Review – Love & Theft’s “Whiskey On My Breath”
To be perfectly honest, Love & Theft was never a duo I felt much need to pay attention to. They were sort of in this gaggle of acts with two-word names like Thompson Square and Steel Magnolia, sporting middling careers with middling songs. It was just tough for them to raise the pulse, positively or negatively.
Earlier this year, the news came out about Love & Theft really getting the shaft from their RCA label in Nashville. The story was they got dropped because they weren’t Bro-Country. They were told that in as many words. And even worse, it happened when they had masters sitting on a shelf with the label, so they were left in a lurch like so many major label acts are when the ax falls. RCA Nashville was one of the many labels under Sony Nashville CEO Gary Overton’s control—the guy that uttered the now notorious words about not existing if you’re not on radio. Overton has since lost his own job.
So Love & Theft regrouped and decided to strip down their sound to mostly acoustics and record a new album called Whiskey On My Breath. With song titles such as “Hang Out Hungover” and “Tan Lines,” you can probably anticipate some of the flavors this album includes. A few of the songs probably could be characterized as stripped-down versions of Bro-Country in some respects, but others show much more promise. The title track especially caught my ear.
The very beginning is where the song can almost lose you. It’s just a little too progressive, a little too stylized for my taste. Hand drums are not exactly what I have in mind when I think of a weighty country song. But then it settles in just fine and you virtually forget about all that by the first chorus.
Co-written by Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson of Love and Theft with Trent Tomlinson, Russell Dickerson, Adam Craig and Mark McGuinn, the song takes almost the exact opposite approach of the modern day country song by instead of glorifying the party lifestyle, representing the other side of the coin in more of a cautionary tale. It’s fair to call it a religious song, but the contriteness and real life narrative grounds “Whiskey In My Breath” in more of a universally-resonating sentiment, impacting the listener no matter what their religious affiliation happens to be.
One of the many unfortunate parts about the modern day Nashville machine is that you never know how truly talented (or not talented) the artists are once layer upon layer of production has been added on top. By peeling that all back and exposing their voices, Love & Theft soar in a way virtually unseen from major label acts these days aside from maybe Carrie Underwood. “Whiskey On My Breath” reminded me a lot of Underwood’s “Something In The Water,” and Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High On That Mountain” especially. No wonder after the duo performed the song on the Grand Ole Opry, Gill said to them as they walked off stage, “That’s how you sing boys.”
As you could probably anticipate, despite being released as a single, “Whiskey On My Breath” didn’t raise a blip of interest on country radio without a major label behind its back. But the hook is chilling, the sentiment is pure, and it’s definitely something worth bending an ear to.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Up.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:28 am
I absolutely love this song. Chilling and haunting. It also brought to mind another song with a similar hook. “Don’t Tell Mama” by Gary Allan. “Don’t tell mama I was drinking, lord knows her soul would never rest. I can’t leave this world with mama thinking, I met the lord with Whiskey on my breath.”
April 30, 2015 @ 9:42 am
Acoustic guitars ,accordion, fiddle solo ,mandolin , piano , substance-driven AUDIBLE narrative , solid vocals featuring arresting harmonies . No wonder it didn’t get played on radio . Where’s the fake twang , the drum loops , the ‘girl,’ the wall of Les Pauls , the rapped ‘bridge’ , …and what ..not even a token BANJO ? Everybody knows a ‘country song’ needs a token banjo !
Seriously though …it takes over 1:30 to get to the chorus/ title and another 1:30 to get back to it with the tag title happening once again ( come early , come often ). . Twangtown wants that title within 30-45 seconds and sooner if possible ( attention spans ). The overall song length is 4:40 . Some bigger acts ( named Hunt , Bryan , Aldean ) MIGHT get away with that length but no mortals would . Eats into ad time . Last but not least , the hymn-like arrangement and the mention of Jesus’ name still scares the hell out of most stations/chains/networks unless your band’s name is UNDERWOOD …and even then …. .
This is one of the best songs/lyrics to come to country radio in a very long while , IMHO,… as is the performance and arrangement . I applaud these guys for recording and releasing this . I would hope the rest of the CD has the same integrity about it . And I would hope someone in radio-land appreciates that fact and supports it and similar trad-leaning efforts by other acts . I’m in total agreement with your 1 3/4 guns -up assessment Trigger .
April 30, 2015 @ 9:14 pm
Mentioning Jesus’ name doesn’t scare anybody away. Half-assed pandering religion sentiments are all over modern “country.”
I’m looking at you, Brantley Gilbert.
October 20, 2015 @ 12:40 pm
Listen to this and tell me he doesn’t mean every damn word he’s saying.
http://theboot.com/brantley-gilbert-one-hell-of-an-amen-no-1-party/
April 30, 2015 @ 9:49 am
“One of the many unfortunate parts about the modern day Nashville machine is that you never know how truly talented (or not talented) the artists are”.
