Album Review – Luke Bryan’s “Kill The Lights”
Luke Bryan did not get here by happenstance, and he’s not going to blow his opportunity to remain on top by making poor decisions. Tell yourself his music won’t last through the cruel inquisition of time. Tell yourself he has no talent, and that he’s an idiot on and off the stage. Reassure yourself that eventually he will be relegated to a laughing stock of history with his shallow songs and shortsighted goals. Certainly this prognosis is a fair accusation to level at an act such as Florida Georgia Line, who lucked out with a catchy melody on one song, and now have set up their grandchildren’s grandchildren financially for life . . . and subsequently keep trying to rekindle that magic with one vapid reach after another.
But mainstream country music stars, just like everything in life, can’t be generalized with one blanket approach, especially when you’re talking about albums, and not just singles.
When regarding Luke Bryan’s singles, he goes head to head, toe to toe with any and all of the worst country music offenders of all time, and the singles of Kill The Lights easily carry Luke Bryan’s lofty benchmark set with songs like “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and “That’s My Kind of Night” for embarrassing the genre, and ultimately may constitute a new historic low.
“Kick The Dust Up” (dealt with HERE in more depth) is pure dreck. The title track “Kill The Lights” has one purpose and one purpose only: to be a medium for Luke to launch into his gyrating sex dances on stage during the live show. “Strip It Down” tries to meander into something resembling a love story, but like so many recent Luke Bryan singles, it’s just sex baiting with a floppy premise and a failed double entendre laid over a recycled R&B beat.
“Home Alone Tonight” with Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild is an immature, nutrient-void extension of the selfie culture where two happy-married late 30-somethings pretend to be early 20-somethings and sing about taking revenge pictures and sending them to ex’s to piss them off. Great use of country’s duet legacy there Luke, and what exactly is Fairchild doing cavorting with Bryan when she’s supposed to be one of the progressive voices for country music’s women?
“Fast” in the 6th track position is the very first time we hear something resembling anything close to substance on this record, and even that is a stretch. Ruminating on the passage of time, this song could have gone somewhere if it had continued its premise to include things like kids growing up, maybe grandparents passing on, and marriage anniversaries met. Instead it gets stuck in glory days mode, making sure to ingrain in you the philosophy that life sucks shortly after high school ends, just like so many shallow country songs do these days.
But bad is one thing, and offensive is another, and this is the territory Luke veers towards with what’s sure to be a big single from Kill The Lights called “Move.” It’s one of those “I love it when you talk misogynistic to me” type of modern country songs that is told from a male’s perspective, but really females are the ones who will eat it up en masse. Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan sees your “stick the pink umbrella in your drink,” and raises you, “C-O-M-E, Come on, I wanna see you . . .” and lines like “Had a rocking little body with a Yankee strut.” This is one of multiple songs on this album that mentions country songs, yet seven songs in and we’ve yet to hear one.
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But this leads us into the portion of the album where Luke Bryan Inc. shows its savvy. All the singles on this album are front-loaded in the first half, with the first three songs almost guaranteed to be #1’s. Then the second half is full of album cuts, and why not configure things this way? Luke Bryan’s shallow fans short on attention spans won’t listen to the entire record anyway, so put everything worth being heard by passive listeners first, and then offer something more deep in the second half to fend off critics and criticisms that Luke Bryan is nothing more than a country music dancing gigolo. This is why Luke Bryan is the reigning Entertainer of the Year. Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Cole Swindell, Chase Rice, and others just kept going with one single-vying song after another. Luke Bryan understands the value of offering a little something more to listeners who are willing to listen a little longer.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though, you’re not going to be rewarded with much of significant value if you soldier through the first half of this record. But what the second half proves is that Luke Bryan does have a conscience, does have a soul, and though it could make you resent him even more because you know what he’s capable of (as opposed to the younger artists who don’t know any better), it’s hard to not give Luke at least a little bit of credit for trying, if for no other reason than he didn’t necessarily have to. Mainstream country fans don’t listen to full albums anyway, but for the small minority still out there that still do, Luke gave them something somewhat decent.
“Just Over” and “Love It Gone” don’t really have much of anything, but at least they’re real songs played by real humans (mostly, at least). “Love It Gone” could have been a hit in the mid 2000’s with a strong chorus and at least a plausible story. “To The Moon And Back” may I dare say is actually kind of good, and that’s what will happen when you give a female songwriter like Hillary Lindsey a chance.
“Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day” was a little too late 80’s Alabama and laundry list for me, and that only seems fitting since it was penned by the notorious “peach pickers” (Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, and Ben Hayslip). With a strong bass drum beat and phase guitar, you can almost reach and make this into a Waylon song . . . almost. Except Waylon never shoved mundanity down our throats and told us, “Hey, we’re just singing bout what we do everyday.”
“Scarecrows” would’ve worked better if the laundry list model hadn’t been so grossly overexposed by Bro-Country over the last few years, but it’s not bad. It yearns for depth, sort of like “Drink A Beer” did, yet sort of falls flat, though not for the effort.
It’s almost like even when a mainstream male star these days is putting together a run of decent songs, it’s still imperative that they pull up just short before someone listening actually feels something, or comes to some sort of realization, and gets so startled that they go searching for more songs that deliver a similar result and end up an Americana fan. Right now a song like Garth’s “The Dance” would make the entire country music industry implode.
But give Luke Bryan his due for not making an album that totally sucks stem to stern. Does this latter half of songs somehow make up for the first? Not by a long shot. If anything, the first half is so bad, and so offensive to the standards and roots of what once used to be considered country music, that the negativity from the first half bleeds over.
Yet Luke Bryan earns himself a reprieve from the fiercest criticism and ridicule, at least from the album perspective (the respective singles are another story), by proving he’s not a total incompetent country music lightweight. We know Luke Bryan is capable of more because we’ve heard it in the past, and we hear it here in spats. He’s just gladly allowed the puppetmasters to pull his strings through his singles, and ultimately that’s what he’ll be remembered by in this singles-driven market.
The problem with money is you can always have more of it, and Luke Bryan has fallen into that classic trap. But that doesn’t mean he’s without talent. It just means he has a very limited widow to show it in, while blockbuster singles garner all the attention, and do the most damage.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Down.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:17 am
First comment!
Same old, same old, I guess.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:20 am
To guns way up. if the rest of ablum is any thing like kick the dust up it will be a instent classicc. an lujes a good boy just haven fun n all. u mite could say this is lukes red heded stranger at this stage in his carere. go on an give it another lisen trigg. theres a lot goin on in there.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:30 am
Not only is Dale funny, and a great caricature artist, his parody accurately encompasses the grammar skills and reading comprehension of the people who listen to this tripe. It’s funny because it’s true!
August 12, 2015 @ 8:33 am
Wow! I don’t know what to even say…..
August 12, 2015 @ 9:58 am
“To guns way up. if the rest of ablum is any thing like kick the dust up it will be a instent classicc. an lujes a good boy just haven fun n all. u mite could say this is lukes red heded stranger at this stage in his carere. go on an give it another lisen trigg. theres a lot goin on in there.”
So YOU’RE the guy buying up these truckloads of LB crap, Lil Dale ? Damn ….I’d love to look at the rest of your music collection . I can only imagine what gems are hidden there .
August 12, 2015 @ 11:22 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO6vYEtwWfQ
Cal Chuchesta, is that you? 😉
August 15, 2015 @ 6:19 am
Lil Dale is kind of like the poor man’s Earl Dibbles Jr. Hilarious.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:24 am
I didn’t care for “Just Over” at all. The overuse of the word “over” in the song is a deal breaker for me – that’s becoming a lyrical trend as seen in Blake’s “Gonna” and even newbie Michael Ray has a song on his album that relies too much on the phrase “like this.”
Though, like you, I felt “Love It Gone”, “Scarecrows” and “To The Moon and Back” were bright spots. The first two have a big wall in front of them because country’s been over saturated with hookup songs and laundry list songs. But considering those songs simply as songs, they’re decently written and Bryan sings them well. But “To The Moon and Back” is good all around. I’d love to see Luke and his team to have the cajones to release that as a single.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:20 am
Luke Bryan is one of few artists who can pretty much release whatever single they want and have it be wildly successful. So why not release “To The Moon And Back”?
August 12, 2015 @ 9:57 am
I have to say I actually wouldn’t be surprised if “To The Moon And Back” is ultimately released as a single late in this album’s commercial run.
I think its fate will largely hinge on how well the earlier singles perform digitally. Unfortunately, Bryan has already stated he expects both “Fast” and “Kill The Lights” to be released as singles at some point.
But, say, the first of two has middling or underwhelming results on iTunes? It could very well result in the label reconsidering the remaining of the two as a viable choice and they may feel convinced “To The Moon And Back” would resonate better.
Here’s how I expect the singles from this album to go:
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1: “Kick The Dust Up”
2: “Strip It Down”
3: “Move” (…unfortunately! =P )
4: “Fast”
5: Either “Kill The Lights” (if “Move” sells well) or “To The Moon And Back”
6: (if era runs this deep): “Home Alone Tonight”
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Of course, my picks would have been drastically different, at least based on the mostly forgettable to infuriating fodder the album consists of:
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1: “To The Moon And Back”
2: “Little Boys Grow Up & Dogs Get Old” (A bonus track that’s superior to almost all of the standard edition)
3: “Fast”
4: “Love It Gone”
5: “Scarecrows”
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August 12, 2015 @ 10:50 am
It’s a very cynical thought, but part of me wonders if they didn’t stock this album with some better songs just in case everything in country implodes in the next 18 months and fans are so fed up with stupid songs, you need something of substance to release.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:24 am
I actually felt the same way! =/
Then again, according to Bryan, “Drink A Beer” passes off as “deep” in his mind, so there you go too! =P
August 12, 2015 @ 11:55 am
I think not only was the album stocked that way, but what I got from the first 4 songs on the album was that they wanted to cover all the bases for whatever trends may stay in stride or fade away that have been going on in country whether its bro stuff, funky stuff, sexy r&b stuff, or duets. Lonely Tonight has been the most successful single yet off of Blake Shelton’s latest album.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:11 pm
Actually, “Sangria” has been the most successful single from “Bringing Back The Sunshine”.
