick a soundtrack for your life, this would be mine. Almost all the songs are spot on to where I am currently in my life. This album features love songs ("Better With You"), good time songs ("All Night Long"), songs about taking chances ("Surrender To Win") and about looking back on memories ("Laugh"). Renee has a very country sound to her voice but Keith's voice is more versatile so I think he could genre-jump into the pop music world as well. First album release and I have fallen in love. Hard. 

94% (MUST BUY!)

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Bobby Wills- "Crazy Enough" CD Review

Bobby Wills- "Crazy Enough"

Year: 2014

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Still Something There"
- "All Kinds Of Wrong"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "So Much For Taking It Slow"

Overall:
This is a fantastic country CD from a fellow hometown boy. Though my favorites songs are "Still Something There" and "All Kinds Of Wrong" the album maintains a consistent and cohesive beat throughout the album. It's no surprise that he won the Rising Star award at the CCMA's in 2013. I predict big things for his future.

93% (MUST BUY!)

Previous Bobby Wills Albums:
If It Was This Easy (2012)- 83%

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Brett Eldredge- "Illinois" CD Review

Brett Eldredge- "Illinois"

"I wanna be that song that gets you high
Makes you dance, makes you fall
That melody rewinds years
One disappear, makes time stall
Wanna be those words that fill you up
Pulls your windows down and keeps you young
Makes you believe you're right where you belong"
- "Wanna Be That Song"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 12

Favorite Songs:
- "Fire"
- "Wanna Be That Song"
- "Illinois"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "You Can't Stop Me"
- "Lose My Mind"
- "Shadow"

Review:

Brett released his second studio album Illinois. Although there were a few songs that I really liked from this album (“Fire,”, “Wanna Be That Song”), I had a really hard time finding the cohesiveness overall. This album is a mix of country with some country-jazz (“You Can’t Stop Me” and “Lose My Mind”), country-rock (“Shadow”) and “Time Well Spent” sounding very much like Jimmy Buffett’s beachy vibe. Brett’s amazing vocal talent can’t be denied but the inconsistent country sound on this album really left me wanting more.

78% (Good)

Previous Brett Eldredge Albums:

- Bring You Back (2013)- 78%

Matt Nathanson- "Show Me Your Fangs" CD Review

Matt Nathanson- "Show Me Your Fangs"

"Brave new world, same old crowd
Good things whisper, bad things shout
But I don't hear 'em now"
- "Headphones"

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Giants"
- "Shouting"
- "Headphones"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Disappear"

Review:

This is Matt Nathanson's ninth studio album release and just like wine, Matt's music only gets better with age. This is my favorite album of his to date with rock-pop anthems like “Giants” and “Gold In The Summer”, soft-rock ballads like “Bill Murray” and “Washington State Fight Song” and he finishes off the album with the feel good song “Headphones” in which the chorus pretty much sums up my life. This album is underrated, irresistible and impossible not to fall completely in love with.

97% (MUST BUY!!)

Previous Matt Nathanson Albums:

- Some Mad Hope (2007)- 78%

- Last Of The Great Pretenders (2013)- 70%

- Modern Love (2011)- 70%

Striking Matches- "Nothing But The Silence" CD Review

Striking Matches- "Nothing But The Silence"

"It's so easy, nothin' to it
Though you may not believe me now
But I promise that you'll find out
When the right one comes along"
- "When The Right One Comes Along"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 11

Favorite Songs:
- "When The Right One Comes Along"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Trouble Is As Trouble Does"
- "Hanging On A Lie"

Review:
Striking Matches released their debut album "Nothing But The Silence", which features several songs that may be recognized from TV's Nashville. This duo's album is a mix of country and blues with a sound that's very acoustic. "When The Right One Comes Along" is the only track on this album that's worthy of a listen to. For me, it's a lot more blues then country and comes across as nice background music but not music that's polished enough to keep me hanging on. 

69% (Slightly Above Average)

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Sia- "We Are Born" CD Review

Sia- "We Are Born"

"Bring a little bit of dance bring a little bit of song! Yea!

Bring night! Bring the night on!

I'm not sure I can wait and this day has felt so long. Yea!"

- "Bring Night"

Year: 2010

# of Songs: 14

Favorite Songs:
- "Bring Night"

Least Favorite Song:
- "Be Good To Me"

Overall:
I have to admit that I was kind of thrown off a bit after hearing Sia's hit song "Chandelier" and then listening to this older album. Her voice is the same but the style of the songs are very different. I was expecting a lot more ballads but instead got an upbeat pop-style album. My only complaint (and maybe it's just me?) is that I find Sia SO hard to understand in her music. I don't know if the years of constant headphone usage is starting to take it's toll on me, but seriously, what is she singing about? 