Ha! One of the truest things you have ever written on this site. I wonder sometimes how many artists get just written off by country music fans because they get sucked into the machine. (See your post from a few months ago about “Before they sucked” https://savingcountrymusic.com/before-they-sucked-big-country-stars-at-the-start). Some of the most annoying mainstream artists used to actually be creative and would actually sing some darn good country songs.
Before reading this, Love and Theft was one of those duo’s that I paid no attention too.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:52 am
Thanks for writing this one, Trigger. When I saw the title I figured it was probably a rant, I tried to like these guys a few years ago but couldn’t so would have never given another listen without you bringing the new album to my attention. I know you are getting some heat after your reviews of the bigger names recently but bringing attention to a band most people assumed to be C-list bro-country shows how positive and valuable this site is.
April 30, 2015 @ 10:03 am
“Whiskey On My Breath” isn’t bad, but as far as songs about meeting the Lord with whiskey on your breath go, I prefer “Don’t Tell Mama I Was Drinkin’.” Gary Allan and The Grascals both do fantastic versions.
April 30, 2015 @ 10:04 am
I really appreciate you reviewing this one Trig. If it wasn’t for the fact that I have Sirius, I would never have heard this song but it is hands down one of the best on there right now. Trent Tomlinson is a name I have not heard in quite a while and its a real shame because he might be one of the most overlooked guys in the business in the last 10 years. Really miss hearing “One Wing in the Fire” and his various other hits.
April 30, 2015 @ 11:26 am
Wow. clever song idea.
April 30, 2015 @ 11:58 am
This song is very contrived, these guys are bros and it shows. DAC would bitch slap these tools, and mainstream country will always be horrible music for lame white people
April 30, 2015 @ 3:38 pm
Yeah, I can definitely see where you’re coming from. Granted, this is probably one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time from a couple of mainstream Nancy’s, but that bar was set too low too long ago.
I think we’re all starved for even just halfway decent country music these days. And this is definitely better than most mainstream “country” (that’s not actually how I judge country music, but it is what it is).
Sturgill can’t release his next album soon enough…
April 30, 2015 @ 11:52 pm
I like the lyrics and the harmonies, but it certainly does feel contrived. I’d be hard pressed to think these two actually lived this song.
May 1, 2015 @ 1:11 am
Congratulations on injecting race into this discussion. Now back to the topic at hand.
Who cares if this song is contrived? When I judge a song, I don’t give a damn about the life story of the writer or vocalist. A good song that is contrived is far superior to a bad but authentic song. If this silly type of “authenticity” standard were used in literature or drama, most great stories, plays, and movies would not exist.
May 1, 2015 @ 6:55 am
I’m OK with a contrived song as long as it feels authentic.
I think Whitey sums up what’s missing from contemporary music nicely:
“…I always tell people, “it takes getting your heart broken a few times, and maybe losing a job or a couple of loved ones, before you really understand that these songs are about real shit.” They might sound too perfectly generic to be about real shit, but they actually are. That”™s just how good they are. It takes you a little while. Ray Price and Merle Haggard, when they sing those songs, it”™s about real life. Nowadays, it couldn”™t be further from it. They don”™t have real singers. They”™re airbrushing photos of all these dudes. It”™s like, it couldn”™t be less real than it is right now. It blows my mind. That”™s what it”™s supposed to be about. The word that goes best with country music is “real,” in fucking giant bold letters: REAL. I think about the way we”™re going down the road listening to these songs, and a song hits me and I”™m like, “I”™ve been there.” Or I look at Brett and go, “yeah, been there buddy?” He”™s like, “oh fuck, man.” It hits you. It brings you back down to earth. Someone else forty fuckin”™ years ago wrote about some shit that happened to you last night, because you were drinking and you weren”™t where you shoulda been, maybe you did something stupid you shouldn”™t have done. With a lot of George Jones songs, when it hit me, it totally reminded me of this girl, this time, this day. That”™s just what it does. Even if he didn”™t write it, you know damn well he felt the same way about it, and the reason why he sang it better than the dude that wrote it, the reason why he can sell it, is because he probably had the same experience. It”™s all these same memories and experiences that we keep tossing around, all these country guys. There”™s only so many of ”˜em.”
