Blake Shelton Texoma Shore

NYCS First Impression: Blake Shelton’s ‘Texoma Shore’

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Blake Shelton Texoma Shore

Blake Shelton has released his 11th studio album Texoma Shore today, the culmination of his 10 previous albums, bringing him back to his roots and to the traditional country genre.  The title is derived from Lake Texoma on the border of Texas and his home state of Oklahoma. The project was recorded right near the lake, making the title relevant for many reasons.

Texoma Shore is light and playful featuring happy songs that imitate where he is in his life.  His undeniable twang allows for the traditional country sound throughout the project.  Majority of the tracks highlight affection, for instance, the first 7 songs all reflect on romance and being lucky in love (“Money”, “Beside You Babe”, “Why Me”). His current single and the first off of Texoma Shore, “I’ll Name the Dogs” is reminiscent of his number one single “Honeybee”.  “When you listen to the record, it will go from something traditional to something that will make your head spin, back to something even more traditional,” says Shelton in a recent press release. “That’s just what you can expect from one of my albums.”

A stand-out on the record, “The Wave” features strong imagery and can be the perfect wedding song for 2018.

“I was a boat trapped in a bottle, dying for water, you were the ocean  / I was a compass that couldn’t find heaven, I didn’t know how bad I was broken / I was a castaway with no land /  I drew a broken heart in the sand and you were the wave that washed it all away”

Plenty of Nashville’s greatest songwriters are featured on the album including Ben Hayslip (“I’ll Name the Dogs”, “I Lived It”) Ashley Gorley (“Why Me”) and Rhett Akins (“When the Wine Wears Off”).  Shelton only co-wrote one song on the record, (“Turnin’ Me On”) with Josh Osborne and Jessi Alexander, which features a subtle reference to his current girlfriend, pop-star Gwen Stefani’s Revlon partnership, and her bold red lips.

“Knows how to set me on fire, she’s always holdin’ the match / And when my body’s beside hers, there ain’t no turnin’ back / She’s Revlon red in the blackest night, lighting up the room in the world just like she’s turnin’ me on.” 

Along with his album release week, Shelton announced on Monday his latest tour which will kick off in March.  The Country Music Freaks Tour  is hitting cities across the US and he is bringing Trace Adkins, Brett Eldredge, and Carly Pearce along for the ride.

 

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Granger Smith

NYCS First Impression: Granger Smith ‘When the Good Guys Win’

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Granger Smith

 

Granger Smith’s latest album, When the Good Guys Win is available everywhere today.  While his last record Remington featured only songs Smith wrote, this album leans away from that a bit, letting the best song win and features a mix of songs from many different writers.  He decided to be the voice of some great songs written by Frank Rogers, Ben Hayslip, Tommy Cecil and Seth Ennis.  Smith, however, did co-write eight of the fourteen tracks making this project well rounded and unapologetically honest.

The first single off of the project, “Happens Like That” was written by  Smith along with Jordan M. Schmidt, Andrew Albert, Justin Wilson and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard. It is currently sitting in the top 40 on the country charts and is only the first of probably many from the project that will take to country radio.

 

 

His giant fan base, known as “Yee Yee Nation” has organically grown over his career and this record will allow his audience to dig deep into the next phase of his career.  All of the songs have a strong tie to love, faith and being grateful for what life has given you. While “Everybody Lives”, “Reppin’ My Roots” and “Home Cooked Meal” are raw, meaningful and poignant, the record also has plenty of fun moments for the live show. “Still Holds Up” and “When the Good Guys Win” are feel-good songs that help to round out the project.

One of the highlights is “Raise Up Your Glass”, encouraging listeners to relish in the little victories in life.

“Raise up your glass and make a toast / to all the times that mean the most / Go on and let your worries roll right off your back / We still got some memories left to make / a whole lot of shots left to take / so let’s hold ’em high and live tonight like it’s our last / raise up your glass.”

You can almost see concert-goers lifting up their beers in the air, singing along to the anthemic track.