We can rest assured that our ears will be spared of “Buzzin'” on the airwaves since “Gonna” is rising now and Shelton has already started recording the follow-up record. 😉
August 12, 2015 @ 9:35 am
Before the album, Luke was pretty excited about that song. I’d almost expect it to be a single, especially since they did “Drink a Beer” with a ton of success. They know the value in having one single being different from the rest in terms of sound/theme.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:25 am
Since I use Spotify and it costs me nothing other than time my ears could have been treated to something better, I gave this album a shot. I skipped over ‘Kick The Dust Up’ since I had already listened to it prior to the album being released. There were a couple songs in the 1st half that I maybe lasted 30 seconds before skipping. Nothing on this album made me want to come back and listen to it again. One listen was enough. Skip over this one and go listen to any of these albums released in 2015 instead:
Lindi Ortega – Faded Gloryville
Watkins Family Hour (self titled)
Anderson East – Delilah (may be the best Dave Cobb produced album this year)
Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free
Alan Jackson – Angels and Alcohol
Sam Outlaw – Angeleno
Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material
Ashley Monroe – The Blade
Whitey Morgan and the 78s – Sonic Ranch
August 12, 2015 @ 8:27 am
“Give Luke Bryan his due for not making an album that sucks…” Nah I’d rather give him a music lesson. I don’t think I have much to work with though… I’d rather try teaching a duck to play Canasta, probably easier… I think it can be empirically proven that Luke Bryan has (maybe not none) but very little talent… More than Cole Swindell and Chase Rice but less than Hunter Hayes.
August 12, 2015 @ 4:47 pm
I’m not sure I agree that Hunter Hayes is more talented. I think Bryan has a far stronger voice, and his writing used to be solid. I’d say Good Directions is far beyond anything Hunter Hayes has written. Of course, Hayes has a big edge when it comes to his guitar skills. But the sad fact seems to be that we’ll never really know since pretty much all the mainstream artists squander their talent on drivel.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:41 am
I saw BJ Barham do one of his solo acoustic shows a few weeks ago, and he told a story about how his old van that he drives from town to town only plays cd’s and the radio. So, For entertainment him and his wife like to listen to pop country radio. He compared it to watching a Fast And Furious movie. You know it’s crap, but it allows you to turn your brain off for a little while and just be entertained. I guess that’s where LB lands for me. 90% of the time I like music with much more substance, but sometimes a little LB doesn’t hurt my feelings. 1 1/4 guns down for me.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:45 am
I’m really gonna hate handing over 15$ to buy this for my girlfriend later.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:57 am
Sounds like you need a new girlfriend… I couldn’t stand being in close proximity to someone who likes this stuff. My bro at my work is a fan but A: he listens to way better stuff too, and B: he admits he doesn’t know anything about music. Plus he’s a hoot and a half.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:04 pm
you wont find any strait country 81 on the radio anymore. I wonder if George will ever have a radio hit again.
August 12, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
it’ll be 15 bucks well spent. One of the hottest chicks I’ve ever banged loves Luke Bryan. Seriously, those cans were glorious. put that crap on in the background and she was always ready to go.
August 13, 2015 @ 7:21 am
You need a hot Mississippi girlfriend like I do who can’t stand Luke Bryan. She listens to Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins and Diamond Rio.
August 13, 2015 @ 8:58 am
With the exception of Alice in Chains & maybe Pearl Jam those suck too!
August 12, 2015 @ 8:47 am
I can’t give him his due. He went too far to sell his soul.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:52 am
With the exception of “What My Friends Say,” which I feel has held up pretty good overtime, Luke Bryan has done a horrible job with fast-paced songs. And it’s not that they are just dumb, it’s that he feels the need to dumb them down. Singing “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” in a song is ridiculous. And why does he need to keep repeating “up, up, up,” in Kick the Dust Up.
To me, Luke Bryan has always been a poor Kenny Chesney rip-off because his songs don’t have the authenticity that Kenny’s does. I always believed what Kenny sang and I never believe what Luke does. I just think he’s singing what will make him famous. Anyone who knows music should be able to see that.
August 12, 2015 @ 8:59 am
Why exactly WAS FGL’s “Cruise” so popular? I know it’s got a catchy melody and features shallow stupidity and everything mainstream fans look for, but why specifically that song? What makes it so much “better” any of these other Bro-Country songs that it “deserved” to break the longest #1 song record?
August 12, 2015 @ 9:07 am
Why do thirteen year old girls at a Luke Bryan concert scream like thirteen year old girls at a Jonas Brothers concert? Why do people think Dallas Davidson has anything intelligent or useful to say? Why do people think “Cats” is a great musical? Why did people think the PS2 was a better console than the Dreamcast? Pop culture is filled with people who listen to, watch, and buy stupid stuff… There’s no intrinsic reason, it’s just what happens. The longest running 1 in country history goes to Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold and Webb Pierce, and that’s the gospel truth. People will say FGL is the longest running, but I don’t care what they say they’re wrong.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:30 am
You have something against Playstation? Or are you just a Dreamcast supporter?
August 12, 2015 @ 7:59 pm
I love my PS2!!!! It’s just that the hardware was awful… the ps2 is underpowered compared to its competition, and the Dreamcast had so many better games… Dancing Alien Michael Jackson, Leonard Nimoy frog-face-thing, Sonic Adventure, Shenmue… Plus the VMU was a cool concept. Honestly I bought more games on the Gamecube though…
August 12, 2015 @ 9:24 am
That’s a good question. Timing is always important. It became the anthem of the summer for many. It’s easy to sneeze all over that song, but in the end you have to identify that it really resonated with listener, and vaulted Florida Georgia Line into superstardom.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:03 am
“Why exactly WAS FGL”™s “Cruise” so popular? I know it”™s got a catchy melody and features shallow stupidity and everything mainstream fans look for, but why specifically that song? What makes it so much “better” any of these other Bro-Country songs that it “deserved” to break the longest #1 song record? ”
“Why do thirteen year old girls at a Luke Bryan concert scream like thirteen year old girls at a Jonas Brothers concert? Why do people think Dallas Davidson has anything intelligent or useful to say? Why do people think “Cats” is a great musical? Why did people think the PS2 was a better console than the Dreamcast? Pop culture is filled with people who listen to, watch, and buy stupid stuff”¦ There”™s no intrinsic reason, it”™s just what happens. ”
The Emperor’s New Clothes
August 12, 2015 @ 11:13 am
It’s because it was the very first of that type of song. When it was first released, it was like nothing else on the radio, and tapped very effectively into the segment of the audience that had recently transferred over from pop, and then they showed it to all of their pop-loving friends, who also loved it…and thus was the Bro-Country era born in earnest.
It’s the same reason that I doubt any of the metro garbage will top “Leave the Night On.”
Incidentally, its originality is also why not even the “real country” holdouts still on the radio talk shit about FGL. They’re idiots but, with the exception of “Dirt,” they aren’t sellouts like Bryan, Aldean, Hunt or Owen. Shit like Cruise, and Sun Daze, is the type of music they like to make. They were playing the same stuff in bars.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:57 pm
I can’t stand them, so I don’t know their history… but I’ve seen a number of “long-time” FGL fans saying they hate their current music, and that what they did “before they got big” was so much better.
Shrugging my shoulders over here, not knowing what to think.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:14 am
Once again Trigger, I don’t know how you can come up with all the words, that put a weekly smile on my face, Cheers!
August 12, 2015 @ 9:15 am
Serious question….If Luke Bryan, FGL, Jason Aldean, Sam Hunt, etc, start now, 8/12/2015, performing real country music and release real country albums….say for the next 15 years..will you give them Any respect by 2035? I only ask this because I’m 45 yes old and certainly have different ideas of what good music is than I did when I was 25. I’m not defending country rap or bro country or any of that shit. I will point out, though, that the Beatles first album sounds nothing like Sgt. Pepper’s or Let it Be. Perhaps this “evolution” of Country Music is cyclical and not linear? Are these guys dead to you forever or can they gain your respect?
August 12, 2015 @ 9:27 am
I agree country’s path is circular. Look at the rotunda in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Around the perimeter it says, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?”
This may sound insane to you, but this was actually me doing my best to give some credit to Luke, which I felt like I did for a lot of this review. Luke is not like Florida Georgia Line and others. He does put out the effort to put some decent songs on his albums. But in the end, it’s not nearly enough to label him anything close to “good” in my opinion. But that’s all it is—an opinion.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:37 am
Seeing that Sam Hunt has only put out a sole full-length album, and Florida Georgia Line two, thus far…………….it may turn out their current offerings won’t be indicative of their careers as a whole.