64% (Above Average)

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Whitney Rose- "Heartbreaker Of The Year" CD Review

Whitney Rose- "Heartbreaker Of The Year"
"Did you know, did you know
When you left me all alone
Did you know, did you know
That was my first rodeo"
- "My First Rodeo"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "My First Rodeo"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Little Piece Of You"
- "Lasso"

Review:
Whitney Rose's album Heartbreaker Of The Year was a definite throwback to the classic country sound of the 50s era. Her voice reminds me a lot of the pioneer women of country music such as Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. Although I appreciate the vintage sound, as a whole it felt like it aged her twenty years and made the album seem more mature then it should have. I would love to hear Whitney cover a wider range of song selections including maybe a few songs from this decade. I think that once she gets the right balance of the vintage voice mixed with a more recent era of sound, she'll be unstoppable.

70% (Good)

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Sara Bareilles- "What's Inside: Songs From Waitress" CD Review

Sara Bareilles- "What's Inside: Songs From Waitress"

"I didn't know but now I see
Sometimes what is, is meant to be"
- "Everything Changes"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "She Used To Be Mine"
- "Everything Changes"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "When He Sees Me"
- "I Didn't Plan It"
- "Bad Idea"

Review:
Sara released her 5th studio album titled What’s Inside: Songs From Waitress. This album is different from her others in the way that she took the songs from the film Waitress and made them her own for the upcoming musical stage adaptation of Waitress which opens in April 24th 2016. My favorite thing about this album is the fact that Sara was able to take previously recorded songs and inject her own sound into them. This album is full of whimsical pop songs that tell a specific story and will go beautifully with the musical but tend to lack a little something on their own, especially for people who haven’t seen the movie.

73% (Good)

Previous Sara Bareilles Albums:

- Little Voice (2007)- 67%

- The Blessed Unrest (2013)- 64%

- Kaleidoscope Heart (2010)- 64%

Jana Kramer- "Thirty One" CD Review

Jana Kramer- "Thirty One" 

"I got the first kiss, and she'll get the last
She's got the future, I got the past
I got the class ring, she got the diamond and wedding band
I got the boy, she got the man"
- "I Got The Boy"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 11

Favorite Songs:
- "Don't Touch My Radio"
- "I Got The Boy"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Bullet"
- "Said No One Ever"

Review:
Jana Kramer released her second country album which is perfectly titled Thirty One. Although I’m not quite at 31, the songs in this album are the epitome of exactly what Thirty One probably feels like.  “Boomerang” shows learning from the past and not making the same mistakes, “Don’t Touch My Radio” shows personal strength and knowing who you are, “Pop That Bottle” is all about letting loose and having a good time, while “Last Song” represents the ability to let it go and move on. Every one of these songs have their own story while remaining a cohesive collection of songs about the things one has learned by Thirty One.

88% (Excellent)

Previous Jana Kramer Albums:

- Jana Kramer (2012)- 79%

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Jewel- "Picking Up The Pieces" CD Review

Jewel- "Picking Up The Pieces"

"I am the accumulation of the dreams of generations
And their stories live in me like holy water
I am my father's daughter"
- "My Father's Daughter"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 14

Favorite Songs:
- "A Boy Needs A Bike"
- "Everything Breaks"
- "Pretty Faced Fool"
- "My Father's Daughter" 

Least Favorite Songs:
- "His Pleasure Is My Pain"
- "Nicotine Love"

Review:
The thing I love the most about Jewel is that her music goes beyond just being music, it becomes poetic storytelling. The words in the songs create such a vivid picture in your mind that it's like you begin to live the song in a way few artists can achieve. This album is soulful, truthful and really hits at your heartstrings. My favorite song is "My Father's Daughter" which features Dolly Parton. Both women sound fantastic singing together and really bring this song to life.

71% (Good)

Previous Jewel Albums:
- Sweet And Wild (2010)- 82%
- Perfectly Clear (2008)- 73%
- Goodbye Alice In Wonderland (2006)- 69%

Sam Hunt- "Montevallo" CD Review

Sam Hunt- "Montevallo" 

"Mama's prayers and daddy's speech
Front porch philosophies
A little to young and dumb to see
Just what it all meant to me"
- "Raised On It"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Take Your Time"
- "Break Up In A Small Town"
- "Raised On It"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Ex To See"

Review:
Sam Hunt released his debut album Montevallo which features such a youthful and fun sound. Most of the songs on the album are centered around love; Finding love (“Take Your Time”, “Single For The Summer”) and losing love (“Break Up In A Small Town”, “Ex To See”). This album perfectly pairs together well written lyrics with a great beat and tops it off with Sam’s amazing country sounding voice. This may be his debut album but Sam’s already on the way to a long career in country music.

