2012 was a great year for country music. Many artists released new albums this year, though many of the bigger names in the genre were still riding the highs of 2011 albums. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Justin Moore and Luke Bryan are just some of the artists who did NOT release new albums this year.
The good side of this is that it left country music wide open for new, up and coming artists to take the spotlight. We reviewed some of these artists album this year, though not nearly as many as we would have liked. Some of them are featured in this countdown, while others just did not make the cut.
So without further adieu, the Top 12 Country Albums of 2012:
12. Rachel Farley - The Truth EP - Released in the early part of the year, this young singer did not nearly get the chance to shine as her EP deserved. She did, however, set herself up for success in 2013, opening for Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. At only 17, this artist is well on her way to a big national debut.
11. Chris Lane Band - Let's Ride - Chris Lane is a small time artist from North Carolina, but the artist already fits in well alongside artists such as Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. "Let's Ride" features a great combination of rocking country and smooth love ballads.
10. Colt Ford - Declaration of Independence - I have not been shy about my love of the unique sound of Colt Ford in the past. His August release, Declaration of Independence, returned Ford to a sound that made his debut album popular, letting country stars sing while Colt sticks to the rapping. Guest singers include Jason Aldean, Kix Brooks (Of Brook & Dunn) and Corey Smith. The lead single, "Back", featuring Jake Owen, helped Ford score his first #1 Country Album.
9. Toby Keith - Hope On The Rocks - Continuing with the pattern set by 2011's "Clancy's Tavern", Toby Keith kept strong his return to more traditional sounding country music. Gone are the partying days of old, Keith's album features songs that are more reflective in nature. The title track "Hope On The Rocks" is one of the strongest songs TK has released in recent memory.
8. Love & Theft - Self Titled Album - The lead single "Angel Eyes" took country music by storm earlier this year, securing the duo's place in country music. While not a new artist, L&T is likely new to most country listeners. Look for their star to rise even more in 2013.
7. Brian Davis Band - Under the Influence - Another locally known artist deserving of a much bigger stage. BDB's "Under the Influence" rocking country sound will be familiarly comfortable among those who listen to the more modern outlaw side of the genre. Fittingly, Brian Davis Band opened for Brantley Gilbert on his first headlining tour in the second half of the year.
6. Lee Brice - Hard 2 Love - It was a big year for Brice. His sophomore album was met with critical acclaim. The first two singles "A Woman Like You" and "Hard To Love" enjoyed long play on the radio. His third single, "I Drive Your Truck", changes from the love based pace that he is known for, but is still quickly rising up the charts.
5. Thomas Rhett - Self Titled EP - One of my favorite albums of the year, this EP is only so low on the chart because of the shortened length. The son of Rhett Akins, Thomas is enjoying success behind "Something To Do With My Hands", "Beer With Jesus" and opening for Toby Keith this previous Summer.
4. Florida Georgia Line - Here's To The Good Times - FGL's debut album benefited from having an EP released earlier this year, one of our highest rated releases of the year. The lead single, the summer tune, "Cruise", spent multiple weeks on top of the chart, and is still enjoying radio success in the cold months. Look for this duo on the Luke Bryan's "Dirt Road Diaries" tour in 2013.
3. Chase Rice - Dirt Road Communion - A cowriter on the aforementioned "Cruise", Rice did not get much, if any, radio play on his own. Nonetheless, "Dirt Road Communion" remains one of the top albums of the year, and is still a regular in my playlist, despite being released in March.
2. Jason Aldean - Night Train - After having giant years in 2010 and 2011, Aldean continued his success in 2012. His fifth album, "Night Train" features a diverse variety of songs, from the lead single "Take A Little Ride", to the risky "1994" (penned by Thomas Rhett) to the risque "Black Tears" (written by Florida Georgia Line). It is hard to find any song on Night Train that one can classify as a bad song.
1. Kip Moore - Up All Night - Newcomer Kip Moore took radio by storm with the catchy "Somethin' Bout A Truck". His soft, yet gruff, voice combined with a more traditional country sound makes his debut album the most played album on my playlist. Much like Aldean's "Night Train" it is hard to find fault with any of the songs on the album. "Beer Money", the second single from the album, is enjoying commercial success that is sure to make Moore a common sound on the radio in 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Lewis, former lead singer of Staind, released his debut full-length country album, "The Road" late this year. Also of note, after a long break and some time as solo artists, Big and Rich returned together to release "Hillbilly Jedi".
So there it is. The top 12 albums in country music in 2012. We are looking forward to sharing our thoughts on 2013 albums, including new ones from Tim McGraw, Gary Allan, Darius Rucker, Randy Houser, Brad Paisley, Band Perry and George Strait.