In contrast, Luke Bryan is at the beginning of his fifth full-length promotional cycle. His commercial peak will all but certainly be remembered as “Crash My Party”. And yet even there, Kenny Chesney didn’t reinvent himself as country’s patron saint of Parrotheads until late in the promotional cycle of his fifth studio album “Everywhere We Go”………………….and now he is looked back on with renewed respect as offering an earnest voice to songs about nostalgic youth, romance and seizing the day.
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I’ve heard Florida Georgia Line’s lead single from their forthcoming third album will run decidedly closer to “Dirt” than the rest of their songs to date, so it does seem like they are aware of the fact that has been more commercially successful and important to me this cycle than their immature songs. Hopefully they feel motivated to stretch that same desire to grow and mature across a broader number of the album’s tracks.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:53 am
“Dirt” has by far been Florida Georgia Line’s biggest single on their second album, and the rest of their songs have slightly underperformed in my opinion. This isn’t just all talk about how country music should be more diverse with their singles. I think there’s substantial data to back it up.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:31 am
Oh, without a doubt I believe you’re correct.
“Sun Daze” is the first single of their career to fail to make the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. I truly believe that the Billboard Hot 100 is, more often than not, a far more important tool of measurement to a mainstream country/”country” single’s impact than the Hot Country Airplay chart……………..and unless you’re a slowly building up-and-coming artist, an entertainer’s placement on the composite chart separates the #1 hits that will be better remembered from those that will be forgotten. “Sun Daze” will be forgotten.
“Sippin’ On Fire” did scrape #40 on the Billboard Hot 100, but I don’t expect that to be remembered either. And the same is all but certain for “Anything Goes” now.
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When all is said and done, of their hits thus far, “Cruise” will obviously be their signature song. But I have to say I expect it will come down to “Dirt” and “This Is How We Roll” (only because of the strong sales) for what is remembered as their second career song, and I’d give the edge to “Dirt” if that is indicative of a broader trend to maturity.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:20 am
The thing is, Bryan and Aldean are pretty much 40 years old. Their stuff has regressed over time, not improved.
August 12, 2015 @ 4:13 pm
“The thing is, Bryan and Aldean are pretty much 40 years old. Their stuff has regressed over time, not improved. ”
Ain’t that a fact ….
August 12, 2015 @ 9:32 am
Luke should have started and ended his recording output with the Spring Break songs. Stuff like “Buzzkill” and so many other songs were just hilarious. They were just rock songs with some twang…whatever. Since the line “girl you make my speakers go boom boom” one should run any time they hear his name.
Just grab 1 of the many albums Dale Watson has put out and you’ll be rewarded in spades over this spray! Funny, insightful, clever…the full range of the human experience is there.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:06 am
I actually prefer Bryan’s “Spring Break” releases to any of his post-“I’ll Stay Me” proper albums.
At least with his “Spring Break” albums, he was singing material that he actually sounded engaged and excited about vocally and complemented the immaturity that constantly rears its head on his proper studio releases. I’d even argue his “Spring Break” albums had sunnier, more accessible production for the most part (most notably on tracks like “Sun Tan City”, “The Sand I Brought To The Beach” and “Like We Ain’t Ever”.)
That said, it did amuse me that his two most popular songs from “Spring Break” releases also happened to be songs that felt entirely out of place on them and sounded like they belonged on his proper studio projects. “Buzzkill” hardly fits the Spring Break vibe at all, and neither does “Games”. Both seemed to err close to the sour tone of the terrible deeper cut “I Know You’re Gonna Be There” off of “Tailgates & Tanlines”.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:56 am
Nadia, I completely agree with you on those song picks. All fun and fully engaged. I felt guilty for liking those since his normal albums are just not my bag. While immature that was the point of those and it worked really well.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:03 am
Those EPS at least weren’t trying to make Bryan something he’s not.
Embarrassing? Yes, often! But often I found the songs on those releases didn’t hit me over the head in the same way “That’s My Kind Of Night”, “Kick The Dust Up” and, now, “Move” do on his full-length releases.
And like I said, I can roll along with plenty of the production on those releases. It did veer too far toward the synthetic on his final two EPS (especially with “Night One” and “Games”) but it still felt mostly dialed-down compared to what we’ve come to expect on Bryan’s proper albums following “Tailgates & Tanlines”.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:38 am
Sorry, Trigger, but I happen to think this is worse than “Crash My Party”.
As lousy as “Crash My Party” was, it at least had consistency between the tracks when it came to its synthetic, vanilla production. With this album, the production is awful across the except with very few exceptions I’ll get to in my review below, and it has no idea what identity it wants to take as a whole and makes for a cluster**** of a listen.
This is going to be a long one (so to those of you who’ve expressed dismay at my long posts previously, there’s no rule here on characters in a post so I’m going to go full speed ahead. Apologies in advance! ^__^ )
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http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/08/06/luke-bryan-these-good-days/31108915/
What makes “Kill The Lights” an especially frustrating listen is that, according to a number of interviews leading up to its release including this one by Cindy Watts of The Tennesseean”¦”¦”¦”¦we were supposedly getting “more insight into his own life” and “moments of maturing”. This same article mentions that when his brother in-law abruptly passed away recently, and taking a few weeks off to process the loss and focus on family, the tragedy “brought new meaning to the songs.”
Of course, I was already fiercely skeptical of this because, in several articles including one with Rolling Stone”™s Brittany Spanos, he remarked in addition to insisting the album was “more country-er than ”˜Kill The Lights”™””¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.that his idea of depth was based off of “Drink A Beer”:
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“I’ve got some stuff that is as deep as ‘Drink a Beer,’ love songs, sad songs,”
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Yet, I consider “Drink A Beer” Bryan”™s worst single to date (YES, you heard me correctly: WORSE than Bryan’s already-horrid “That’s My Kind of Night” and “Kick The Dust Up”, and that’s saying a LOT) in that 1) its lyrics are wafer-thin in anything resembling substance (Chris Stapleton, sorry about that”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦have to call ”™em as I hear ”™em regardless of who wrote it, you know I still respect your latest effort), 2) Bryan”™s vocal performance sounds so mechanical and tentative; particularly in the way he deadpans “Don”™t feel like goin”™ home!” or mutters “The good Lord knows the reasons why, I guess”¦”, and 3) tying the whole titular hook around beer itself smacks as pandering of the most disingenuous kind.
Sure, the production was stripped-down and intimate: which in itself was enjoyable. But I”™d argue that actually made the track even more insufferable as a whole because it DEMANDS to be taken seriously. Yet, when you have something as hollow and calculated as that, I”™m going to think quite the opposite.
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So what passes for “moments of maturity” on “Kill The Lights”?
They”™re certainly not to be found in the opening track and lead single “Kick The Dust Up”. Between its laundry list lyricism that can”™t resist a jab at city life, an overtly serious tone and Bryan”™s wooden performance that tries to pass itself off as a party song with a corporate country-interpretation-of-trap in its chorus”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.”Kick The Dust Up” is a failure on all fronts in that it doesn”™t even sound fun. It sounds more like a funeral in the cornfields than a party.
The title track fares no better. A blatant attempt to capitalize on the disco/funk revival that has been ushered primarily by Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams in recent months, it smacks as a blatant attempt to flaunt Bryan”™s sex symbol status in song. He and his producers can hardly string together coherent sentences throughout the first verse, and the rest of the song is marred with awkward phrases including: “We can make the dark cry!” and “We can just go on what we know!” WHAT?!!! (Oh, and it doesn”™t help matters that the chorus is largely a Xerox of that of the already dreadful “That”™s My Kind of Night”.)
Oh, what”™s this? A slow song coming on? Is that the first sign of maturity we were promised from Bryan? Nope, that”™s “Strip It Down”: which its title serves as a triple-entendre that fails to pull off any of its directions competently”¦”¦”¦”¦which are 1) the obvious sexual connotation, 2) the metaphoric association with carpentry as a means of assessing and repairing a relationship on rough waters, and 3) the idea of stripping back your sound musically to where you focus on the intimacy of a bared-boned presentation.
“Strip It Down” fails at all three, miserably. Firstly, it fails to set the mood right as baby-making music in how overcast and dreary it sounds. I”™m certainly not implying that a sex jam should sound all major-key exaggerated happiness seeing that sex is a most complex, emotionally and aesthetically rich language and expression. But at the very least make it sound like you”™re in the mood. Bryan, rather, sounds vocally uncommitted here. The closest he comes to anything decidedly passionate is in the second verse, where he sounds more primed to destroy her cell phone in the second verse than acknowledge the deeper underlying issues affecting their relationship in the song. Uh, no: that”™s just rude.
Also, all we hear is that, like a needle finds a groove, they”™ll again find what they lost”¦”¦”¦.and that he wants to love her so bad. In fact, the word “love” only comes up once in the entire song. That”™s outnumbered by the instances Bryan is focused on their clothing or, rather, the desire to disrobe. Hardly sounds like a resolve to assess everything that has deteriorated at their foundation, and formulate a plan of action to repair it, yes? Sounds more like “Skim It Now”.
*
We then get to what might be the nadir of this album: an ill-fated duet with Little Big Town”™s Karen Fairchild in the cringe-inducingly immature “Home Alone Tonight”.
On the surface, this seems like an unlikely culprit for this dubious distinction. Though stiff, thudding drum machines again anchor a latter-career Luke Bryan song, the track at large gives off this blend of EDM-influenced Rhythmic music that”™s streamlined enough to crossover into Hot Adult Contemporary radio in this day in age alongside The Script. And, when you”™re only studying the verses, it”™s also pretty much par for the course when it comes to party-hardy “Live this night like it”™s your last!” fodder. Pretty forgettable sonically, and pretty interchangeable lyrically, but admittedly catchy and hardly the worst thing in the world, right?
