2016 has been a fantastic year for Country music fans. We've heard some great new music from our long-time favourites, including Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. We've also welcomed some talented new faces to the Country scene, Maren Morris, Brother's Osborne and Old Dominion, to name a few.
To celebrate what a year it has been, I will be writing a series of reviews of my favourite (and least favourite) albums from this year. Enjoy!
To celebrate what a year it has been, I will be writing a series of reviews of my favourite (and least favourite) albums from this year. Enjoy!
Kicking things off with Nashville's favourite rising star, Maren Morris burst onto the scene this year with her debut Country album, Hero.
The album has already sold just short of 140,000 copies in the USA alone. This album has earned Maren not only a CMA award for new artist of the year but also an incredible Grammy nomination for best Country album. She has received praise from some of the biggest names in the business with critical acclaim from Rolling Stone and Billboard who both named it one of the best albums of the year.
The album has already sold just short of 140,000 copies in the USA alone. This album has earned Maren not only a CMA award for new artist of the year but also an incredible Grammy nomination for best Country album. She has received praise from some of the biggest names in the business with critical acclaim from Rolling Stone and Billboard who both named it one of the best albums of the year.
Hero is an ambitious yet successful blend of old R&B, Soul, Gospel and of course, Country.
First impressions are important they say. With that in mind, The first track on the album, Sugar, opens on a twangy acoustic guitar with Maren sing-rapping in the verses alongside an epic chorus with much more complex production value. Lyrically the song is very simple and accessible. Maren sings about having a crush on someone. It's sweet yet sassy, complete with the profanity rarely heard in Country Music-pretty bold for a debut! I would argue that although it's not a bad song by a long shot, it's certainly weaker in both the lyrics and somewhat forgettable melodies than some of the other songs on the album. As the first impression of the album, it certainly doesn't do it justice.
From here it's onwards and upwards. The second track on the album, Rich, is much catchier than the first. I wouldn't be surprised if Maren releases it as a single at some point in 2017. This song is sassy with a Kacey Musgrave's flavour of humour, "All the little lies, rolling on your lips is money falling from the sky, sh*t I'd be rich!"
My Church, the first single from this album. With a flare of Gospel, Maren sings about how she is far from perfect, "I've cussed on a Sunday, I've cheated and I've lied". Again, we could expect similar themes of defiance from Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert or Brandy Clark. The song has sold over 800,000 copies in the USA and has been nominated for two Grammys. References to Johnny Cash and Hank Williams make this song even more timeless and accessible and with an addictive hook, it's certain to have you singing along.
The soulful tone and production of the music are ringing loud and clear in the songs Once, I Could Use a Love Song and I Wish I Was. The songs are filled with raw emotion and desperation sure to leave you with Goosebumps. Lyrically, these ballads are arguably the strongest on the album.
Drunk Girls Don't Cry and 80s Mercedes both have a certain pop quality to them. Drunk Girls Don't Cry brings us more of the sassy comedy we've heard in Rich. Whilst this matter-of-fact comedy is used across the album, it remains innovative and original and definitely doesn't get old the way it does in Kacey Musgraves' Pageant Material album (sorry, Kacey). 80s Mercedes is an upbeat millennial anthem with a strong pop atmosphere that you might expect from Kelsea Ballerini. Whilst the lyrics don't particularly have any hard-hitting substance, this track is sure to have you singing and dancing.
Overall, Hero is an innovative and daring album, particularly for a debut. It ambitiously blends a range of classic genres with a flare of up-to-date references and humour. However, I have no doubt that Maren pulled this off more than successfully.
Maren has writing credits on every track on the album which is impressive, particularly through the delivery of heartfelt songs such as Once. However, there are occasions where the songwriting falls flat e.g. "if I had a dime every time that your crossed my mind, well I'd be sitting on a big ass pile of dimes" (Rich).
In addition, one of the biggest let-downs with this album is that four of the songs, including two singles, were released just a few months earlier on her self-titled EP. My guess is that Maren's label saw the success of My Church and tried to hit the ground running by releasing an album as soon as possible.
Hero has become a Country fan favourite and received an extraordinary amount of critical acclaim and nominations- including nominations at the upcoming Grammy awards. These are all incredible feats to achieve, especially so early in Maren's career and I am excited to see what comes next from her.
Best Songs: Rich, My Church, I Could Use A Love Song
Worst Songs: Sugar, Second Wind
Rating: 4/5
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