Highlights from 2007

In no particular order, these are the songs that appealed to me the most, for whatever reason. (This is, for the most part, not counting songs that are still on their way up the Billboard charts currently.)

"Long Trip Alone" by Dierks Bentley. I really like Dierks Bentley, and this is so far my favorite track from his most recent CD. There's a loneliness in his very voice that makes a perfect match for the words and the pacing (although the video confuses me). Richly deserving of the Grammy nominations it's getting.

"More Than A Memory" by Garth Brooks. I'm going to come right out and say it: I am not Garth Brooks's biggest fan. Nevertheless, this song is haunting, and it's really something to which I think most of us can relate. Radio stations agreed, making it the only song ever to debut at #1 on Billboard's country singles chart, a near-impossible feat, considering the chart is determined entirely on radio airplay. It might not be the best recording of the year, but it was well worth waiting for.

"Good Directions" by Billy Currington. I'm glad there was no video for this song (that I know of), because it really would have been distracting from the fun and vivid picture that the lyrics tell. I seriously always want to throw my hat when I hear "I threw my hat and thought, 'You fool', this could've been love". Currington is really good at being both sultry and playful. Thank God for turnip greens, indeed.

Anything by Pat Green. How Pat Green has eluded having a top 10 hit since "Wave On Wave" is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Between "Dixie Lullaby" and "Way Back Texas," he does heartland in a refreshing way that seems earnest without seeming forced. "Show, don't tell" is a motto that serves a lot of folks in the arts, and when Green sings, I believe it.

Anything by Jack Ingram. Maybe it's just the Texas sound (see Pat Green, above), but Jack Ingram also rings true. His voice and style are also appealing and are almost equally rock and country. When I first heard last year's #1 hit "Wherever You Are," I found myself wondering exactly how country it was, actually. Indeed, his hit from the first half of this year, "Lips Of An Angel", was also done by the rock group Hinder, and it's a strong song lyrically. (Ingram's version sounds much more meaningful.) I didn't like "Measure Of A Man" when I first heard it, but upon repeated plays, I have come to appreciate it much more, the reunion of an estranged father and son, poignant and bittersweet. Ingram is one to continue to watch.

"High Maintenance Woman" by Toby Keith. Toby is a man of many faces, but his silly face is one of his most appealing. Upon seeing the title for the first time, I felt a bit of pre-emptive dread, but once I learned that the hook of the song was "A high maintenance woman don't want no maintenance man," I was sold. I also like the meaningless noises he puts in, like the "hup!" at the beginning and the "nawwwwww" at the very end. That "nawwwwww" is possibly my favorite thing to sing along to these days.

"Missing You" by Alison Krauss/John Waite. Well, it's sort of extraneous, this recording, but it's still a pleasant listen. I mean, when is it unpleasant to hear Krauss's voice? At the very least, it reminds you what a nice song it is. It really should've been a bigger hit.

"Famous In A Small Town" by Miranda Lambert. Ain't it the truth. Someone else who knows how to talk about the boondocks without it sounding fake. Her voice, almost sour, almost tart, slides over this song with her characteristic energy. Yeah, she's a young thing, but she knows what she's doing, for sure. (As I pointed out before -- take note, Taylor Swift.) What's neat is the song's slow start and gradual build, and both the music and the lyrics follow this pattern. It's just a great recording overall.

"Find Out Who Your Friends Are" by Tracy Lawrence. I thought it was boring the first few times I heard it, but I ultimately decided it's bright, sunny, and uplifting, in a way that minimizes artificial sweetness. A lot of listeners will be more familiar with the version that features Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, but they sort of put the song over the top, and their styles actually sort of detract from the song, clashing with Lawrence's delivery slightly. I'll take the solo version any day. (Interestingly, this song apparently holds the record for slowest climb to #1 on the country charts, taking 41 weeks to get there.)

Anything by Little Big Town. Earlier this year, I got into a bizarrely heated argument with a DJ over whether this group was country's answer to Fleetwood Mac or to ABBA. (I was saying Fleetwood Mac.) Either way, the parallels aren't as absurd as they might seem: catchy yet meaningful music, and harmonies that are unrivaled. One thing I'm glad about CMT is that they are faithful Little Big Town devotees, and no doubt this pushes radio on, even though neither "Good As Gone" nor "A Little More You" made the top 10. "Good As Gone" is so aggressive in its guitar intro that you sort of can't turn away once it's taken hold. I'm still not fully sold on their newest single "I'm With The Band", but I still am paying close attention to what they're doing in the new year.

"Because Of You" by Reba McEntire With Kelly Clarkson. Ok, most of this is a credit to Clarkson, but... WHAT CREDIT. A solo pop hit in its own right, it still stands out with the addition of Reba on lead vocals. Particularly when compared to much of Reba's other work over the past several years, this recording seems especially significant. It's really an artful production, and there really aren't enough good things to say about it: it's sincere, moving, and haunting. And the harmonic match is classic. Good show, ladies.