No, what makes this insufferable is its lyrics in the chorus. The premise of the song is that the song”™s two subjects are strangers meeting in a bar who have both been (apparently) jilted by ex-lovers”¦”¦”¦”¦.and they decide to break the ice and get back at their exes by taking a selfie together, attaching it to text messages and sending it to both their exes as a form of revenge. Initially, they threaten to tell them that they”™re not going home alone tonight”¦”¦”¦”¦..but by the bridge seem to have a change of heart and do decide to go home together. Which, considering the exceptionally low standards they already had entering this rendezvous, makes you wonder how shallow their previous relationships were. Yep, going to have to wander on a little longer to find these moments of maturity! =P
*
The next pair of tracks fall more into the trapping of those that aren”™t anything particularly bad, but also offer nothing new to the table and smack as inferior clones to previous-explored themes and sentiments.
“Razor Blade” is almost entirely bereft of instrumentation aside from the obligatory miniature guitar solo in the bridge and hints of keyboard in the chorus. Otherwise, yet more drum machine auto-pilot with hints of soulless Mellotron. Lyrically, the song commits no major offenses and does try to paint some enticing imagery in the form of being blindfolded walking south down the whiskey tracks toward a neon train in explaining how a heart breaks when one”™s eyes glimpse into an ex, but comes across as “I”™ve already heard this before, and it was articulated better!” It doesn”™t help that Bryan”™s vocals sound too restrained here. He says that she is rolling north like a neon train, and that you”™re bleeding in the back of a bar, and yet the lack of emotional timbre in his voice results in a lack of payoff. Also, the chorus feels unnecessarily lengthy and, if it wasn”™t Bryan or Sam Hunt, I can”™t see this ever being a hit single in other hands.
“Fast” faces a similar dilemma. On one hand, you don”™t doubt Bryan”™s sincerity that he at least desires to tackle more reflective and age-appropriate terrain from a thematic standpoint. On the other hand, you”™re instantly reminded that Bryan achieved exactly that with a number of songs off his debut album “I”™ll Stay Me””¦”¦”¦”¦”¦and when that is taken into consideration, “Fast” smacks as an inexcusably half-assed effort. For one, from a lyrical standpoint, it errs way too closely to Keith Urban/Eric Church”™s recent duet “Raise ”˜Em Up”: a medocre song in itself that is basically a laundry list of things associated with the verb “raise” or, namely, the phrase “raise ”˜em up!”. “Fast” is the exact same thing. Fast cars? Check! Fast sports? Check! Fallin”™ in love fast? Check! Again, the lyrics are easy to relate to, but we”™ve also heard Kenny Chesney say exactly what Luke Bryan is saying here significantly better with nostalgic songs like “Don”™t Blink” and “Living In Fast Forward”. Oh”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦..and this Bryan song is once again driven by a drum machine and a paint-by-numbers wall of sound with Pro Tools-guitar effects, too.
*
Uh, speaking of “Fast”, you may want to look for a detour route around the flaming wreckage of a track 500 feet away”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.which is “Move”.
A blatantly obvious rehash of “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”, this somehow manages to come across as worse than the latter by a substantial margin because, as self-serious as his original smash hit sounded already, Bryan ramps up the aggressive self-serious tone this time around. Bryan sounds more like he”™s blowing off steam angrily than genuinely having fun. And his vocals sound just AWFUL at moments of this track: most notably throughout the second verse where he veers painfully off-key as he drones into a muffled abyss mentioning what it feels like when a country song is played loud and the sun goes down. The guitars are unnecessarily screechy and atonal as well: making for a listening experience that feels more like verbal abuse than a party anthem for the Summer of 2016 (And, again, what”™s with the lengthy choruses?)
*
“Just Over” sounds more like a The Script-esque Rhythmic acrobatic exercise than a genuine expression of reconciliation and the painful realization there”™s nothing left. Despite Bryan sounding better here than most of the album”™s tracks, he again squanders an opportunity at growth and maturity by spending more time giving it his all rhyming the same word over half a dozen times in the chorus than reaching deeper as a songwriter. It doesn’t help matters that we don’t even get a glimpse as to why their relationship is on the rocks and “just over” to begin with. Again, it’s like an Instant Miso brand of songwriting that obsesses with the technical songwriting at the expense of anything meaningful.
Oh, what”™s this? A little actual percussion on this album? We get our first taste of it for a while with “Love It Gone”. Despite some bleached-out guitar tones, there”™s a direly-needed energy that drives this song that at least makes it listenable. Bryan, again, sounds like he cares here. Unfortunately, its reversion to lyrical clichés; including a glaring number of clumsy lines and phrases like “put on that kissing angel good morning song” and “slip into something off the frequent menu””¦”¦”¦”¦..reduce it to something that”™s only of passable but near instantly forgettable status. Eh, at least it”™s that kind of love song that actually sounds like he”™s in the mood, unlike “Strip It Down”. (shoulder shrug)
“Way Way Back” falls similarly short in settling for passable but selling itself too short almost compulsively. And with a glut of songs currently congesting the chart that tackle (or at least try to) the theme of resolving a relationship on the rocks by finding and recapturing that magic from lovers”™ youthful years like “Run Away With You”, “Long Stretch of Love” and even Bryan”™s new aforementioned single “Strip It Down””¦”¦”¦”¦..it tends to get lost in the shuffle and does nothing to pave the way for Bryan”™s career aspirations to maturity and artistic growth.
*
Next, at long last, I finally come across a Luke Bryan song that I can confidently say with not a shred of sarcasm is the first Luke Bryan song I”™ve genuinely enjoyed since his debut album “I”™ll Stay Me”.
That song is “To The Moon And Back”.
Yes, the song does have some synthetic production elements: most notably in the light percussion. And yes, the lyrics aren”™t anything groundbreaking in that they constructed on a list of obstacles that Bryan and his wife have tested and surmounted throughout the years. But Bryan makes up for that with a sincere, understated vocal performance that is exactly the kind of performance I”™ve been yearning to hear from him for years now. Also, despite some synthetic touch-ups, they never get overbearing in that they still allow the sparse acoustic plucking and gorgeous back-up vocals to take center stage and drive the gentle ache that serves as the centerpiece of this destined staple wedding song. Well done, Bryan! =)
*
You can tell, with the album”™s final two tracks, that Bryan at least has one foot planted in terrain desiring to stretch himself and revisit his roots”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦but are unfortunately undermined by the other foot remaining entrenched in reversions to formulaic songwriting and stereotypes.
“Huntin”™, Fishin”™ & Lovin”™ Every Day” is easily the most authentically country-sounding track on “Kill The Lights”. I”™d describe it, musically, as a Bob Seger-influenced country-tinged rock ballad replete with swampy rhythms and plenty of banjo”¦”¦”¦”¦.but structurally owing a little more to rock than to country. Needless to say, still the best a Luke Bryan song has sounded in quite some time.
Unfortunately, despite some valiant attempts at painting imagery in the lyrics, it can”™t help but come across as anonymous and threadbare. It”™s like, musically, Bryan is cooking an organic variety of pasta”¦”¦”¦”¦.but relies on a Top Ramen seasoning packet lyrically. We don”™t get any insight at all as to what shaped Bryan”™s lifelong love of huntin”™, fishin”™ and lovin”™ every day. “Tackle Box” off his debut album provides a far more compelling testament as to how he has been raised and where his roots are. In contrast, here, he spends the entire first verse boasting about that, if walking in the woods and fishing were his day jobs, he would be stinkin”™ rich. Then he spends the entire second verse talking about his wife joining him, but not building on the song in any significant way. Finally, in the bridge, we see him and his fellow writers unable to resist sneaking a veiled jab at city slickers and their “old dirty air”, and then urging you to come along and join him. It”™s just a hollow stab at populism that screams more “Hey y”™all, huntin”™ and fishin”™ are awesome, holla if you agree!” than illustrating why huntin”™ and fishin”™ are celebrated pastimes in the country music tradition and what deeper lessons and character they have instilled all across the heartland.
*
Finally, the album closes with “Scarecrows”: a song that resides somewhere between Florida Georgia Line”™s “Dirt” and Jason Aldean”™s “Tattoos On This Town” lyrically”¦”¦”¦”¦..about Bryan, his wife and his buddies growing up in a small town and explaining that, even as they leave and chase their dreams elsewhere, their roots will always be intact much like the scarecrows that stake the countryside.
Unfortunately, “Scarecrows” falls short of the emotional payoff the aforementioned two tracks succeeded in producing. Whereas “Dirt” succeeds at universal populist swell in that its lyrics speak in the second person, cite a broader range of things in which the dirt beneath our feet cultivate and has genuine modern country instrumentation to set the tone just right, “Scarecrows” is limited more to Bryan and his buddies, doesn”™t dig as deep and adheres to an all-too-familiar late 90s-early 00’s Adult Top 40 template of pop-rock production. And where “Tattoos On This Town” does a decent job lyrically citing specific things like a permanent scar from ropeburn, carving names on a wall under an overpass and black marks on a county road as specific examples as to how memories of his earlier life remain ingrained in his hometown, the writers of “Scarecrows” do little to explain HOW this “hundred acre stretch is buried in my bones”. HOW do you keep your boots and roots intact in those cornrows? He says they came from nothing, but you”™re just advised to take his word for it rather than allow him to get a glimpse as to how that is so.
*
Fittingly, there is a lyric at the very beginning of its second verse which reads: “I don’t get back near enough!”
