Another Year In America March 19, 2009
"Blame" rises, "Climb" falls, and some radio stations are willing to !$@# "Amy," presumably in modified form.
Rascal Flatts "Here Comes Goodbye": I like the specificity of the lyrics, how he knows he's losing her: her ringing the doorbell where she'd used to come right in. The high-pitched twang of the singing against the strings and pedal steel has a neutralizing effect, however, like white against a white sky. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Carrie Underwood "Home Sweet Home": Placid ballad to kiss American Idol losers goodbye with. Given weightier instrumentation and heavier singing than is good for it, but her voice is warm. BORDERLINE TICK.
Britney Spears "If U Seek Amy": Britney brattiness that hardly hides the pain. The beats are buoyant and there's total musical authority, for all the posturing. T-I-C-K me.
Shinedown "Second Chance": Slow strum, slow drone of the instruments, slow vocal pathos, all rising massively and tunefully to a massive platitude. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Rascal Flatts "Here Comes Goodbye": I like the specificity of the lyrics, how he knows he's losing her: her ringing the doorbell where she'd used to come right in. The high-pitched twang of the singing against the strings and pedal steel has a neutralizing effect, however, like white against a white sky. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Carrie Underwood "Home Sweet Home": Placid ballad to kiss American Idol losers goodbye with. Given weightier instrumentation and heavier singing than is good for it, but her voice is warm. BORDERLINE TICK.
Britney Spears "If U Seek Amy": Britney brattiness that hardly hides the pain. The beats are buoyant and there's total musical authority, for all the posturing. T-I-C-K me.
Shinedown "Second Chance": Slow strum, slow drone of the instruments, slow vocal pathos, all rising massively and tunefully to a massive platitude. BORDERLINE NONTICK.