Until then, Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you off the dirt road.
Showing posts with label Toby Keith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toby Keith. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Album Review: Toby Keith - Clancy's Tavern
Toby Keith is one of the most polarizing performers in country music. Many stand by him and his patriotic views. Others, like me, tire quickly of the political country (a point I have made before on this blog). Nobody, however, can deny that Toby has been extremely successful. This, Keith's 15th album (not counting Christmas or Greatest Hits), will likely become the ninth album to reach #1 on the country albums chart.
Made In America - Keith leads off with not only the ONLY political song on the album, it is probably the least divisive political song he has released. "Made In America" also became Toby's 20th #1 single. The song is about his father, who is American to his core: "He's got the red, white, blue flyin' high on his farm/ 'Semper Fi' tattooed on his left arm/ Spend a little more in the store for a tag in the back says 'USA'/ Won't buy nothin' that he can't fix/ With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench/ He ain't prejudiced/ He's just/ Made in America" Keith sings in the chorus. The anthem is a good picture of who Toby is and will resonates with a lot of country music fans.
I Need To Hear A Country Song - Toby follows up with a song about heartbreak. He does not want to go through what he is going alone. He wants to share his experience, even if it is not with someone physically in the room. Many can relate to the words: "I need to hear a loser cryin'/ Songs about a love that's dying/ Lyin' Cheatin' to the bone/ Three chord, stone cold country song".
Clancy's Tavern - The title track is actually a follow-up of sorts to the song "Honkytonk U" from 2005. This, a waltz with an Irish drinking song tone, is more of a tribute to his grandmother than the previously mentioned track. Although it is not the second music video to come from the album, it is the second single. The song is a breath of fresh air, breaking away from the standard sound of country music.
Tryin' To Fall In Love - The title of the song betrays it's mood. I expected another slow song about attempts at love, but what I got is a fun, upbeat song. "If women come a dime a dozen/ I ain't got a penny/ Some guys are gettin' way too much/ Some guys don't get any/ But if I had a nickel for every time I've had enough/ I'd still be busted and heartbroken/ Still tryin' to fall in love".
Just Another Sundown - Toby moves back to the heartbreak songs here. The song is not one that stands out, but the acoustic melody really adds to the feeling.
Beers Ago - "Beers Ago" is an example of the my only real complaint about this album, the mixing does not flow well. "Beers" is what Toby does really well, a fast-paced, fun country song. The problem is that it is sandwiched between "Sundown" and "South Of You", both songs about heartbreak. Unlike most artists, this is Keith's own fault, as he not only recorded the album, but he produced it as well.
South Of You - As mentioned, Keith comes back to the heartbreak song once again. This one, honestly, feels a little more suited as a Kenny Chesney song, as Keith sings about getting away from the girl by sailing out to the islands. There is nothing inherently wrong with the song, but it does not feel like what we are used to from Toby.
Club Zydeco Moon - Not sure what it is about Toby, but he seems to have a weak spot for strippers (See "Bullets in the Gun" off his previous album of the same name). This song comes across as an alternate ending for that song, sort of describing what would have happened if they had not run off together to Mexico. The answer? More heartbreak, with Toby eventually avoiding the bar where he met the girl.
I Won't Let You Down - Rather than a heartbreak song, Toby is finally singing about making love work. The song is great advice for women, men are not perfect. If you do not expect us to be, we will not let you down. It is not about convincing girls to lower their standards, but it is about letting us surprise you with what we ARE capable of, instead of being disappointed by what we are not.
Red Solo Cup - A song that Keith himself accurately describes as "Adorable and very very stupid", this song will get stuck in your head and show no signs of leaving for days. The song is a tribute to what Toby describes in the opening line as "the best receptacle/ For barbecues, tailgates, fairs, and festivals/" The song is several run-on sentences, but is so much fun that it is sure to be a hit. The music video features cameos from Jeff Dunham, Larry Bird, Craig Ferguson, Carrot Top, Ted Nugent and fellow country star Eric Church.
Chill-axin' - Another song that sounds better suited for Kenny Chesney, Keith closes out the main part of the album with a song about getting away from it all, whether to the beach or out to the country. The song feels really awkward following "Red Solo Cup" and the album probably would have benefited from flipping the order of the last two songs.
Overall, it is nice to hear Toby Keith step away from much of his political grandstanding that has dominated the artist for several years. This creates an album everyone can enjoy, regardless of political affiliation. The only problem that this album presents is a poor distribution of songs. The album would have been much improved if they had sat back and listened a little closer to the flow between the songs. If not for that, the album would have gotten a much higher rating: 7/10
Note: The deluxe edition of the album features Toby Keith's band, the Incognito Banditos, doing live covers of four songs: Waylon Jennings' "High Time (You Quit Your Low Down Ways)", Buck Owens' "Truck Drivin' Man", Three Dog Night's "Shambala" and Chuck Berry's "Memphis".