Which underscores my main issue with “Kill The Lights” as a whole. How can we expect to take Bryan at his word in the interviews preceding this album”™s release when he himself acknowledges he doesn”™t get back to his roots near enough?
I”™m not even angry with Bryan at this time. Just painfully exasperated as to how insistently he settles for so little and sells himself painfully short. For all the travails and personal tragedies he has endured throughout his recording career in his family, in addition to living a genuinely backwood lifestyle growing up being the son of a peanut farmer in Georgia and cutting his teeth doing agrarian labor until doing much the same in bars and roadhouses, Bryan is EXACTLY the type of male vocalist who potentially has so much to offer and compelling experience to speak from in the vein of modern country music.
Instead”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦.vocally, more often than not, he holds himself back to the point even songs like “Spring Breakdown” from his final “Spring Break” EP sounds much more impassioned in comparison”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦and moments of maturity we are offered on the album are slim to none, with “To The Moon And Back” the only song that will have staying power on my playlist”¦”¦”¦”¦”¦and barely go deeper than scratching the surface of who Bryan truly is as a person. Sorry, Bryan, but just because you”™re no longer name-dropping rappers does not make you any more mature now than before.
*
I”™m thinking a strong 3 to a light 4 out of 10 on this as an album itself regardless of genre……………..and if we”™re talking country music specifically, even that score would be a bit too generous. I’d say probably a Light 2 as a country album.
At least there”™s no false advertising in the album”™s title. I”™m hereby killing the lights on another lackadaisical Luke Bryan chapter.
*
*****Individual Track Grades*****
1) “Kick The Dust Up”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Light 0 As A Pop Song
2) “Kill The Lights”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Strong 2 To Light 3 As A Pop Song
3) “Strip It Down”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Light To Decent 3 As A Pop Song
4) “Home Alone Tonight”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Strong 1 To Light 2 As A Pop Song (only because of unmistakable earworm of a chorus, but still terrible regardless of genre because of the creepy, douchey vibe the lyrics promote)
5) “Razor Blade”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Strong 5 To Light 6 As A Pop Song
6) “Fast”: Strong 4 To Light 5 As A Country Song, Light To Decent 6 As A Pop Song
7) “Move”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Light 0 As A Pop Song (I don”™t care that it has a banjo at the beginning, it doesn”™t absolve it from its outright sins)
8) “Just Over”: Light 0 As A Country Song, Strong 4 To Light 5 As A Pop Song
9) “Love It Gone”: Strong 4 To Light 5 As A Country Song, Strong 5 To Light 6 As A Pop Song
10) “Way Way Back”: Decent To Strong 4 As A Country Song, Decent To Strong 5 As A Pop Song
11) “To The Moon And Back”: Decent To Strong 7 As A Country Song Or Pop Song
12) “Huntin”™, Fishin”™ & Lovin”™ Every Day”: Light To Decent 5 As A Country Song, Pop N/A
13) “Scarecrows”: Strong 4 To Light 5 As A Country Song, Light To Decent 6 As A Pop Song
*
August 12, 2015 @ 10:02 am
I think this is your longest comment in history!!! I’ve always sort of wished that Trigger would do a post, for kicks, the top ten comments ever, or the top ten stupidest comment section feuds… Something funny. And honestly I’m a long commenter myself…
August 12, 2015 @ 10:25 am
This is one of the most anticipated mainstream country/”country” albums of 2015, so I felt it was fitting I have a detailed review to offer to live up to it. =)
Should Trigger ever decide to implement a character limit with posts, I would understand. But until that happens (if ever), I’m not going to apologize for how meaty and often long-winded my commentary can be. We all have our own styles, and brevity has always been a challenge for me! =)
August 12, 2015 @ 10:57 am
I should have just had you review this thing for me Nadia. I really struggled to get inspired for this one. It’s hard to be inspired by uninspiring music.
I wouldn’t disagree that “Crash My Party” is a better album. I just thought “Kill The Lights” was slightly better than what we’re used to getting from the top tier of country males these days.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:08 am
Trust me when I say I wish I had more accessibility to the vastly better music that you review and recommend here. I’d much prefer to redirect a lot of those energies to those releases.
It’s my financial situation that keeps me from accessing many of the best albums you endorse here in the meantime. When I can’t purchase full-length albums, I tune to SoundCloud and YouTube to try and listen to as many individual cuts from the albums you highlight as I can find (fully aware that the audio quality on those sites is often lackluster at best)
That’s the reason you don’t see my name surface on a lot of the glowing reviews of better music out there. I’m not happy about that. But I do keep my eyes peeled and listen attentively, and as my financial situation approves and I can get my hands on a larger scope of these releases and review them as full bodies of work, you’ll see me pop up in those threads as well! =)
August 12, 2015 @ 11:21 am
You really should take a look at just signing up for Spotify Premium. It’s $9.99/month which is less than a single album most of the time and nearly all of the new releases are there on release day. I know some artists/labels want to fight streaming but I’ve never listened to as much music as I do now with Spotify and I spend more annually on music than I did before Spotify.
August 12, 2015 @ 2:17 pm
Or try Apple Music free for 3 months.
$10/month after that, or $15/month for up to 5(?) sharers.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:07 pm
“It sounds more like a funeral in the cornfields than a party.”
I laughed way too hard at this.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:14 pm
There’s plenty more where that came from.
When he’s yelling throughout most of “Move”, I wanted to say much like with Aldean and “My Kinda Party”: “Please, please, PLEASE don’t hurt me!” 😉
August 12, 2015 @ 1:32 pm
It would take me three months to compose a message that long. I am a slow reader and an even slower typist…
August 27, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
I just read this post in the voice of Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) in American Psycho. Mind you, not the Huey Lewis and The News scene.
Off to go get a reservation at Dorsia’s…..
August 12, 2015 @ 9:38 am
Dead forever.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:52 am
“Strip It Down” . Piece of shit . Very poorly crafted writing . Forgettable ” melody ” .
As with so many top tier acts , I am absolutely baffled that with all of the AMAZING material at Bryan’s disposal he consistently record the WORST excuses for songs ever . These are just not well written, well crafted songs. I’d be embarrassed as the songwriter , let alone the artist , having my name associated with such crap . No other business would let ’employees’ get away with such inferior work with so many more capable , creative and experienced people looking for their shot -no matter the field. Yes , yes ..I understand the ‘ lowest common denominator’ factor is uppermost on the lists of ALL of these acts . But c’mon …..how low a denominator are you chasing ? Even a vacuum cleaner company wants their product to WORK . An up and coming soda company wants to market the BEST product so they can to compete with the competition . The lowliest of auto manufacturers knows that ONE bad line of cars and you’re reputation is shot for years….if not forever . How in God’s name does someone like LB keep getting away with producing such an inferior, generic , creatively-challenged product time after time ? Surely his smile and booty can’t be what his whole career is based on ….can it ? At some point , doesn’t this guy want to release something MATURE , something of substance , something ARTISTIC ..if only because he’s in a position where he CAN ? I want to believe that he fights his label for the right to make some REAL music every time he goes into the studio . I want to believe that any REAL artist strives to get to the point in his career where he can put down his foot and say THIS TIME WE’RE DOING IT MY WAY “. LB hasn’t show any evidence of that . That ship has sailed for LB . Its obvious he cares less about what he releases in a mature and a creative sense than even his label does or surely this would have happened by now .
“Kick The Dust Up”. Piece of shit . Very poorly crafted writing . Forgettable ” melody ” .
Ditto everything he ever put to radio . Even Tiffany knew when it was over .
August 12, 2015 @ 9:59 am
The song “Strip it down” is just a Luke Bryan chasing Jason Aldean’s “Burnin” it down” .It’s just a watered down version of The Same Song.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:28 am
That, and the title itself is blatant marketing.
They KNOW the title will catch people’s attention in that it sells sex, despite the title supposed to revolve more around the carpentry metaphor (as in assessing and repairing a relationship on the rocks).
Of course, “love” only comes up once in the song’s lyrics, and in that context it goes: “I just want to love you so bad, baby!”.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:56 am
That is EXACTLY what I thought when I heard it. And it’s every bit as bad.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:04 am
The song “Strip it down” is just a Luke Bryan chasing Jason Aldean’s “Burnin” it down” .It’s just a watered down version of The Same Song.
No substance on most of this one. As I have said if you listen
to any interview with Luke Bryan you will hear that it’s all about
the Money. Nothing more.
August 12, 2015 @ 9:56 am
I heard some chatter about this CD getting a Grammy nomination? This
CD is mediocre at best and it’s the same formula as Luke’s last CD. I
Guess if Milli Vanilli could win a Grammy for NOT singing a note on
their 1990’s albums,then I am sure LUKE Bryan can win that elusive
Grammy. Sad state of affairs in Modern Music all around. IMO.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:03 am
There’s also been talk about removing Andrew Jackson from the 20. The man is one of the most influential and significant of the American presidents!!! But stupid folks are never short stupid thoughts I suppose.
August 12, 2015 @ 10:10 am
“Sad state of affairs in Modern Music all around. IMO. ”
Sad indeed , Cilla , when our overwhelming disappointment about the state of “radio country” is more in need of a fiddle than the music itself .
August 12, 2015 @ 10:19 am
Oh Cool, the like thingy is back +1!
