INTRO

G, Cadd9, G, D, G

Great contrast between verse and chorus.  “Wrapped Up Good” is the title cut off of their newest album.  The McClymont sisters are a rare girl group in country music.  Singing groups sound so much better when all the members are related.  This song has a little bit of everything, driving drums, bluegrass backup, soaring harmonies, fat guitar crunch, and straight ahead singing.

Never let it be said that Country artists aren’t opinionated.  Brad believes that Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.  So, he uses the line in his chorus.  That means we get to hear it more than once.  My question is, is it really that Pete Rose who does that voiceover on “Love Ought to be Perfect?”  Anyhow it is a good little shoulda, coulda, woulda song about many past mistakes.  You can hear it for yourself at Resnik Music Group

Ashton’s title cut from her current album comes out.  She has a 10, 11 or 14 cut version availbable on her website ashtonshepherd.com  Songwise,  “Where Country Grows” is a list of short clips of scenes of country life.  Small town, small church a good voice and some tricky interval jumps make this one interesting.  Nice bouncy strummy rhythm and chord changes to take you from start to finish.

A different take on the soldier song. Country artists have never been shy about supporting the troops.  Usually, the songs are about a hero.  And, who wouldn’t get behind a hero?  He is fighting to keep the home front free.  After the third verse of “Crazy Bein’ Home” Mark has us wondering where the soldier’s true home really is.  This song gives us a much better understanding of the mind of one who comes back then goes back.

God has great handwriting and uses small words.  Now I’m not sure if He wrote to Teea or if she dreamt it.  Here is the what if story.  What if it really happened what would the letter say.  It said a lot of the standard thing you would expect God to say.  I think Teea’s reaction is more interesting.  When she sings about her instead of the letter it allows us to picture ourselves receiving such a piece of mail.

A pink ribbon song.  A young woman shouldn’t have to go through cancer.  But, it happens.  Martina brings the listener into the family crisis.  We feel the fear and the no way out.  Here’s where a strong husband comes in, where loving through it is all he can do.  Martina McBride can truly connect the emotion of the song with the heart of the audience and not attract any attention to herself.  She’s not the star of the song and that’s what makes her one of the biggest stars in CM today.

A proud to be me song.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  Eddie and Troy serve up a long list of remembrances sure to be familiar to country music listeners.  Describes a town we’d all like to live in or wish to have grown up in.  Or maybe it is and we just want to be reminded.  After one listen you sure do agree right along with them.  This is what Montgomery Gentry is best at.

Clap your hands to this one.  Got an early 60’s Memphis thing going on.  It is always good songwriting when the title is in the chorus and the chorus is still in your head thirty minutes after hearing it.  The lyrics run through the question Katie is singing about.  Does he or doesn’t he?  Does she or doesn’t she?

Everybody knows him by a different name.  Most of all he wants to be known as the singer.  A nice slow ballad where Lawrence describes his main heartfelt purpose in life.  Tracy has a 20 year career and many hits that prove he is a singer.  Add the title track from his new album to the list.

Is there such a thing as the Taylor Swift sound?  Here’s another good example of her country-pop princess romance songwriting style.  Taylor has turned into an artist that other artists will list as an influence years down the road.

A cover version of the David Barnes song from early last year.  Barely able to keep his truck on the road after hearing it on the radio, Blake just had to record this song for himself.  Blake sings it pretty much straight on as David wrote it.  I’m sure Barnes is happy. It is always great to have one picked up by an artist with as many fans as Blake Shelton.