Top 13 Singles of 2013

There were so many great songs this year that it was hard to choose just 13. But all of these songs have gotten more than their fair share of airtime on the radio and are undisputed fan favorites. Here is my list of the top 13 country singles of 2013:

13) Don’t Ya – Brett Eldredge

“Don't lie, you've got it all figured out. That smile, has got me spinnin' around. Don't even try actin' like it ain't no thing”

            This song was undoubtedly one of the most popular songs of the summer. You couldn’t turn on your local radio station without hearing it in the first ten minutes. “Don’t Ya” is enjoyable to listen to and the repeat of “closer, closer”/ “don’t ya, don’t ya” in the chorus makes it incredibly infectious. It is a charmingly, seductive tune that is fun, without being gimmicky or “trying too hard”.

12) That’s My Kind Of Night – Luke Bryan

“All them other boys wanna wind you up and take you downtown. But you look like the kind that likes to take it way out”

 This song has gotten a lot of criticism for being too poppy, and too cliché, and maybe it is but this song is also fun as hell! Music doesn’t always have to be serious and meaningful, sometimes its important to let loose and have a good time, and this song is the perfect soundtrack for that. This song fits Bryan’s voice perfectly and is reminiscent of his other incredibly fun hit “Country Girl”. You just can’t fight how catchy the song is, and the instant it comes on you know you’re going to have a good time.

11) Follow Your Arrow – Kacey Musgraves

“When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, roll up a joint, or don't. Just follow your arrow wherever it points”

As I have said in my previous review of Musgraves’ album, this is a groundbreaking song. It deals with difficult and controversial issues in a playful way, while still sending a serious message. This song is a completely new message for country music, and it is refreshing to hear. You have got to admire Musgraves for telling it like it is when no one else will. "Follow Your Arrow" has a wonderfully positive meaning, which is what lands it on my list of top country songs.

10) We Were Us – Keith Urban feat. Miranda Lambert

“When a road was a road I could roll on through without wishin that empty seat was you. Money was gas, dreams were dust, love was fast and we were us”

            Lambert and Urban have undeniable musical chemistry. Both their voices have incredibly unique tones, which meld together perfectly and make this a one of a kind song. It is an energetic, fast moving song, not dissimilar to pressing the gas pedal to the floor of your car and flying down the highway. The song and lyrics move so fast that it risks becoming a mess, but Lambert and Urban execute each line with the precision and control of a professional NASCAR driver. “We Were Us” is an up-tempo, pop-infused version of Eric Church’s hit “Springsteen”. Don’t we all love a song that makes us nostalgic for our younger, simpler days?

Photo courtesy of Naples News

9) Better Dig Two – The Band Perry

“So if the ties that bind ever do come loose, tie 'em in a knot like a hangman's noose. Cause I'll go to heaven or I'll go to hell before I'll see you with someone else”

            The Band Perry comes back on their sophomore album stronger and edgier than we’ve ever heard them. This was their first single off of “Pioneer” and it was an excellent taste of what their album would sound like, and how they’ve matured in their music. It is not a sweet or romantic song like their previous “All Your Life” and “If I Die Young” but rather it is a darker, more twisted side of romance that we don’t often seen portrayed in country music. Kimberly’s dynamic and unique voice brings this song to the next level. "Better Dig Two" is very modern but it still sounds country, which is a very difficult accomplishment in today's music.

8) Runnin’ Outta Moonlight – Randy Houser

“Come on baby, don't you keep me waitin', I gotta go, I've got a reservation. Tailgate for two underneath the stars. Kiss on your lips when you're in my arms”

            We have heard many different variations of this song over the years. It is the stereotypical “sitting under the stars” song, but with Houser’s wonderfully rich vocals this songs sounds fresh and new. “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” is a better, and more fun version of Luke Bryan’s ‘I Don’t Want This Night To End”. While similar in storyline, Houser’s song is more up-tempo and infectious than Bryan’s, making it number eight on the list.

7) Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert

“Can’t get revenge and keep a spotless reputation. Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make. My mama came from a softer generation where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face”

            This song sounds fun and airy on the surface, but when you listen further it is deceptively deep. It is a song that deals with the struggle of how you are expected to act during a break up and how you want to act. Lambert’s voice and performance are what bring this song to life. Her dynamic and powerful drawl give the song that extra little “something” that it’d be missing if another artist were singing this song. “Mama’s Broken Heart” is reminiscent of Lambert’s earlier kick-ass, powerhouse songs like “Keronsene” and “Gunpowder and Lead”.

