So, this next single comes to us from a guy who I have a feeling is going to end up being a subject in my ongoing artists to watch series. The first song I ever heard of his was "Real" and it was a solid, great, pure country song that could've easily been released by someone like George Strait or Alan Jackson. Totally in that vein. Then there was "Didn't I" which was another great choice for a single. It had a nice feel to it and while there's been a lot of songs about guys looking back on a past relationship that didn't work out, this one managed to sound fresh to me. Now James Wesley has released another single from his upcoming album and surprise, surprise: this guy can rock! Out of all the songs of his I've heard - these two plus two others - this is my favorite by far. And that's saying something given how strong the other songs are.
The first thing I like about this song is the title. The first time I saw it, it made me curious about the song. I thought it sounded interesting and as a person who feels like a walking contradiction most of the time, this was one I had to hear. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, maybe something a little more laid back. I don't know, but it certainly wasn't this. This is the kind of song that has me wanting to crank up the volume as soon as it starts and it's one that I imagine would be great to drive to with the windows down and the music blaring. I love songs like that.
As always, going to go in a little deeper...
I tried looking it up, but I couldn't find the names of the person/people who wrote this. Lyric wise, this song is very country audience friendly in that it talks about things that I think most people can relate to. There's a lot of walking contradictions out there and I really like that someone wrote a song about that. People always connect with these songs, the idea that this is me and this is who I am and this is what I stand for. Like it or not, take me or leave me - this is me. Maybe confusing to other people, but that's okay. As long as there's country music, these kinds of songs will always resonate. My favorite part lyrically is the chorus. It's fun to sing along with and that never hurts.
Music wise, this song comes with some teeth. There's a definite edge here that wasn't present in his previous songs - it wouldn't have made sense in those songs. A song like this practically requires an edge. What I like about it musically is that it rocks in a very country way; it's a good blend of the traditional and not. Kind of like Alan Jackson meets Jason Aldean. That's what the music sounds like to me, a marriage of their two sounds. Usually artists will lean more heavily one way or the other and this one is more in the middle. Nicely produced, everything you hear fits the song and there's really not much in the way of musical filler. I don't know who played on this record, which is a shame because there's some nice playing going on here.
Vocally speaking, James Wesley has one of those voices that's going to sound country no matter what he sings. He gives a great delivery here and it meets one of my biggest requirements when it comes to country music: it feels genuine. There's a conviction here that makes me think that he relates to this song in a very real way. One of those songs that sounds so true to an artist that you would think they'd written it from personal experience even if they didn't actually write it. Again, I couldn't find the songwriters and I'm not sure if he's a writer himself or not so I don't know what the situation is, but that doesn't really matter. What I care about is if it feels real and this one absolutely does.
I liked James Wesley before; this song has me anticipating what he's going to do next and that should always be one of the goals of a single. You want the song to do well, obviously, but if you can get people wanting to know what's coming it just makes it so much better. It is my belief that this guy is one to watch because if this and his other single are any indication, he's going to do some great things in country music.
The first thing I like about this song is the title. The first time I saw it, it made me curious about the song. I thought it sounded interesting and as a person who feels like a walking contradiction most of the time, this was one I had to hear. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, maybe something a little more laid back. I don't know, but it certainly wasn't this. This is the kind of song that has me wanting to crank up the volume as soon as it starts and it's one that I imagine would be great to drive to with the windows down and the music blaring. I love songs like that.
As always, going to go in a little deeper...
I tried looking it up, but I couldn't find the names of the person/people who wrote this. Lyric wise, this song is very country audience friendly in that it talks about things that I think most people can relate to. There's a lot of walking contradictions out there and I really like that someone wrote a song about that. People always connect with these songs, the idea that this is me and this is who I am and this is what I stand for. Like it or not, take me or leave me - this is me. Maybe confusing to other people, but that's okay. As long as there's country music, these kinds of songs will always resonate. My favorite part lyrically is the chorus. It's fun to sing along with and that never hurts.
Music wise, this song comes with some teeth. There's a definite edge here that wasn't present in his previous songs - it wouldn't have made sense in those songs. A song like this practically requires an edge. What I like about it musically is that it rocks in a very country way; it's a good blend of the traditional and not. Kind of like Alan Jackson meets Jason Aldean. That's what the music sounds like to me, a marriage of their two sounds. Usually artists will lean more heavily one way or the other and this one is more in the middle. Nicely produced, everything you hear fits the song and there's really not much in the way of musical filler. I don't know who played on this record, which is a shame because there's some nice playing going on here.
Vocally speaking, James Wesley has one of those voices that's going to sound country no matter what he sings. He gives a great delivery here and it meets one of my biggest requirements when it comes to country music: it feels genuine. There's a conviction here that makes me think that he relates to this song in a very real way. One of those songs that sounds so true to an artist that you would think they'd written it from personal experience even if they didn't actually write it. Again, I couldn't find the songwriters and I'm not sure if he's a writer himself or not so I don't know what the situation is, but that doesn't really matter. What I care about is if it feels real and this one absolutely does.
I liked James Wesley before; this song has me anticipating what he's going to do next and that should always be one of the goals of a single. You want the song to do well, obviously, but if you can get people wanting to know what's coming it just makes it so much better. It is my belief that this guy is one to watch because if this and his other single are any indication, he's going to do some great things in country music.
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