77% (Good)

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Brandon Flowers- "The Desired Effect" CD Review

Brandon Flowers- "The Desired Effect"

"A natural believers, I don't carry any bones
If you see things a little different, I'm not casting any stones
- "Dreams Come True"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Dreams Come True"
- "Between Me And You"
- "Lonely Town"
- "Never Get You Right"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Can't Deny My Love"
- "Still Want You"

Review:
Brandon Flowers (the lead vocalist of The Killers) new album "The Desired Effect" features an unusual alternative rock sound accompanied by killer vocals. This album mixes in old eras of sound (50s, 60s, 80s) throughout the different songs with beautiful written lyrics. For me, the slow songs ("Between Me And You", "Lonely Town", "Never Get You Right") are the most powerful because he has such a subtle romantic tone in his voice that flows through when he slows it down. I've never really listened to The Killers before but I'm going to give them a try which proves that this album clearly had the desired effect on me.

83% (Excellent)

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Michael Ray- "Michael Ray" CD Review

Michael Ray- "Michael Ray"

"Caught up in the worry and always in a hurry
And losing what we're all about
Slow it down
Take our love and get outta this town"
- "Run Away With You"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 12

Favorite Songs:
- "Kiss You In The Morning"
- "Run Away With You"
- "Wish I Was Here"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Look Like This"
- "Everything In Between"

Review:

Michael Ray, winner of The Next: Fame Is At Your Doorstep, released his self titled debut album Michael Ray. This guy is a natural and his perfect country tone makes it sound like he’s been in the music business for years. Whether it’s a fast song (“Kiss You In The Morning”, “Livin It Up”), or a slow song (“Wish I Was Here”, “Real Men Love Jesus”) the beautiful written lyrics perfectly match to the overall sound of the song. Michael Ray is a force to be reckoned with and I predict this album is just the start of a very long career in country music.

92% (MUST BUY!!)

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George Ezra- "Wanted On Voyage" CD Review

George Ezra- "Wanted On Voyage"

"We counted all our reasons, excuses that we made
We found ourselves some treasure, and threw it all away"
- "Blame It On Me"

Year: 2014

# of Songs: 12

Favorite Songs:
- "Blame It On Me"
- "Budapest"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Did You Hear The Rain?"
- "Cassy O' "
- "Spectacular Rival"

Review:
I got this album mainly because I enjoyed his radio single "Budapest" but I was pretty shocked and confused while listening to the whole album. Half of the songs are done in his same unique style and radio-ready sound found in "Budapest". The other half are sung in a much louder and deeper tone of voice and sound like something from a much older era of music. While those songs don't sound terrible, they really aren't my style. Going back and forth between the voice tones makes the album very discombobulated rather then cohesive.  

64% (Slightly Above Average)

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Dwight Yoakam- "Second Hand Heart" CD Review

Dwight Yoakam- "Second Hand Heart"

"In another time and place

There awaits a sweet embrace

Where stains on hearts just fade away

Replaced with hopes lost from today

Bound by love that never strays"

- "In Another World"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "In Another World"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "She"
- "Believe"

Review:
Second Hand Heart is the 14th studio album from Dwight Yoakam which features his very recognizable and distinctive country voice, which is my favorite thing about him. My least favorite thing is that the songs are more poetic then relateable which makes the album feel slightly outdated. "V's Of Birds" is the only song on the album that sounds like something you would hear on the radio these days. 

60% (Slightly Above Average)

Previous Dwight Yoakam Albums:
- Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc (1986)- 67%
- 3 Pears (2012)- 64%
- Dwight's Used Records (2004)- 64%
- Blame The Vain (2005)- 61%
- Under The Covers (1997)- 52%
- Gone (1995)- 50%

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Alessia Cara- "Know-It-All" CD Review

Alessia Cara- "Know-It-All"

"I lose my balance on these eggshells you tell me to tread
I'd rather be a wild one instead"
- "Wild Things"

Year: 2015

# of Songs: 10

Favorite Songs:
- "Seventeen"
- "Wild Things"
- "Scars To Your Beautiful"

Least Favorite Songs:
- "Outlaws"

Know-It-All is the debut album from Canadian singer Alessia Cara who is such a young, breathe of fresh air in the music world. Her style's a mix of pop and R&B and the entire album maintains a cohesive sound and features smartly written lyrics. Not only does she touch upon being who you are in "Wild Things", she also features the song "Scars To Your Beautiful" which is an anthem for every girl who has ever felt less then perfect. I'm positive that this strong and confident young lady will be a more household name in the years to come.

77% (Good)

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