6) Mine Would Be You – Blake Shelton

“Baby, if I had to choose my best day ever, my finest hour, my wildest dream come true, mine would be you”

            One of the most touching songs on country radio this year, “Mine Would Be You” had everyone thinking back to what theirs would be. Blake Shelton has proven that he is capable of singing any type of song, but his talent is best served when he is singing a power ballad such as this one. The twist at the end of the song where it goes from being a love song to a song of heartbreak is surprising, and keeps this song from being a cookie-cutter love song.

5) I Want Crazy – Hunter Hayes

“But I don't want ‘good’ and I don't want ‘good enough’, I want ‘can't sleep, can't breathe without your love’”

Hunter Hayes is country music’s boy next door. His boyish good looks and sweet demeanor make him the perfect artist to sing these borderline sickly sweet love songs. But rather than being cringe worthy, this song is heartwarming and fun. Hayes has a very nice country twang to his voice that keeps this song from being predominately a pop song. “I Want Crazy” perfectly describes the beginning stages of relationships, when everything is new, exciting and well…crazy! Hayes debuted this song at the Academy of Country Music Awards in April and it rapidly climbed the charts after that, making it one of the most popular songs of the year.

Photo courtesy of Taste of Country

           

4) I Drive Your Truck – Lee Brice

“And momma asked me this morning if I’d been by your grave, but that flag and stone ain’t where I feel you anyway”

            This is a song that can touch the lives of so many grieving people, regardless of how they lost their loved ones. It is clearly a very special song, and Brice was the perfect man to sing it. His voice is the ideal combination of strong and vulnerable, allowing the song to reach through the speakers and grab hold of your heart. You feel as if Brice's life depends on every word that he is singing, and it is evident that he put everything he had into this song in order to make it as moving as possible. The lyrics are poignant enough on their own, but Brice gives the song a much-needed push, tipping the scale from touching to heartbreakingly beautiful.

3) Hey Pretty Girl – Kip Moore

“Life's a long and winding ride, better have the right one by your side. And happiness don't drag its feet, time moves faster than you think”

             “Hey Pretty Girl” tells the love story of a man and a woman from the moment they meet through the end of their lives together. It is the simplicity with which the story is told that makes it so beautiful. There is no flashy guitar or drums to over power the lyrics. It is just an uncomplicated melody and Moore’s mesmerizingly raspy voice. The song has a very intimate feel. The vulnerable way in which Moore performs sounds as if he is singing the song directly to you. “Hey Pretty Girl” is a nice change of pace from his previous “Something ‘Bout A Truck” and “Beer Money” where Moore relied more on cute hooks and catchy lyrics than his actual talent. This song was easily one of the most popular of the year, and climbed to the top of many country radio charts around the country.

           

2) Wagon Wheel – Darius Rucker

“So rock me momma like a wagon wheel. Rock me momma any way you feel”

            Could you go anywhere this year without hearing that famous chorus? It seemed like the song was absolutely everywhere, and that was just fine with me! Rucker took a classic song that has been remade many, many times and put his own unique spin on it. He has an extremely unique and recognizable voice, and after hearing him sing his rendition of “Wagon Wheel” it was a wonder that the song wasn’t written for him. “Wagon Wheel” and Darius Rucker fit together as naturally as sweet tea and the south. The song is so smooth and catchy that before you know it you’re smiling and swaying along to the music.

1) Cruise – Florida Georgia Line

“In this brand new Chevy with a lift kit would look a hell of a lot better with you up in it. So baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise”

            There is no question that “Cruise” is the most popular song of 2013, despite the fact that it debuted as Florida Georgia Line’s first single in 2012. In April of this year it was dubbed “the best selling song by a country duo in digital history”. The song is more than a year old, and you would think that fans would be getting sick of it, but it is still getting lots of radio play. Not to mention the remix that was done with Nelly, demonstrates just how big of a hit “Cruise” is. Very rarely does country music have crossover hits with hip-hop and pop charts, but “Cruise” could not be contained. It is not only country music’s most popular song of the year, but it is also one of the most popular songs of the year, in any genre.

