Vocal Look-a-Likes

Consider this post a warning -- Do not be duped by cheap impersonations. There are artists out there that would have you believe they are someone entirely different. Remember when Ursula steals Ariel’s voice in the Little Mermaid? Yep, that ‘s what we’re talking about here. Vocal theft. Impossible you say? Consider these four artists that sound remarkably similar to more established country stars….

Name: Rodney Atkins

Sounds Like: Tim McGraw

Explanation: I admit it might be a bit of a stretch to put such a well-established artist like Atkins on this list, but compared to Tim McGraw, he’s still got a ways to go. Atkins’ voice might be a little lower and little more gravely, and Tim McGraw has undoubtedly better range, but their song choices and some of their vocal characteristics are remarkably similar.

Don’t Believe Me? Listen To: “Farmer’s Daughter” (Atkins) vs. “Down on the Farm”(McGraw).

Doppelganger Rating: 6/10

Name: Bradley Gaskin

Sounds Like: Travis Tritt

Explanation: The newcomer from Duck Springs, Alabama is currently working on his first hit, “Mr. Bartender.” Debuting a few months ago, the song sounds remarkably like the classic Travis Tritt bar-room ballads that brought Tritt so much success in the early nineties. I haven’t heard much of Gaskin’s other stuff, but of the songs I’ve heard, this eerie likeness doesn’t appear to be a fluke.

Don’t Believe Me? Listen To: “Mr. Bartender” (Gaskin) vs. “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)” (Tritt).

Doppelganger Rating: 7/10

(Bradley Gaskin)

Name: Hunter Hayes

Sounds Like: Gary LeVox (Rascal Flatts)

Explanation: Heading up our ultra-tenor category, Hunter Hayes (who I discussed at length a few days ago here), can owe much of his recent success to his voice, which he controls extremely well on some very challenging vocal runs. Don’t believe me? Try singing “Storm Warning” right now – that’s right, very difficult. Anyway, you wouldn’t be the first to hear Hayes’ hit and think LeVox had embarked on a solo career. Relax Rascal fans, there’s nothing to be worried about here – it’s just young Hunter Hayes, although you might need a few listens to convince yourself.

Don’t Believe Me? Listen To: “Storm Warning” (Hayes) vs. “Oklahoma Texas Line” (LeVox).

Doppelganger Rating: 9/10

Name: Easton Corbin

Sounds Like: George Strait

Explanation: Corbin is another artist we’ve profiled on Urban Cowboy back when he released his first major hit, “A Little More Country Than That.” (See here.) Since then, he’s continued to see his star rise with a few other well-received hits and plenty of buzz, and rightfully so. Of all the artists on this list, Corbin’s voice is nearly indistinguishable from one of the most successful country artists of all time. It can’t possibly be a bad thing to be called the next George Strait.

Don’t Believe Me? Listen To: “Roll With It” (Corbin) vs. “Blue Clear Sky” (Strait).

Doppelganger Rating: 10/10

Song of the Day

Alright, I want to keep this short since A) I don’t want it to sound like every other article ever written about the guy (and there have been many) and B) I’m writing this on the train on my way back from the dentist (always a pleasure). Seriously though, is this guy ever going to slow down? With more hits than basically everyone else in the business combined, George Strait is truly timeless. The guy’s been producing hit song after hit song for the better part of thirty years, and not only are the songs consistently of a high quality, but the dude even looks the same as he did thirty years ago. After countless records, tours and even a few forays into acting, George Strait is still the humble Texan he was when he first struck gold with “Fool Hearted Memory” back in 1982. Even more remarkably, his format for success has barely changed: the songs Strait records now sound the same as the ones he was choosing at the beginning of his career. He’s one of the few, if not the only artist, who hasn’t had to change his style to account for changing trends and tastes. Country radio will play a George Strait song no matter how old it sounds, but that’s the beauty of it – it’s a journey back to another era, when country songs were generally tongue-in-cheek, catchy tunes that all adhered to the same basic musical format. It’s simple, it’s easy, but it sure as hell works.

If you don’t believe me, listen to the song below. If you didn’t know it was released in the past few weeks, you’d swear it was from the early nineties, and yet, I have no doubt it will be a #1 hit. I promise. It’s a sure thing. Don’t even bother questioning it – just listen and enjoy…

Song of the Day – George Strait – “Here for a Good Time”

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!