"If You're Reading This" by Tim McGraw. Ok, so it's a tearjerker, and I really didn't want to like it, but there is a sincerity here, and McGraw's vocal quality (which he wasted on "Last Dollar" and other drivel recently) finally finds a worthy match. I'm not gonna lie. I teared up a few times. I'm mostly over it now, but it says something that this live recording gained such popularity that his record company saw fit to add it to his most recent CD after the fact.

"Startin' With Me" by Jake Owen. Ah, regret. Not nearly enough music deals with it, and I'm a sucker for anything that does (see Keith Urban, below). It takes a lot to say "I suck" and to do it well, and he does it here, and I really didn't see it coming after the hokey prior single "Yee Haw". Plus, it's always fun when my friends react to the line "I had a one night stand with my best friend's baby sister".

Anything by Brad Paisley. Yeah, "Ticks" and "Online" are goofy, but they're great. "Online" does wear thin after awhile, but it's catchy, and I find it nearly impossible not to sing along. And even moreso regarding "Ticks" -- I will belt that shit. Because it rocks. But the gem in his trio of #1 hits is "She's Everything", which also at times borders on cheesy, but for the most part, it's a serene, genuine ballad that puts most other love songs to shame. Mostly because Paisley knows how to make his voice soar. And I cannot WAIT to comment next year on how much I like his current song "Letter To Me". This man has talent. Not that you didn't know that.

"Nothin' Better To Do" by LeAnn Rimes. There's no doubt now that she's all grown up. This is a very sexy song, and she owns it like she did with "Blue" way back when. This really shows artistic growth, and don't you love it when someone just surprises you like that? I mean, I've never disliked her, but now I'm sold. And the energy of the song is like a drug; it picks you up and gets you addicted fast. This truly is one of the very best recordings of the year.

"Settlin'" by Sugarland. Another high-energy standout. When Jennifer Nettles wants to get you moving, she knows just how to do it. Right up there with "Something More," this song really fires you up, and she has just this enviable charisma you've got to respect. Kristian Bush, meanwhile, gets his charisma out in his strings (and in his performances -- if you've seen them in concert or in a video, you know what I mean; the guy is a goofball of energy). It all adds up to an excellent song, another one of my very favorites.

Anything by Carrie Underwood. "Before He Cheats" intrigued me, "Wasted" sold me, and "So Small" sealed the deal. I'm not a regular watcher of American Idol, but every time I saw her on it, I knew she was headed somewhere. It wasn't until these three songs, though, that I really saw it. Both "Wasted" and "So Small" have a great vocal power and poignant lyrics, and "Wasted" is a great two-step besides. It'll be interesting to see how long she can stay on top, but even if it's not that long, she's recorded some classics right here.

Anything by Keith Urban. When this man is on, he's really on. "Stupid Boy" might be my favorite song of the year. Like "Startin' With Me" above, it's a tale of regret, and Urban doesn't pull any punches here. By the time you get to the end of the full six-minute version, you have experienced a man who is despondent, who is loudly and powerfully despondent. Rarely in country do you hear such raw expression of anger, and it just stands out and hits you and leaves a mark. "I Told You So", meanwhile, may not be quite the powerhouse, but it's also got that uptempo energy like "Better Life" or "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me", and I just love the way this boy can scream and still be in key. Excellent work.

"Fall" by Clay Walker. Another sleeper hit, and I wasn't sold on it at first. Like the song's own rise to popularity, it's slow and calculated, up and down, but ultimately it wins. Walker's got an appealing voice, and it's nice that he's doing something good with it; a lot of his recordings of the past several years have lacked spark or have been downright cheesy. But "Fall" is sort of that slow, calm oasis that radio must've needed at the end of the year.

"Last Train Running" by Whiskey Falls. There's harmony, and then there's HARMONY. This is the kind of harmony that makes Rascal Flatts say, "Damn!" And the song manages to be somber without being depressing; indeed, the question of avoiding hell almost seems uplifting in the delivery of the song. This is easily the most underrated recording of the year.

"I Just Came Back From A War" by Darryl Worley. In my head, Worley is best known for that abysmally insipid "Have You Forgotten?" hawkish claptrap. (I'll have to post about that another time, because... just... GAH.) So when I encountered this title, I was deeply suspicious. Imagine my surprise when I heard a mature, politics-free lament on how life changes for a veteran when he returns. It's simple; it doesn't provide answers; it's not saccharine; it's not even manipulative. It's just sort of out there, sighing into its beer, saying, "Yup." I was really, really impressed by this song. The cherry on the sundae is the video which features different actors playing soldiers, including men and women of different colors. Deftly done.

"Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love" by Trisha Yearwood. You know, I just can't get this song to make sense, but I don't care. She is positively screaming the gospel of somethingerother, and I am a convert. To whatever that thing is. I mean, really, when she puts that much soul into it, you gotta just go with it.