August 12, 2015 @ 10:58 am
Thing is, I never much cared for Luke even when his material was decent. “All My Friends Say” is the song that’s closest to being one that I’d say I like, but even that’s ruined by his current work for me. “Do I” was okay but it was grossly overplayed, and “Rain is a Good Thing” is one of the stupidest songs I’ve ever heard vying for radio relevance. His big break into stardom with bro-country soon after simply turned the annoying mosquito that was buzzing by my ear into the wasp that’s stinging it. I can’t bring myself to even pretend to care about Bryan at this point. He’s not the worst I’ve ever heard and his voice isn’t half bad, but I compulsively switch off the radio when any of his songs come on. Same with Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean and Sugarland/Jennifer Nettles.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:12 am
“Tackle Box” and “The Car In Front Of Me” were quite good deep cuts, in my opinion, off of “I’ll Stay Me” (that ship sure sailed, didn’t it? =P )
And on his EP preceding that full-length debut, he had tracks that showed great promise too. “Favorite Flowers” was a genuine standout, for one.
*
As a whole, however, I agree with you.
I haven’t genuinely liked a radio single of his since “We Rode In Trucks”. That’s just pathetic. And should he not release “To The Moon And Back” as a radio single this era, that losing streak will only continue to stretch. =/
August 12, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
I’ll have to take your word for it, Nadia. At this point I’m so sick of hearing about the guy I wouldn’t be able to separate that bias from whatever positive qualities any of his material might have. I’m at that “I don’t care but everyone keeps bringing it up” annoyance stage, so I don’t see myself willingly seeking out his music at any point in the future. I appreciate your opinion, however.
August 12, 2015 @ 12:13 pm
No worries! =)
In thé back of my mind, part of me feels much the same way. But part of me is probably too diplomatic, perhaps even musically masochistic, to a fault! =P
August 12, 2015 @ 12:49 pm
I don’t think so. But that’s just me 🙂 . You give everybody, regardless of creed or color, a chance and that’s hard to come by in this world, whether it be music or life. Most of us have a problem with that perspective, myself included.
Did you ever get around to re-listening to Hillbilly Jedi, or at least the Bon Jovi collaboration “Born Again”? I remember that came up on the Marilyn Manson article but I don’t know whether you actually did or not and if so what you thought.
August 13, 2015 @ 9:33 am
I did listen to “Born Again”, and forgot to talk about it.
I wasn’t passionate either direction with that track, but found more to respect than dislike about it. One aspect working in its favor is a sense of personality to its production. Granted so much has changed in three years, but it still stands out for its no-barred stadium rock bombast with faint hints of fiddle here and there without the obnoxiousness of “Party Like Cowboyz” and the Cowboy Troyz tracks.
It is a fight song for their live show, above all else. Nowhere is this made more plain than in its infomercial-esque lyrics, as well as spoken-word sections: which would be the weakest link here. And to Jon Bon Jovi’s credit, he sounds better against this arrangement than most anything the band has put out since “Crush” (Jon Bon Jovi sounds awful on their two current singles).
Perhaps my ears initially overlooked this when listening to “Hillbilly Jedi” as a whole because almost nothing made an impression on me like their first two albums and “Party Like Cowboyz” especially gave me audio whiplash. But I do acknowledge this is the best rocker in the set and something vitally missing from “Gravity” entirely.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:24 am
Yeah, I actually hate “Rain is a Good Thing” and “We Rode In Trucks.”
“All of My Friends Say” is hilarious, though, and I do really enjoy “Do I” when it comes on the radio nowadays.
The most frustrating part about Bryan is the fact that we know he’s capable of so much more. It’s the same principle as Shelton, even if he doesn’t quite have Shelton’s voice.
August 12, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
I personally find it more frustrating for Blake than Luke. Sure, Bryan came in right before things went COMPLETELY tits up, but his material has always had that “goofy white guy” syndrome and “aw shucks” mentality that you pointed out to Trigger, and it annoyed me even then (good way to phrase it, by the way; never could put my finger on what exactly bothered me about his earlier stuff until I read that). Blake, on the other hand, used to release PROTEST songs for real country music on his first few albums. He covered Conway Twitty and sent it to radio. He brought in George Jones and John Anderson to sing with him on a tune called “The Last Country Song.” Bryan is annoying, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never got the feeling of utter fakery and insincereity from him that I got from Shelton upon digging into his older recordings.
The story I always like to tell about my relationship with Blake’s music is that I liked his radio hits back in the day. His first Greatest Hits record is still killer and I’m not ashamed to admit that I still like his older material. Good music is good music regardless of what the artist might have become at some point in the future (yes, that also goes for such characters as David Allan Coe, but that doesn’t mean I have to respect them as people). I’m an album collector and I like to think of my collection less as a set of records I like a more of a library; there’s all types of reference material, most I like and some I don’t. Unless something is TRULY offensive, I don’t tend to sell off anything for I never know when I might want to refer to an album once more for a renewed perspective. Well, that taken with my enjoyment of Blake’s earlier material as well as a few of his newer ballads like “Mine Would Be You,” led me to collect his discography. All of them were in the Walmart bargain bin so it was mostly an impulse decision. I ended up with a certain amount of respect and even greater resentment for Blake after this little venture.
Starting out on his first few albums were those aforementioned protest songs, usually one per record near the end. However, he also co-wrote a handful of tracks himself; he penned the title track of his sophomore album The Dreamer by himself. I like to refer to his first three albums as his “Artist” era. He’s never been a top tier creator of the likes of the legends in country, but he was certainly respectable. He seemed authentic and brought that to his recordings through his voice, pen and appearance. His fourth album Pure BS was the turning point, but also the best of both worlds. To me, it featured his strongest material to date, but it was also when he cut his hair, quit wearing the hat and his sound, despite being solid contemporary country, was much smoother. The album sold decently but probably not to the expectations of his camp; I think this is around the time the artist in Blake died, faded away or was snuffed out by the desire for fame. When I first heard this album in its entirety it regained some of my respect for Shelton. Then I actually THOUGHT about the implications of the album, and lost it once more. He’s always been something of a hack, the audience he was playing to just changed and he jumped ship for greener pastures (specifically the Jackson, Grant and Franklin type of green).
His next album Startin’ Fires featured his first collaboration with Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins, as well as the start of his albums being mostly just songs of the party country variety. His next endeavor was the double set of EPs Hillbilly Bone and All About Tonight, which is somewhat unfortunate history. I liked the singles he was putting out at this time for what they were: somewhat stupid but endearingly so in a way that didn’t really offend my ears. It kind of just regressed from there. From a career perspective, Blake is very much the sellout when compared to Bryan. If you laid a hip hop beat over “All My Friends Say”, stripped out the more traditional instrumentation and replaced it with a hip hop beat it’d be largely the same as what he does now, save for the lesser amount of mix tapes references and utterances of the words “baby” and “girl.” On the other hand, Blake has gone from cutting protest songs to calling traditional country fans old farts and jackasses. Talk about Bryan “knowing better” basically amounts to some of his songs not being all manners of crap. “Knowing better” for Shelton is a past of REAL modern country.
August 12, 2015 @ 12:41 pm
The most frustrating part about Bryan is the fact that we know he”™s capable of so much more.
Yep. That’s it, right there. I don’t think Bryan’s untalented, stupid, or has a bad voice; I just think he’s throwing it all away on shit music.
August 12, 2015 @ 6:04 pm
Even when Luke was pumping out diet quasi-new traditional Country with his first two albums (more so his first, his second was where he started moving more pop), I thought he was relatively boring and generic. He was not bad, but I also don’t remember him pumping out a bunch of deep songs filled with lyrical deepness.
Blake to me is more of a shame because he cut and recorded some damn good songs before he hooked up with Scott Hendricks.
August 13, 2015 @ 8:18 am
Yep.
August 13, 2015 @ 3:42 pm
Yeah, pretty much. “All My Friends Say” was good for a few listens, but not much beyond that. And really, the less said about everything else, the better.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:38 am
This is a bit of a nitpick, but the ass shaking stuff Bryan does on stage isn’t “selling sex” to the audience (and you do sound a bit like the people who refused to show video of Elvis Presley’s hips, haha).
The reason it’s sexy, according to all of my female friends, is because he’s terrible at dancing, knows it, and doesn’t give a fuck. It’s the same principle as all that “dad bod” stuff, or pre-Guardians Chris Pratt.
God knows that Bryan hasn’t become a superstar because of his musical output. It’s because he genuinely has that “it factor” on stage, and the fact that he’s confident enough to do proudly do the “Goofy White Guy” in front of tens of thousands of people is a huge part of that.
It’s also why his terrible output over the past few years is so damn frustrating.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:42 am
You add Luke’s moves with the themes of some of these songs, and that’s where it graduates to selling sex. In my opinion.
August 12, 2015 @ 11:52 am
That’s fair. I just think it’s important to separate Luke the Entertainer from Luke the “Artist.”
No one likes Luke Bryan for the themes of his songs. The people who listen to his music don’t pay any attention to the lyrics, outside of mindlessly singing along to the hook.
They like him because he’s an honest-to-god rock star who puts on a hell of a show. He could cover Woody Guthrie or he could cover Soulja Boy, and they’d love it either way, as long as he was singing it onstage.
August 12, 2015 @ 12:08 pm
Notwithstanding the fact he imitates sex sounds/grunts in thé introductions to the songs “Kill The Lights” and “That’s My Kind Of Night”. =P
August 15, 2015 @ 6:37 am
If the phrase “dad bod” ever becomes popular, I am going to freaking commit seppoku! Seriously I have my bushido blade and sake at the ready!
BANZAI!!!!!