Photo courtesy of Washington Post

~ Honorable Mention ~

·      Boy’s Round Here – Blake Shelton feat. Pistol Annies

·      Get Your Shine On – Florida Georgia Line

·      Night Train – Jason Aldean

·      Highway Don’t Care – Tim McGraw feat. Taylor Swift and Keith Urban

·      See You Again – Carrie Underwood

·      Aw Naw – Chris Young

·      Carolina – Parmalee

·      Days of Gold – Jake Owen

·      Jump Right In – Zac Brown Band

·      Done – The Band Perry

A Review of Zac Brown Band's 'Uncaged"

I am sure many of you are wondering why I am reviewing Zac Brown Band’s Uncaged seeing as how it debuted on July 6, 2012 and is now more than a year old. There are several reasons as to why I am choosing to review an older album. One is that singles from this album are still being released and are on current country radio. “Jump Right In” was one of the most popular songs of the summer and “Sweet Annie”, the most recent single, is getting a lot of radio play and gaining popularity on the iTunes “Top Singles” chart. Reason two is that despite being over a year old, Uncaged still in the top 10 country albums on iTunes. So clearly, this is a noteworthy album that deserves my attention.

Photo courtesy of Country Countdown USA

            Uncaged is titled perfectly because the music styles on this album are just that. Not confined purely to country music, the influences range from bluegrass to reggae to R&B. While this diversity may thrill some fans, it left me scratching my head, confused. Zac Brown is notorious for giving other artists a hard time about being too mainstream and not country enough, and for disliking yuppie (mainstream) fans. So why then, I wonder, did he create an album like this when he could have just as easily created a purely country album. Now, I would never dare to call Mr. Brown a hypocrite, but I do believe that he should worry more about his own music than he does about others’. Uncaged is a good album, but it is far from perfect. There is no flow to it, the song styles change so rapidly that one minute you’re listening to a country/blue grass tune, and the next there’s a reggae song bumping through your speakers. The only reason that this album does not sound like a careless, disjointed mess is because the men in the Zac Brown Band are so incredibly talented. “Sweet Annie”, “Goodbye In Her Eyes” and “Natural Disaster” are some of the best work that ZBB has ever done. ZBB’s raw and chilling harmonies are outstanding on these tracks and make you wonder why they would even bother producing tunes such as “Island Song” and “Overnight”.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Music

            When the Zac Brown Band does what they do best, they are flawless. But when they stray away from that, their songs are underwhelming and verge on awkward because it is obvious that they are beyond their comfort zone. The following is a song-by-song review of Zac Brown Band’s latest album Uncaged:

1)    Jump Right in

“You can find me where the music meets the ocean”

This could easily be considered the country song of the summer. It was the perfect song to listen to for a day at the beach or out on the water. It’s a fun song that is very reminiscent of Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney. “Jump Right In” is very similar to previous ZBB songs in theme and style, specifically “Toes” and “Where The Boat Leaves From”.

2)    Uncaged

“Gonna take every chance Im given. Feel the wind through the open plains. Freedom is a gift get living”

The second song on the album is outstanding. It sounds like Zac Brown Band 2.0, a more mature, edgier ZBB than we’ve heard before. I am in such awe of how amazing this song sounds that I haven’t even fully appreciated the lyrics yet. ZBB’s outstanding harmonies are fully present and combine flawlessly with the guitar, fiddle and drums melody. There is a definite jam rock influence in this song and it sound similar to something Dave Matthews Band would produce, but with much clearer vocals.

3)    Goodbye In Her Eyes

“She didn't have to say a word, it was just so plain to see. She had found what she'd been looking for and I knew it wasn't me”

This song is classic Zac Brown Band: slower paced, with guitar/drums melody and impeccable harmonies. Zac has the ability to put such emotion into a song without sounding as though he’s over singing. “Goodbye” is a very intimate and personal ballad; you can almost hear Zac’s heartbreaking through your speakers.

4)    The Wind

“When I passed you on the street that day should've let that red scarf fly away, like any chance I had of keeping you”

“The Wind” is a down-home, knee-slappin’, chicken-fried, country song. There is a discernable blue grass influence in the fiddle and drum beat. This song is like the wind, it whips through your speakers so quickly that it’s over before you’ve even realized it has begun.