For fans of Smith’s alter ego, Earl Dibble’s Jr., don’t worry he makes an appearance in the 13th song, “Don’t Tread on Me”.   “Each of these 14 tracks fills an important space and it is my hope that they take you on a ride through peaks and valleys, from light-hearted to painfully honest and then back out again,” Smith says in a recent press release.  Wrapping up his opening spot on Luke Bryan’s Huntin’ Fishin’ Lovin’ Tour and kicking off his own headlining “Don’t Tread On Me” tour, Smith is busy as ever promoting his brand new album. Check out the full tour dates below and grab When the Good Guys Win on iTunes.

“Don’t Tread On Me” Headlining Tour (11/3 – 12/29)

11/3/17 7 Flags Event Center Clive, IA

11/4/17 Surf Ballroom Clear Lake, IA

11/5/17 The Blue Note Columbia, MO

11/10/17 Grand Casino Mille Lacs – Event Center Onamia, MN

11/11/17 Limelight Eventplex Peoria, IL

11/16/17 The Stage on Bay Savannah, GA

11/17/17 Double Dee’s Ranch West Palm Beach, FL

11/18/17 The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon Fort Myers, FL

11/22/17 Stampede Houston Houston, TX

12/14/17 The City Center Champaign, IL

12/15/17 8 Seconds Saloon Indianapolis, IN

12/16/17 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI

12/17/17 The Machine Shop Flint, MI

12/29/17 Brewster Street Ice House Corpus Christi, TX

Granger Smith in New York City with New York Country Swag Managing Editor, Christina Bosch (Left) and New York Country Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner (Right)

 

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NYCS First Impression: Chris Young ‘Losing Sleep’

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Chris Young Album Losing Sleep

If Chris Young knows how to do anything very well, it’s release albums chock full of smooth country songs.  His voice is unmistakable and as far as his latest, Losing Sleep goes, it is everything fans love about the singer. While he doesn’t take major risks sonically, it is not necessarily a bad thing, balancing sexy love songs, heartbreak and finding new love.

Lending his baritone, twangy voice to a more pop-production, especially in the first single “Losing Sleep”, many of the tracks are primed for radio.  He knows the sweet spot in his voice and with his song choices.  For the first time on his sixth studio album, Young is a co-writer as well as a co-producer on each of the 10 songs.

The newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, who was inducted earlier this week, shines on “Radio and the Rain”, “Trouble Looking” and “Where I Go to Drink”  which each showcase their own dynamic stories. Other highlights include “Holiday”, a simple love song and “Blacked Out” with his melancholy, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley references.

Losing Sleep is an easy listen and each track offers a different point of view or story.  It is emotional without being sappy and the love songs are honest and raw. Grab your copy on iTunes now.  Young announced he will be headlining the Losing Sleep Tour in 2018, bringing along Kane Brown and LANCO to open each show.

 

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NYCS First Impression: Carly Pearce Shines with ‘Every Little Thing’

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Carly Pearce Debut Album

 

Carly Pearce, one of our 5 Rising Country Stars You Should Be Listening To, released her debut album today.  Releasing Every Little Thing is an important milestone for the young singer-songwriter who left high school to pursue her music career, working at Dollywood when she was only 16 years old.

“Raw, real, I’m not trying to hide anything, and I think by sharing my struggles, whether you’re a young girl or someone my age or my mom’s, you’re either going to experience it, are going through it or already have,” she says about her debut record.   The breakout title track earned Pearce her stripes and her record deal with Big Machine Record and the single is currently sitting in the number 6 spot on the country charts.

Pearce co-wrote 8 of the 13 tracks on the project along with smash hit writers such as Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird, Hilary Lindsey, Natalie Hemby and Shane McAnally. Whether it’s a story about heartbreak and the well-known sorrow felt after a relationship ends (“Every Little Thing”, “Careless”) or missing home and pride in your hometown (“I Could Use A Ride Home “Honeysuckle”) Pearce’s earnest way of expressing her emotions through her music is reminiscent of powerhouses such as Carrie Underwood.

