A Keystone Light for Easton Corbin

Unfortunately, I can't find a banner for this week's Beer of the Week, and since we haven't handed out a brew in a while, I figured we better get back to it ASAP. Well today (I know, I know, it's a day earlier) we honor Easton Corbin, one of country music's most highly anticipated young stars. A few months ago Corbin released the first single from his debut album Easton Corbin, "A Little More Country Than That." Right away, one glaring comparison stood out -- this kid sounds almost identical to a young George Strait. I mean, it's scary. Close your eyes and listen to one of his tracks, and I bet you won't be able to tell the difference. Maybe Strait has a little more weight in his voice after years of singing, but Corbin matches the country legend's tonality almost perfectly. And it's not like we see George Strait impersonators popping up all over the place. There's a reason this guy is one of the most successful country artists of all time, and while part of it is due to his true cowboy persona, a lot of it can be attributed to the unique sound Strait has adhered to for years -- a no frills, straight up, Texas-style country song.

To get a sense of Corbin's talent just listen to his two hit singles -- "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It." Corbin saw "A Little more Country" rise all the way to #1 on the charts -- an unexpected, but nonetheless, welcome success for the newcomer. The song seeks to establish Corbin in the George Strait mold -- a true cowboy from the backwoods. The song is produced to reflect the lyrical message -- it's relatively basic, not extraordinarily vocally challenging, and allows Corbin to make the song his own. Strait didn't make it big on the power of his vocal runs, he made it because the music he was making was true country, plain and simple. And that's exactly where Corbin succeeds on this track.

His follow-up single, "Roll With It," is a little more up-beat than his previous hit, and arrives just in time for summer when most artists are releasing more light-hearted cuts. It's a catchy song, lacking any deep message, that invokes the positive images of summertime and young love -- a tell-tale warm-weather country song. "Roll With It" is also not very complex, but with Corbin's delivery and Straitesque persona, it doesn't have to be. His future success will be determined by how closely he can stay true to this format, and how, perhaps, he can make it his own.

Coming soon -- a review of Alan Jackson's highly anticipated new album Freight Train!

Ryan Bingham Strikes Gold at Oscars, Earns Coveted Beer of the Week from Urban Cowboy

Last night, while tuning into the Oscars, I had the pleasure of hearing, for the first time, “The Weary Kind,” an original song written by Ryan Bingham for the movie Crazy Heart. What a pleasant surprise. After listening to so many country songs, one develops an ear for that unique sound that sets a song apart from its peers, and “The Weary Kind” is just that – a rough and raw cut that would do the fathers of country music proud.

Ryan Bingham’s gravely, untrained sound fits the song perfectly. An embodiment of the country-image (Bingham is a bull-rider turned country/folk singer), Bingham succeeds where so many of today’s artists fall short. “The Weary Kind” is by no means a vocal masterpiece – Bingham’s voice, as I’ve already mentioned, is far from opera worthy, and it does suffer from one major production flaw. In the studio version (not the one I've pasted below), the producers added a drum beat during the second verse. I understand the decision here -- that the low rumble of the drumbeat would further emphasize the somber, powerful tone of the song -- but, to be quite frank, it's simply unnecessary. This is a clear example of overproduction, an instance where allowing the song to progress with just the guitar and the artist's voice would have been much more powerful. Anyway, “The Weary Kind” stands apart from other popular country songs in the emotional sincerity infused into every single lyric. I’d challenge anyone to give this song a few listens and try to ignore the pain in Bingham’s voice as he laments that “somehow this don’t feel like home anymore.” I doubt that the song would receive much airplay from country radio if it weren’t featured in a major, award –winning motion picture. It’s about as different from mainstream country as a song can get. But I’d be willing to wager that the guys who pioneered the outlaw country movement in the 60’s and 70’s -- guys like Haggard, Kristofferson and Waylon – would find this to be about as good as a country song gets. As Kristofferson said “If it sounds country man, that’s what it is, a country song” – and this song couldn’t sound more country. It’s real and it’s raw and that’s what sets Bingham and “The Weary Kind” apart, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if an academy award is not the only honor this song earns in the days to come.

So Ryan Bingham, I know it’s a few days late, but nonetheless, this beer is for you.

BEER OF THE WEEK

Every Friday I’ll be doing a reoccurring segment entitled the “Beer of the Week” where I’ll donate one beer (to be paid at some time in the future of course) to a deserving artist. The weekly award will be based on a variety of factors – perhaps the winner has had an extremely successful run of hits or just released a great album. It might even go to an artist I just feel deserves a little bit of recognition for their contributions to the country game. So without any further ado, drum roll please…This week’s Beer of the Week goes to…..

Blake Shelton.

Wait, what? Blake Shelton? Wouldn’t you rather give the inaugural Beer of the Week to a living legend like Alan Jackson or George Strait or an A-list entertainer like Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley?

Listen, I know those guys are great, but they receive loads of praise every day – everyone knows George Strait is one of the best ever and no one can rock a show like Kenny Chesney, but the guys who keep country music going are the solid voices who consistently produce high-quality music album after album. This is what Blake Shelton does.

As an artist, Blake’s vocal range is impressive – he can rock the lower end of the spectrum in upbeat tunes like his recent duet “Hillbilly Bone” with Trace Adkins and he can test the limits of his upper register in ballads like “Austin” and “Goodbye Time.” By the way, on a side note, I’d strongly encourage all of you to check out any of the songs listed on this blog – definitely worthwhile listening. Anyway, in addition to Blake’s vocal talent, he’s also displayed the ability to successfully record power ballads and light-hearted, beer-ripping tunes. A lot of artists confine themselves to a single formula which they ride to the top (Taylor Swift, anyone?), but the lasting artists know how to make it all work. Sure, not every one of Blake’s songs is an instant classic, but he has, for over ten years, been one of country music’s most reliable talents. Perhaps not a fool-proof headliner, and I admit, there’s a good chance he’ll never be able to carry a tour, but Blake for your years of consistent, reliable and quality music (and simply for the fact that your dating the ever-saucy Miranda Lambert), this beer is for you.