Album Reviews | Country California

The Man I Want to Be – Chris Young

September 2, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 23 Comments

RCA Nashville did wrong in 2006 when they saddled twentysomething Chris Young, whose fine original “Drinkin' Me Lonely” had essentially clinched his Nashville Star victory, with such a fluffy set of material for his major label debut that even Hazel Smith was heard to say "This boy really needs some better material." (Okay, that didn't really happen... but it should have.) But RCA should be commended for keeping Young around through three poorly-performing singles, until “Gettin' You … [Read more...]

Dixie Whiskey – Dixie Whiskey

September 1, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 10 Comments

This blog has never really been about California, so it was to my great satisfaction that my recent call for new contributors turned up a hot lead in the United Kingdom - namely, longtime reader/commenter David Jones. David will be helping me make more of a dent in the review workload around here, so please enjoy his first piece (don't miss the free download at the bottom!) and give him a warm welcome. Southern rock has always seemed like country music's reckless cousin - by definition, … [Read more...]

Twang – George Strait

August 11, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 5 Comments

Many signs point to Twang not being a regular old George Strait album, from the much-discussed cover of José Alfredo Jiménez's ranchero-style “El Rey” (sung in Spanish) to the multiple Strait writing credits - from both George and son Bubba - to the surprisingly casual cover shot, which sees George kicking back behind the steering wheel with shirt untucked, tongue sticking out. Oh, and the title: Twang. Like a mission statement. Like the summation of a career. But in a lot of ways, it … [Read more...]

Better Times Will Come – Diana Jones

May 19, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 7 Comments

Carolyn Dixon is author of the indie-friendly blog Melodic Sunburst. Since I've been a fan of her work for some time now, I approached her about writing something here. To my surprise, she kindly agreed. Her Country California debut is a review of the new album from folkie Diana Jones, which is officially released here in the States today. If you enjoy the piece, check out Melodic Sunburst and show Carolyn some love in the comments... maybe we can get her to write for us again! The beauty of … [Read more...]

Stay a While – Byron Hill

April 30, 2009 by C.M. Wilcox 6 Comments

On his third studio album, songwriter Byron Hill strays from what I previously called the 'back porch appeal' of his first two albums. Where those earlier efforts were simple, efficient acoustic affairs, Stay a While finds Hill bringing more sounds into the mix, including electric guitar, keyboards, piano, and even organ on some tracks. The result is a somewhat more lush-sounding record, one that will probably be a bit less jarring to ears accustomed to a radio-ready production style. Hill, … [Read more...]

The Back Porch Appeal of Byron Hill

August 22, 2008 by C.M. Wilcox 5 Comments

In a career that spans three decades, North Carolina-born songwriter Byron Hill has had his songs recorded more than 575 times. Among those recordings are hits like “Fool Hearted Memory” (George Strait, 1982), “Nights” (Ed Bruce, 1986), “Born Country” (Alabama, 1992), “Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous” (Tracy Byrd, 1994), “If I Was a Drinkin' Man” (Neal McCoy, 1995), “Nothing On But the Radio” (Gary Allan, 2004), and “Size Matters” (Joe Nichols, 2006). He … [Read more...]

Rollin’ with the Flow – Mark Chesnutt

July 6, 2008 by C.M. Wilcox Leave a Comment

After honky-tonkin' his way through 2004 and going the classic country route in 2006, Mark Chesnutt is back to making regular old Mark Chesnutt albums. While Rollin' with the Flow has neither the infectious swagger of Savin' the Honky Tonk nor the throwback quality of Heard It In a Love Song, it feels in some ways like a more balanced effort than either of those collections. The album covers a range of country styles, with traditional numbers like “She Never Got Me Over You” and “Things … [Read more...]