Not all of the songs on the record are ballads, “Dare Ya” and “Color” are playful and Pearce’s rich, velvety tone shines through. Producer, Busbee has backed Pearce and has helped to shape the album. Her latest single, “If My Name Was Whiskey” is a fresh spin on a common vice.

If you are a fan of powerful lyrics, a strong female presence, and artists like Martina McBride, Eric Church and Carrie Underwood, check out Every Little Thing, you won’t be disappointed.

Grab your copy of the album on iTunes, and be sure to listen to NASH FM 94.7 this Tuesday to hear Carly perform at Stage 17 NYC.

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NYCS First Impression: Russell Dickerson Impresses with Debut Album

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Russell Dickerson Album Release

High energy live set, great songs to dance along to and sheer determination to make it in this business, Russell Dickerson has officially arrived y’all.  His debut album, appropriately titled Yours after his incredible love song, is filled with 12 tracks with a little something for every fan.  Fans who have seen Dickerson open for Thomas Rhett’s Home Team Tour or most recently Florida Georiga Line’s Smooth Tour know the sheer power he can bring to a live show as he jumps around the stage and engages with his fans.  He brings that same energy into this new album, featuring up-tempo songs, slow grooves and even a wedding version of “Yours”.

“I’m beyond stoked to have my first full-length album out and available for pre-order!”  he says in a recent press release. “The support from my fans is what has brought me this far. The Yours EP has changed my life, and I cannot wait to see what the Yours album will bring!”  Fans of Dickerson will be pleased to know, five favorites off his Yours EP made the cut for the full-length album including, “Yours” (the original and an acoustic wedding version), “MGNO”, “Blue Tacoma” and “Every Little Thing”. As a co-writer on each of the 12 songs, this album embodies the music that he wants to create, fun music that his fans will love to listen to and that will inspire repeat spins.

Besides “Yours” which started out as a simple love song for his wife Kailey, the album has no shortage of romantic vibes including the up-tempo “Every Little Thing” and the reggae-inspired, “Would You Love Me” as well as “You Look Like A Love Song” which shines with a gospel choir singing background vocals.  Dickerson gets sensual with “All Falls Down” and “Low Key” but does it in a way that feels genuine and will make you want to grab a bottle of wine, turn down the lights and slow dance.

For those missing the lazy, hazy days of summer, “Float” will bring you right back and hold you over until you are able to enjoy those warm days at the beach again.  The nostalgia-filled, “twentysomething” and “Billions” are primed for arena sing-alongs.

The LP highlights Dickerson’s incredible ability to be versatile, and although it is cohesive each song has its own influence and vibe.  Grab Yours on iTunes and check out our recap from our Country Night on the Water with Dickerson last year.

 

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Midland, On The Rocks

NYCS First Impression: Midland’s Debut LP On the Rocks

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Midland On the Rocks

Midland, three men with killer mustaches’ and even better wardrobes are making old sound new.  Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson live and breathe 70’s and 80’s country music. Hailing from California, Arizona, and Oregon the trio now call Texas home and are releasing their debut album, On the Rocks on Big Machine Records.

With the infamous statement “that’s not country music” lingering around today because of the fluidity of the genre, there is no doubt Midland is country music at its finest.  Featuring some of country music’s best songwriters including, Shane McAnally, Rhett Akins, and Josh Osborne, the 13 track LP is filled with clever stories, complex harmonies and all the banjo one could want from a country record.

Throughout the album, Midland’s influences are clear, Gary Stewart, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard, George Jones and of course George Strait especially on songs like “Burn Out” and their debut single that made its way all the way to the top of the country charts, “Drinkin’ Problem”.

A standout on the record, which also appeared on their self-titled EP, “Check Cashin’ Country” unapologetically tells the struggles of being a touring musician.