August 12, 2015 @ 11:47 am
The much anticipated Kill The Lights. By fans and critics alike lol. As far as the first half of the album compared to the second, this review is exactly what I expected. But as far as where the credit your giving him is, I think is a little off. I didn’t think those songs in the later half came across as too laundry listed. I thought while trying to offer something of more substance they were meant to still remain true to who Luke is as much as they could, that’s all. And likewise, I’m not sure he necessarily deserves credit for trying to throw in redeemable cuts in order to balance the libra scale of country music like Jason Aldean and other artists are starting to do. I’m very surprised there was no comparison of Strip It Down to Burnin’ It Down because to me it was so obviously written and cut with the intent to recreate and ride off the coattails of that success lol. Home Alone Tonight is the one I am most torn on. I understand exactly how the song comes across from them two and I thought the same thing myself lol, but I think the song is fun in the right way and I don’t disagree with Luke cutting songs that will relate to people in different types of situations. Regardless, I think this song is gonna be the biggest single off the album. I think its going to rival the biggest digital single sales in the last number of years. I think Razor Blade is a solid song that will be over and underlooked on this album. I think songs like that are exactly what Luke should be doing and what should be his center pocket. And lastly, Kill The Lights reminds me of Stay In The Light lmao.
August 12, 2015 @ 3:39 pm
Unrelated, but I noticed that just about every major mainstream country artist’s Wikipedia page has been updated with a tour announcement for the upcoming year. Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Lady Antebellum (with 2 new tour additions), Carrie Underwood, Eric Church.. yet none of them have announced anything. Is this typical for them to be put on their Wikipedia before announcements are even made or is it most likely the result of someone messing around? I’m hoping for the latter because some of the tours are head scratchers… Chase Rice opening for Eric Church and Kelsea Ballerini for Brantley Gilbert? Wtf!
August 12, 2015 @ 3:40 pm
I’ve always thought that this sort of music goes hand in hand with the gradual dumbing down of America that has occurred during the last decade or so. If one were so inclined a parallel could be drawn that tracks the idiocy of modern music with the growing idiocy of American society.
August 12, 2015 @ 6:00 pm
I think the worst part is how being dumb is now a source of pride for some people in America. Likewise being intelligent or seeking knowledge is something that some people deride. The thing that people don’t understand is that being a “simple man” does not mean being dumb. It just means putting your priorities in line and not screwing yourself or others over and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses. In the world of Luke Bryan and FGL, being “simple” means driving a jacked up truck and trying to screw every drunk girl alive.
August 12, 2015 @ 6:10 pm
I find it rather worrisome that the vast majority of modern music is in this vein. Granted, there has always been a certain percentage of mainstream music that is of the brainless variety but when it becomes the rule rather than the exception I think it is time for concern. It is, indeed, an accurate portrayal of modern intelligence.
August 15, 2015 @ 6:31 am
There is a reason for this. We have had it so good for so long in America. And let’s face it, we have gotten by for a long time on brute force and might that we have forgotten how to think as a country.
I will give you a historical context. In World War II, German tank crews destroyed, on average, six American tanks for every one of theirs. But we ended up winning because although our tankers were not as well trained, we had a lot more men, and a lot more tanks. In the end, superior force trumps superior thinking.
We have frowned on intelligence because it is not compatible with the New American Ideal. Our masters do not want us to think. They want us to be blind consumerist zombies. And it is working all too well.
August 12, 2015 @ 4:15 pm
I am glad I am not going to buy this turd’s cd.
August 12, 2015 @ 4:23 pm
I honestly can’t see how Trigger can listen to this garbage long enough to give the entire album a review.I would be out before the first song ended.On a side note I recently walked into a new Cabala’s that opened in my area & the first thing I see when i walk in is a lifesize Luke Bryan cardboard cutout I really had to fight the urge to just say fuck it & walk out.
August 12, 2015 @ 5:57 pm
I checked out a few samples on Amazon because I hate myself apparently. Even if there were a one or two decent songs on this album, at this point Luke is so incredibly unlikeable and the production on his albums is such pure crap….I don’t think I could listen to it.
Luke Bryan in my eyes is one of the most unlikeable people in Country music right now IMO. The “aw shucks” fake charm is bullcrap. Kinda like his entire musical output….
August 12, 2015 @ 7:21 pm
He does seem fake as far as his image is concerned. It might be fake for good reason. 🙂
August 12, 2015 @ 7:34 pm
Not only unlikable but overtly fake. Not much different than the so called reality television celebrities that dominate these days…
August 15, 2015 @ 2:49 pm
Back in the day there were more than a few folks who didn’t quite buy in to Garth Brooks’ seemingly insincere “Aw, shucks” brand of false modesty/charm.
August 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am
“He does seem fake as far as his image is concerned. It might be fake for good reason”
No one in the country music business comes off more fake, ” humbler than thou ” and see-through insincere than Garth . And it hasn’t hurt HIS career . Fake attracts fans who either don’t see through it or don’t care that the person they idolize is NOT real .
NO ONE could sing the songs Luke Bryan is singing and get them played on radio …..much less anywhere else . HE is the product . HE is what they are marketing . HE is what people are paying for ….not those insipid songs . REAL songwriters must absolutely cringe when they hear his stuff and think about the $$$ it generates for his so-called writers . As a writer , this aspect of the crap released to radio is most disturbing , extremely frustrating and completely unjust . Not only to the GOOD writers but to fans who deserve so much better .
BTW …favourite album so far this year …Rodney and Emmy-Lou ‘s “Travellin Kind ” . If you are a fan of country music ( REAL country music ) , songs with substance , traditional instrumentation and vocal performances as good as I’ve heard from either of these artists in a long while , you’ll LOVE this collection .
August 13, 2015 @ 7:00 am
Yeah, Garth is up on that list as well. Garth’s “just a simple dad” schtick is about as annoying as Taylor Swift acting shocked at every award she won.
Pretty much every major artist has so many people around them telling them what to do and say and look that it’s almost impossible for them NOT to be fake at this point.
I just wonder if Luke even knows how creepy and weird his act has gotten. Does he even realize how freaking weird it is for a 40-year-old father to be grinding his hips on stage, singing about screwing college age (perhaps younger) girls? Or is he just blissfully ignorant, insulated in his own little world with his managers and band mates that kiss his ass every chance they get?
August 13, 2015 @ 8:25 am
I think part of the problem with many of these newer artists is that they’ve betrayed the country mindset of “songs can change lives, they matter to people” to the pop mindset of “it’s all in good fun” (assuming they ever even had a conception of it to begin with). They treat it much less as an art form; the implications of what they’re singing and promoting are shrugged off by the idea that it’s “just a song,” as if music is just background noise that isn’t to be taken seriously. Sadly, that mindset reflects how many folks from my generation to now seem to feel about this art-form. I was listening to Montgomery Gentry’s “Twenty Years Ago” a few months ago and the emotion of the song was getting to me. It made me tear up a bit, and my best friend whom was in the room asked me in a slightly condescending way why the song was causing any sort of reaction, as if I was taking it “too seriously.” Bah!
For anyone interested, this is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DagTgTyvrnI. Perhaps not the best thing you’ve ever heard, but it’s so well-performed it affects me. And my relationship with my father isn’t this rough.
August 13, 2015 @ 10:13 am
I checked out that Montgomery Gentry song and I can see where it may evoke some emotion (like many good country songs can). Ironically, the lead add for the video was a promotion for the new Luke Bryan CD…
August 13, 2015 @ 10:46 am
Perhaps the song is a little on-the-nose and lacking its own ideas to be truly “great,” but I’m glad you could see some quality there. Of course, I have a different relationship with MG than perhaps most of the regular readers of this site. They were one of my favorites a year or two ago (and their older material is still up there) until they went bro-country. Regardless, favorite artists are almost like friends you can turn to at any point. You may not know them personally but you FEEL like you do through their music, which is why their good songs are so effective to your ears and the bad ones so offensive. It’s not enough for a song to be good on its own, the artist has to have your respect, and oftentimes trust and admiration, to get you at the deepest level. Sometimes a song can earn all of that on its own, just as a song can tear it in two. Meh, now I’m rambling, but that’s me covering my butt if anyone happens to disagree about my feelings on “Twenty Years Ago.”
August 13, 2015 @ 8:51 am
@ Mike W, Exactly what I have thought about Luke Bryan and his
on stage “act”. It is Creepy to see very young girls in the audience
watching him “groove”. As you said SOMETHING is very creepy about
this. Funny thing he is way beyond caring about this. His Bank account
is growing and that’s all it is for Luke Bryan. You think anyone in
his “inner circle” notices how creepy his act looks? Bet no one is gonna
mention it to him,that’s their Meal ticket also. He is now surrounded by
“YES” people. Once his CD’s are not selling as well,THAT’S when the
negative starts coming from the inner circle. Happens all the time.
August 14, 2015 @ 11:06 am
Like I said above, the fact that he can’t really pull the dance moves off is why they work for him.
What’s sexy isn’t the dancing, it’s the self-assurance and confidence to do a “goofy white guy,” ass-shaking dance on stage.
August 14, 2015 @ 11:08 am
I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds it sexy as hell…
August 14, 2015 @ 12:21 pm
The Y chromosome is a bit of a deal breaker for me, but I definitely see why my friends dig him.
August 14, 2015 @ 12:02 pm
Do you think Luke Bryan’s female fans actually see it as “goofy white boy dancing” though? I mean, I would guess that the cross section between Luke Bryan female fans and the same women who are impressed by a chromed out truck, even if the guy driving it is a ugly meth head are pretty high.