5)    Island Song

“Then I'mma roll one up like my name is Bob. Yeah I'm gonna party like I'm a Jamaican”

This reggae song has absolutely no place on this album. While I’m convinced that Zac Brown could sing the phone book and make it interesting, I am even more certain that he is no Bob Marley and should steer clear of reggae in the future. Compared to the effortless and natural sound of “Uncaged” and “Goodbye”, this song is trying way too hard. It’s a lazy man’s version of “Jump Right In” and doesn’t have the same infectious and fun quality that that song possessed. After listening to “The Wind” this song is a startling and unsettling change of pace. While Jimmy Buffet may be able to pull this song off, it sounds out of place and strange on a ZBB album.

6)    Sweet Annie

“But one day lightning will strike and my bark will lose its bite. Don’t’ give up on me, sweet Annie.”

Thankfully, the Zac Brown Band gets Uncaged back on track with this song. The harmonies are stunning and when combined with the guitar, drums, fiddle and organ it makes for an outstanding tune. “Sweet Annie” is a raw, natural and beautiful song, reminiscent of something that Little Big Town would produce.

7)    Natural Disaster

“She's like rain when she rolls in, but that sunshine in her thunder makes the loneliest heart wonder if the ride is worth the pain”

This song is the Zac Brown Band at their finest. The opening harmonies and the sections of the song where it is mostly vocals with light accompaniment are exceptional and leave me with chills. “Natural Disaster” is potentially one of the best Zac Brown Band songs ever. It is recognizably them, but has a unique quality about it that is unlike anything else that we’ve ever heard off of their records. This song perfectly captures what it is like to love a vivacious and lively woman, and makes women everywhere want to be their man’s “natural disaster”. My only issue with this song is that it is not long enough, and feels as if it is over before it has even begun.

8)    Overnight feat. Trombone Shorty

“First I'm gonna search your body over, I gotta make sure you ain't hidin nothin nowhere. Ain't no time for talking show me what you got”

As coincidence would have it, my least favorite song follows my favorite song on the album. Just as with “Island Song”, this song is unnatural. If Zac Brown is no Bob Marley, than he certainly is no Barry White. I find this song extremely uncomfortable to listen, particularly because it is very hard to picture Zac Brown in his knit beanie hat singing this song and putting the smooth moves on the ladies. While Zac’s voice is undeniably smooth and could fit in the R&B world, this song does not fit in the Zac Brown Band world. In fact, Uncaged would not be lacking anything if “Overnight” were to have not been on it. However, I do enjoy the jazz influence and think that if it had been incorporated in a different way on a different track, there could have been an amazing result.

9)    Lance’s Song

“Another night of playing to a crowd with no ears. Wanna hear the songs they know and fill their bellies full of beer”

This song is a touching tribute to Lance Tilton. The combination of the fiddle and guitar create a stunning melody and give the song an undeniable country feel. Not only is this song a tribute to one of the band’s friends, but I also think it is a reflection of how Zac feels about his career as well. “Lance’s Song” is not over done or overly sentimental. It is a relatively simple song with just enough ZBB flair to make it distinct.

10) Day That I Die feat. Amos Lee

“I wanna say that I, was a man who really lived and never compromised. And when I've lived out my days, until the very end, I hope they find me in my home, a guitar in my hands.”

This is a fairly simple song with a beautiful meaning. It is about living your dream and never compromising your principles for others. Amos Lee’s voice melds nicely with the Zac Brown Band and adds a nice spice to the song. This is one of the few ZBB songs where the lyrics are really the central component, and not the harmonies or the superb instrumentals.

11) Last But Not Least

“Everyone I love the most has to take what's left of me. I put it all together but I left out one big piece. I put you last, but you're not least”

We can all appreciate the ingeniousness of putting this title as the last (but not least) of the album. This song is reminiscent of classic, older country. The guitar and drum melody sound like something that George Strait would have in one of his songs. It is also nice to hear another voice, other than Zac’s, highlighted in a song. It mixes things up nicely and prevents this song from sounding too much like their other stuff. “Last But Not Least” is another personal song about the struggles to put loved ones first in life and not take them for granted. This sentiment is something that many can relate to, as too often we let our careers and busy lives get ahead of what’s truly important.

Photo courtesy of Peoria Civic Center

The Zac Brown Band finds a way to incorporate their outstanding harmonies and unique flavor into almost every one of their songs. Hopefully they will stick with what they are good at and leave the reggae and R&B to the professionals. Despite these shortcomings, it is their undeniable talent that shines through most on every track. Overall, Uncaged is another solid album from this southern-rock-country band of brothers.