“I hear that tip jars got a jingle, cause we ain’t got a single on the radio / we make em dance wherever we go, tryin’ turn a nickel into solid country gold it goes T for Texas and Tennesee / we’ve got miles to cover and places to be the highways the only kind of life for me, sure ain’t in it for the money, this ain’t check cashin’ country.”

On a lighter note, their latest single off the project “Make A Little” is plain and simple about making love.

“So we should make a little, Generate a little / Maybe even make the world a better place a little / We could turtle dove, Dixieland delight / You know it can’t be wrong when it feels so right / It all comes down to you and me girl / There’s just not enough love in the world / So we should make a little / Then make a little more tonight”

Whether it’s songs about heartbreak and drinking away your sorrows (“Lonely For You”) or finding new love (“This Old Heart”), On the Rocks is chock-full of twang, fiddles, and genuine country music.

The album release comes on the heels of their big tour announcement with Kacey Musgraves and Little Big Town, which hits NYC on February 24th, 2018. For all of Midland’s upcoming tour dates and more information check out midlandofficial.com

NYCS First Impression: Chris Janson’s ‘Everybody’

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Chris Janson's Everybody

Released today, Everybody is Chris Janson’s highly anticipated sophomore album.  For fans, the title says it all, everybody will find something to love on this record even if it is just an appreciation for the hard work and incredible stamina Janson pours into his craft.

“I’m so proud of my new album and happy to share a full preview of it so people can hear the depth and diversity of the music,” said Janson in a press release regarding giving fans a chance to hear the album early. “With this album you really get a sense of who I am. No one could ever question if it’s real or not, or if I’m really this guy. I lived all these songs, I wrote all these songs and they all come from an absolutely real place.”

Co-writing all 12 tracks on the project, Janson has a hand in telling his story the way he wants to.  Whether it’s fun songs like “Who’s Your Farmer” or the debut single “Fix a Drink” or a more serious note like “Bein’ A Dad” and “Drunk Girl” his true personality shines through.

While the radio-friendly, “Out There”, and “Name On It” have the potential to be huge hits for the singer, “Our World” sounds like it was specifically recorded for Janson’s live set, featuring his signature harmonica skills and will be the perfect sing-along for fans.  Most recently opening for Sam Hunt at Madison Square Garden the crowd came out in full force singing to all of Janson’s hits.

When Janson sings love songs such as “Eyes For Nobody But You” you can feel that he actually lives those emotions.  During his energetic live set, he takes time to slow things down and tell the story of the first night he met his wife, their journey together and the true sentiment of love that they share.  As a songwriter, “Bein A Dad” is a standout track, highlighting the true feelings wrapped up in being a parent.

“It keeps me young, it takes me back / it makes me cry it makes me laugh / it’s what I do it’s why I breathe / my flesh and blood, my legacy / it’s the hardest and most rewarding job I’ve ever had, ain’t nothing like bein’ a dad.”

Overall, Everybody cohesively sums up the type of artist Janson is striving to be.  By putting his marriage, his family and his love for music at the forefront of his album he attracts different types of country music fans.

Tune in alert: Don’t miss Chris Janson performing “Fix A Drink” on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan next Tuesday, September 26th. To catch his incredible live set check out http://www.chrisjanson.com/tour. 

 

 

 

NYCS First Impression: Thomas Rhett, Life Changes + Exclusive Set at NashFM 94.7’s Stage 17

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Thomas Rhett - Life Changes

The highly anticipated third album from country star Thomas Rhett is finally here and it was worth the wait.  Thursday afternoon lucky winners got a chance to sit at Nash FM’s Stage 17, an intimate setting to hear songs off of Life Changes and were let in on insight about the new record before it hit shelves. The record showcases authentic, real-life stories that Rhett couldn’t make up if he tried. On first listen through, so many different sounds are recognized whether it’s his signature blend of smooth R&B with a country flair (“Kiss Me Like A Stranger”), fast-paced rap-like verses (“Life Changes”) or even an ode to doo-wop (“Sweetheart”)  the fourteen tracks on the record offer something for every fan.