My point being that the average Luke Bryan fan probably isnt intelligent enough to discern between confidence and douchebaggery.
August 14, 2015 @ 12:18 pm
The sexy goofiness is taken directly from a girl I know who likes Bryan.
Also…chill the fuck out with the snobbery. I know plenty of smart, wonderful people who enjoy going to Luke Bryan concerts. He plays catchy pop music, has a fine voice, and puts on a hell of a show.
The fact that they don’t like country music doesn’t mean they lack the intelligence “to discern the between confidence and douchebaggery.” The only people who think he comes off as a douche are the ones with a personal vendetta against him for playing pop music and calling it country.
August 13, 2015 @ 9:01 am
F*$k the haters! Like it or not he’s making millions while grouchy haters are bitching on their keyboards in grandma’s basement! Bahahahaha!!!!!
August 13, 2015 @ 10:32 am
It’s not a hatred of the man but rather a hatred of the corporate music machine bullshit that he represents. Plus, I truly believe that Luke Bryan and his ilk care not one iota for the tradition of the music he supposedly represents nor does he seemingly care for the music or the quality of the music. When you spout lyrics that could have been written by a 5th grader it is very large indicator that you are in it for the moolah and nothing more.
August 13, 2015 @ 11:30 am
Typical Luke Bryan fan who uses the word “hater” & is probably over the age of 14 to insult other people….I know you are but what am I.
August 15, 2015 @ 6:23 am
I bet you wear pink Mossy Oak camo, have a truck with shiny rims that your mommy and daddy brought you, and only started listening listening to “country music” when the hip hop fad faded out about 5 years ago. You probably also have no idea of who Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams Sr. are…or at least you didn’t until Google came along for quick reference in your arguments.
Please run along and be basic someplace else, won’t you? Taste of Country might be more up your alley.
Isbell Sings '24 Frames' on Conan; Bonnaroo Weighs Country Festival; 2015 IBMA Nominees Announced | Country California
August 13, 2015 @ 10:13 am
[…] long last, Saving Country Music reviewed Luke Bryan’s Kill the […]
August 13, 2015 @ 11:23 am
Yeah he no doubt sold out his new song sucks!! I find the lyrics to that song actually quite comical & was probably written with a crayon.What is going to be done about it? Nothing! Absolutely nothing as long as cheap wannabe country hookers can twirk their flat asses to Luke Bryan & frat boy douchebags can benefit from his corny songs to get laid it will not stop! He will get paid & the drunk sluts who think they are country wearing pink & purple camo looking for a dumbass in a jacked up truck to take them muddin’ so they can get out of the trailer park for a little while to sip on Fireball & be taken advantage of all while screaming out “Country Life” it will not change! Stop giving this asshole free publicity! I don’t even listen to the radio! Turn it off & choose your own play list!
August 14, 2015 @ 9:59 am
For all the over saturated advertising on this new CD from
Luke Bryan,it Did not debut at #1 on billboard country chart.
Did it even debut at the top 5 on Billboard COUNTRY charts?
ALAN JACKSON HAS,THE #1 Album on Billboard COUNTRY,yes
just let the music do the talking. Maybe Country radio will finally
take a look and change to playing Country music again….change
comes slowly,there’s always hope.
August 14, 2015 @ 11:39 am
“Kill The Lights” will be #1 in country when the charts are updated, and it won’t even be close. Projections have it selling over 300,000 copies at the moment. The only hope is it will not hit #1 in the all-genre chart if the “Straight Outta Compton” soundtrack beats it out (which may make strange rooting interests for some).
August 14, 2015 @ 11:45 am
Yeah what Trigger said and if we’re going to be accurate Alan Jackson was #1 two weeks this current week the top spot is once again held by Sam Hunt. When the new chart comes out Tuesday morning Luke Bryan will be #1 and he will likely outsell the next 10-15 albums combined.
August 14, 2015 @ 10:26 am
Amiri King 2016.
August 14, 2015 @ 4:21 pm
I am beginning to see what you are saying. I came on your site a few weeks ago- intrigued yet defensive. I’ve read many of your posts and “get it” now. Claiming to be something you are not, is annoying. Although being in one genre is difficult now-a-days, many artists should simply label themselves pop and less blogs like this would exist.
I listened to LB’s album (Big fan!) and the words you are writing never made more sense. There were only a couple of songs I felt repeating.
It’s difficult to listen to the first few tracks without feeling anger and disappointment.
I didn’t feel overly obsessed with any one song, like I typically do on albums and it left me wanting more.
It was also puzzling because he mentioned this CD would be “more country” than past albums. Hmmmm.
I played the album a second and third time as a fan simply listening to music, not expecting a country CD and felt a lot different. I enjoyed the songs a lot more. Many are catchy and fun. I agree “catchy and fun” have it’s place in music. Although there is very little on the radio, in any genre, that we enjoy these days or maybe ever. I really would not mind if 1-2 songs were this way on the album. However, when the pop outweighs/drowns out the country- it’s hard to be satisfied.
I will say I greatly enjoyed “Fast” (I was hoping the last verse would be about Bo & Tate too! Felt it was missing something), Boys Grow Up and Dogs Get Old (I know you can produce more of this LUKE!), and “Way Way Back.” * I heard Luke play “Fast” and “Way Wayy Back” acoustically and enjoyed this striped down version to much.
I am holding out that Luke will turns things around in the future. Fingers crossed! I’ll stand by and wait this out- just like we stand by our fav. football team when they’re chronically losing. 🙂
August 14, 2015 @ 11:44 pm
Trigger, I want to offer you my thanks and condolences for listening to this schlock. Not that I ever could be troubled to bother with it, I appreciate you sacrificing yourself so we can all appreciate what a pile of crap LB just dropped on the world, and I am sorry for whatever dignity or sanity it may have cost you.
Having listened only to ‘Kick The Dust Up’, I am firmly convinced that it is the worst ‘country’ song of all time. I used to reserve that position for ‘Truck Yeah’, but it has been knocked out of place by a pretty wide margin. This is almost the sinister, evil twin to David Allen Coe’s ‘You Never Even Call Me By My Name’. Where that song reveled in jamming in all the country benchmarks, this song shoves every suburban porn image and cliche into a lifeless, mechanical automaton of a “song”. That fact that this was ever recorded, let along played on the radio is utterly deplorable.
Country is dead. Like ‘Kick The Dust Up’, it is now more machine than human, a monotonous, mechanical, musical cyborg. This is true from the corporations down to the computerized beats. There is no soul left.
August 15, 2015 @ 5:56 am
I’ll counter and say everyone keeps saying luke isn’t country so how can it be the “worst country song ever made”?? I knowwwww because it is played on country radio.
August 27, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
Thank you, good sheeple. How dare these minimalist swine have a different opinion than my corporate henchmen? I say it is country. Therefore it IS country!! Now please go buy a Luke Bryan CD along with a new 80 inch plasma television at Best Buy! Worship me, for I am Consumerism, your new GOD!!!!
August 15, 2015 @ 6:34 am
I swear, the album reviews are hilarious on here! They are a lot more fun to read than on Taste of Country. I swear on that site, they sound like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho wrote them.
P.S. Am I insane for actually reading those reviews in Bateman’s voice??? LOL Well it’s off to go get a reservation at Dorsia’s!
August 15, 2015 @ 7:42 am
I forgot to mention “huntin, fishin and living everyday”. Loveeee this one. That slow talking at the end gets me everytime. â¤ï¸
August 15, 2015 @ 8:40 am
I’m surprised he didn’t get a two guns way down on this one. This stuff is boring I can’t even go through the entire album.
August 15, 2015 @ 8:37 pm
Instead of the album title “Kill the Lights”, better title would’ve been
“Kill the Genre” because that is what this Album of “pop” country is
doing. Listen to 5 tracks and Could NOT stand anymore.
So happy I just got my Jason Isbel and Alan Jackson CD’s today!
GOOD Music worth buying entire albums.
August 16, 2015 @ 8:23 am
At least try to be objective. You criticize Luke for not being country, then he throws out a great country song like “Huntin, Fishin, and Lovin Every Day” and you still criticize it.
August 16, 2015 @ 10:52 am
It’s a country song I’ll give you that. But just because something is country, doesn’t mean it’s great.
August 16, 2015 @ 12:54 pm
I am pushing in to the 120s as far as comments, and I don’t how many of these you have time to read. Also, if this is an inappropriate question, feel free to dismiss it but.. How do you review these albums? Do you purchase them, stream them on YouTube, or are these major labels actually sending you copies for review purposes (which would be suicidal for albums like this)? Just curious, because I don’t see you putting money in the pockets of artists like Bryan, and YouTube videos and the like sometimes only go so far in sound quality.
August 16, 2015 @ 2:05 pm
It’s different for every album. A lot of albums for independent artist, I receive advanced copies, either digitally or physically. I receive more records than I could ever review. For something like this, obviously the Luke Bryan camp is not a supporter of SCM, so I have to wait for it to be released, and then listen to it through a subscription service. The only album I have purchased for review purposes in probably the last two years was Garth Brooks’ “Man Against Machine.”
August 19, 2015 @ 9:17 am
God bless you for even having the patience to listen to the whole thing. I’m not sure I could have made it through the first track.
October 4, 2015 @ 9:36 pm
I didn’t even bother listening to this album Trigger. God bless you for having to sit through over a half hour of torture in order to provide us with this review.
July 27, 2016 @ 4:05 pm
i was enjoying lunch with my dad and move came out of the radio of the barbeque joint we were eating in and until it came on i forgot how much i hated it