Reviews

There are few joys in country music quite like listening to Dwight Yoakam sing. The legend's voice is strong enough to build a town around, yet he shows vulnerability in the smallest -- but most important -- ways. It's the little upticks at the end of his phrases, or the uncomfortable grit in dire ballads that invite fans to happily drown in his sorrow. '3 Pears' is an album long overdue. Yoakam proves that he would really have to try to make a bad album. 

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Call it hokey if you want, but try not to smile while listening to Josh Turner's new song 'Find Me a Baby.' The second single from 'Punching Bag' is more fun than anything of his since 'Why Don't We Just Dance' from 2009. Turner exemplifies everything one hopes marriage will be.

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An album cover has never represented the music it protects better than Jerrod Niemann's 'Free the Music' artwork. The 'Shinin' on Me' singer's sophomore project is a busy collection of instruments and themes that take some effort to sort through and enjoy.

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Chris Young darkens his stamp as country music's most reliable romancer with his new single 'I Can Take It From There.' The uptempo lover is reminiscent of 'Gettin' You Home,' but not quite that sexy.

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The very nature of the EP lends itself more to an artist's most faithful supporters than middling fans looking for an entry point into a new style or sound. Jake Owen's 'Endless Summer' EP allows his warm weather party with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw to last a little longer, but like summer love, the four songs will be little more than memories by the first yellow leaves of fall. 

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Fans of Clay Walker know him as a lot of great things, but 'outlaw' is not one of them. It's a fair question for people to ask if his new single, 'Jesse James,' is sung with tongue loosely planted in cheek. One leans towards yes after checking out the cover art. The hat is a little big, the pants a little too pressed. He's a cowboy if cowboys shopped at Banana Republic.

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Taylor Swift has released 'Begin Again,' a new song from her upcoming 'Red' album. It's a huggable, inspiring, acoustic country ballad that is everything country fans wished her first single 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' was when it was released in August.

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Brad Paisley's new single 'Southern Comfort Zone' is another socially important song, joining previous hits like 'Welcome to the Future' and 'This Is Country Music.' The singer's voice carries more weight in 2012 than it did in 2008 or 2004, and one senses that he's aware of his influence. This song recorded by someone like Hank Williams Jr. or Toby Keith would be labeled as pretentious or preachy, but Paisley's understated delivery (combined with a lovable personality) allows him to pack the punch he's been working toward.

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'Tornado' is a bold choice for Little Big Town's next single, as it takes on another storm song from a country music superstar with more clout -- Carrie Underwood. As an album, 'Tornado' is sharp and uncompromising, so this brashness should come as no surprise. Few will argue that there isn't room for both of these heavyweights on iPods and country radio.

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It's easy to heap praise on Easton Corbin's sophomore album for the same reasons fans and critics enjoyed his self-titled debut. 'All Over the Road' -- available in stores and at digital retailers now --is full of traditional country music that goes down like a spoonful of George Strait's sugar. However, Corbin misses an opportunity to identify himself with this 11-song project. 

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Faith Hill has a new album finished, but it seems fans won't get to hear it until a single sticks. 'American Heart' is at least the third new song fans nationwide have heard -- including 'Come Home' and the title track, 'Illusion,' played during the 'CMA Music Festival' special on ABC. Like the others, it's a thick production made accessible by the wonder of Hill's voice. 

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The story goes like this: Texas teen auditions for 'Nashville Star,' doesn't win but uses the experience as motivation to sharpen her pen so that she can release her own melodic country music years later. The result strikes deep; right to the bone. It's uncomfortably close to reality for millions of Americans without offering much hope. Sound familiar? 

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