“I write best about what I know about, I know how to write those things cause I’ve lived them,” Rhett explained yesterday at the exclusive Nash FM 94.7 Stage 17 performance.  Thanks to social media everyone seems to know every facet of Rhett’s life including his true love for his wife Lauren and their two baby girls, one which they adopted earlier this year from Uganda.  Nash FM’s Katie Neal asked what has been the best and worst advice you’ve gotten since becoming a dad.  “The days are short and the years are long but I know I’ll look back in 10 years and miss this time” Rhett explained. “And the worst advice is probably something Luke Bryan told me” he laughed.

Instead of shying away from personal stories, each song off the new album highlights them in a genuine way.  Fans can feel even more connected to one of their favorite artists by his honesty throughout his songwriting. “As long as I can be honest about the songs I put on the radio, that’s all I can do” Rhett explained to Nash FM’s Jesse Addy after discussing the pressure of continued success and number one hits.

“Craving You” featuring Maren Morris off the new record marks Rhett’s 8th number one single and in his short time in the spotlight of country music, his phenomenal growth as an artist is highlighted throughout Life Changes.  Nostalgia is a key feeling through out the record with “Sixteen” and the current single “Unforgettable” which transports listeners back to a different time and although they are specific to Rhett’s experiences, the songs remain relatable.

“I hated rules, even as a kid growing up… I don’t like staying in a box,” he says of creating the kind of music that doesn’t stay confined to barriers of genre.  His music is never boring and when the slow fade of one song ends you never know what to expect when the next song starts up.  In our opinion, being a great artist understands genre is fluid and making great music is more important than coloring within the lines.

For more exclusive content from Thomas Rhett’s Nash FM 94.7 appearance be sure to check out our Instagram and make sure you are listening to NashFM 94.7 to win tickets to private events and meet and greets with your favorite artists.

Thomas Rhett with NYCountry Swag at Nash FM

 

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NYCS First Impression: Dustin Lynch, Current Mood

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With his latest single “Small Town Boy” hitting the number one spot on the country charts this week and gearing up for the release of his new album, Dustin Lynch is riding high. Current Mood, available everywhere today, is a diverse look at Lynch’s versatility featuring songs that highlight his different influences. Having a hand in writing seven of the thirteen tracks on the project, it’s a personal testament to the artist he is becoming. The Tullahoma, Tennessee native writes about what he knows, and Current Mood showcases the different sides of the artist and his smooth vocals.

The production on some of the tracks may lean away from his country roots, combining R&B and pop to create a new lane in the country genre, that so many artists have experimented with recently. “Here We Come” and “Back On It” along with the seductive “Seein’ Red” and “Why We Call Eachother” are just a few examples of what his fans have to come expect, a sultry song with impeccable delivery.

For the songs that stray away from the twang of a country vibe, “Small Town Boy” Lynch’s current single brings him right back. This being his fifth single to reach the top of the charts, “I’m a dirt road in the headlights / I’m a mama’s boy, I’m a fist fight / Kinda county line, kinda cold beer / Little hat down, little John Deere” doesn’t get much more country than that.

A stand out on the record is “Love Me or Leave Me Alone”, written by Dustin Christensen and Chris Gelbuda.  Lynch is joined by Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild who lends her beautiful harmonies to the emotional song about the need to make a decision in a relationship and move on.

“If we’re just playin’ along, then we’re just playin’ ourselves / And I don’t want you to know where somebody is / Cause there’s magic between you and I / And I hate this impatience of mine / Love me or leave me alone / Hold me or just let me go / Cause I’ve felt this fire for so long / So baby love me, love me / Love me or leave me alone”

The album also has its quintessential party and drinking songs that will no doubt be crowd pleasers at Lynch’s headlining, Ride of Die Tour kicking off this fall. “Party Song” and “Wish You Were Beer” are some examples of what to expect during his live performance so get ready to hold your drinks high and sing along.

Grab Current Mood on iTunes here and check out our Instagram for stories from Lynch’s iHeart Radio Album Release Party.

 

 

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