Made In America - Keith leads off with not only the ONLY political song on the album, it is probably the least divisive political song he has released. "Made In America" also became Toby's 20th #1 single. The song is about his father, who is American to his core: "He's got the red, white, blue flyin' high on his farm/ 'Semper Fi' tattooed on his left arm/ Spend a little more in the store for a tag in the back says 'USA'/ Won't buy nothin' that he can't fix/ With WD-40 and a Craftsman wrench/ He ain't prejudiced/ He's just/ Made in America" Keith sings in the chorus. The anthem is a good picture of who Toby is and will resonates with a lot of country music fans.
I Need To Hear A Country Song - Toby follows up with a song about heartbreak. He does not want to go through what he is going alone. He wants to share his experience, even if it is not with someone physically in the room. Many can relate to the words: "I need to hear a loser cryin'/ Songs about a love that's dying/ Lyin' Cheatin' to the bone/ Three chord, stone cold country song".
Clancy's Tavern - The title track is actually a follow-up of sorts to the song "Honkytonk U" from 2005. This, a waltz with an Irish drinking song tone, is more of a tribute to his grandmother than the previously mentioned track. Although it is not the second music video to come from the album, it is the second single. The song is a breath of fresh air, breaking away from the standard sound of country music.
Tryin' To Fall In Love - The title of the song betrays it's mood. I expected another slow song about attempts at love, but what I got is a fun, upbeat song. "If women come a dime a dozen/ I ain't got a penny/ Some guys are gettin' way too much/ Some guys don't get any/ But if I had a nickel for every time I've had enough/ I'd still be busted and heartbroken/ Still tryin' to fall in love".
Just Another Sundown - Toby moves back to the heartbreak songs here. The song is not one that stands out, but the acoustic melody really adds to the feeling.
Beers Ago - "Beers Ago" is an example of the my only real complaint about this album, the mixing does not flow well. "Beers" is what Toby does really well, a fast-paced, fun country song. The problem is that it is sandwiched between "Sundown" and "South Of You", both songs about heartbreak. Unlike most artists, this is Keith's own fault, as he not only recorded the album, but he produced it as well.
South Of You - As mentioned, Keith comes back to the heartbreak song once again. This one, honestly, feels a little more suited as a Kenny Chesney song, as Keith sings about getting away from the girl by sailing out to the islands. There is nothing inherently wrong with the song, but it does not feel like what we are used to from Toby.
Club Zydeco Moon - Not sure what it is about Toby, but he seems to have a weak spot for strippers (See "Bullets in the Gun" off his previous album of the same name). This song comes across as an alternate ending for that song, sort of describing what would have happened if they had not run off together to Mexico. The answer? More heartbreak, with Toby eventually avoiding the bar where he met the girl.
I Won't Let You Down - Rather than a heartbreak song, Toby is finally singing about making love work. The song is great advice for women, men are not perfect. If you do not expect us to be, we will not let you down. It is not about convincing girls to lower their standards, but it is about letting us surprise you with what we ARE capable of, instead of being disappointed by what we are not.
Red Solo Cup - A song that Keith himself accurately describes as "Adorable and very very stupid", this song will get stuck in your head and show no signs of leaving for days. The song is a tribute to what Toby describes in the opening line as "the best receptacle/ For barbecues, tailgates, fairs, and festivals/" The song is several run-on sentences, but is so much fun that it is sure to be a hit. The music video features cameos from Jeff Dunham, Larry Bird, Craig Ferguson, Carrot Top, Ted Nugent and fellow country star Eric Church.
Chill-axin' - Another song that sounds better suited for Kenny Chesney, Keith closes out the main part of the album with a song about getting away from it all, whether to the beach or out to the country. The song feels really awkward following "Red Solo Cup" and the album probably would have benefited from flipping the order of the last two songs.
Overall, it is nice to hear Toby Keith step away from much of his political grandstanding that has dominated the artist for several years. This creates an album everyone can enjoy, regardless of political affiliation. The only problem that this album presents is a poor distribution of songs. The album would have been much improved if they had sat back and listened a little closer to the flow between the songs. If not for that, the album would have gotten a much higher rating: 7/10
Note: The deluxe edition of the album features Toby Keith's band, the Incognito Banditos, doing live covers of four songs: Waylon Jennings' "High Time (You Quit Your Low Down Ways)", Buck Owens' "Truck Drivin' Man", Three Dog Night's "Shambala" and Chuck Berry's "Memphis".
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