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/whitey-morgan-interview-stream
May 1, 2015 @ 1:47 pm
First off, I obviously have a great fondness of Whitey Morgan, and what he said here. I find it funny that he’s said similar things on SCM and other places many times, but it only became news when he said it on Vice. But that’s the way these things go.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that Love & Theft are not “real” or “authentic.” Two years ago, that was probably a very fair accusation. But we’ve all had our hearts broken. Just because someone is rich, attractive, or has good hair doesn’t mean they’ve never experienced heartbreak. We all have, and it doesn’t make anyone special, unique, or more real than anyone else. Also, this duo does know how it is to go through hard times, lose your job, and have your dreams crushed, because as explained in this review, they got completely jobbed by their major label and were left out on the street to fend for themselves. Maybe they should have known better and never signed that deal, but the point remains, just because Love & Theft have a name more people recognize compared to Whitey Morgan, doesn’t make one more real than the other. I’m not comparing the two mind you, I’m just saying they are two completely different artists with different influences and motivations, and just because they’re different, doesn’t mean one is more real than the other. I would still suspect Whitey is still more “real” than Love & Theft, but that’s not based on anything more than an opinion.
As for this REAL moniker that has become very trendy to assign to certain segments of country music. When SCM very first started, the banner at the top of the page read, “Fighting for REAL country music.” Then I started shying away from saying REAL because when it got parroted back to me, it was usually followed by someone sending me music that was all played in the Waylon half-time beat, with super countrified vocals singing about how REAL country they were and they weren’t like that bullshit coming out of Nashville.
Is that type of country “REAL”? Sure. But that doesn’t mean it’s real good. What I started to discover is that “REAL” is in the eye of the beholder, and is used to describe simply a mindset, just like “Outlaw,” instead of being an total, bulletproof describer of music. There’s a lot of misguided musicians out there right now playing REAL or Outlaw country that are contributing to the noise pollution of modern music just as much as anyone. I wouldn’t mark Whitey Morgan in that camp by any stretch, but just like Waylon did, Whitey has spawned some half-timed Waylon impersonators that really need to give it a rest, especially with their incessant Nashville protest songs that are self-ingratiating and as cliche as the music they’re criticizing.
Thirty Tigers—the same entity that aided the rise of Sturgill Simpson, has gotten behind Love & Theft now. I think that tells you just where this duo sits, and what promise they could have. Are they real? I guess that matters from your perspective. But after getting spit out of the Nashville machine, they’re definitely much more real now than they were a year ago.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
On a plane to Austin right now… but it looks like I’m gonna have to give it a listen after I land. Damnit, Trig. I’ve been doing a great job of not liking these guys for years. Don’t tell me they decided to buck the trend and make country music.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
Ok song. Better than the one they did with Nick Jonas on the ACM award show.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:05 pm
That was Dan + Shay, but I still laughed.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
Prior to this release, Love And Theft got on my nerves much more often than I deemed them listenable.
Granted they had some moments that showed promise: most notably “Running Out Of Air”. But their signature hit “Angel Eyes” pandered squarely to carnal bro fantasies (even if the production sounded pleasant)…………..and then they had some truly AWFUL album cuts including the one-two punch that closed their previous album: “Girls Like To Shake It” and “Girls Look Hot In Trucks”.
……………..yes, those are ACTUAL song titles; with the latter actually being a hilariously awful schmaltz-sounding fest about how we may barely ever agree on anything……………but HEY………….can we at the very least agree that girls look hot in trucks and that a cold beer tastes great on a sunny day? (eye roll) -__-
*
Thus, I had understandably pretty much written off Love & Theft entirely as anonymous trend-peddlers.
And, when this duo had three consecutive single releases fail to reach the Top Twenty…………..while I obviously am saddened whenever artists are not given the green light to release their albums and just wind up shelved indefinitely, if not permanently……….while they are ousted from their respective labels……………I wasn’t expecting anything noteworthy when I had heard they were releasing a new album on their own.
But when I heard the abrupt buzz surrounding “Whiskey On My Breath”, I kind of figured “Hey, ‘Runnin’ Out Of Air’ was a pretty good song, so if ‘Whiskey On My Breath’ is remotely as good as that, then it’s worth a listen, why not?”
And I am absolutely relieved I gave this a chance.
*
“Whiskey On My Breath” easily joins Jana Kramer’s “I Got The Boy”, and what hopefully turns out to be Dierks Bentley’s “Riser”, as one of the best mainstream country singles released this year, thus far.
You’ve already covered the beautiful vocal harmonies and intimate production enough here, but I want to touch on the lyrics as well because they’re equally as exquisite.
“Whiskey On My Breath” is proof that, ever still, less is more. We’re immediately presented with a picture of a helpless narrator lying in bed in the midst of a hangover with a bottle resting beside him. All of this is revealed in merely four lines, but it already sets the stage for a cathartic chorus stinging with remorse, but never veering too much to the schmaltzy in that he at least sounds resolute in not disappointing Jesus by eventually showing up under the influence.
Even still, it’s the open-endedness of the resolution: “I need to pull myself together before then…”, as well as the ache underpinning its vocal delivery, that makes the chorus all the more devastating. You believe his sincerity when he insists he’s scared of showing up in heaven in the current state he’s in, but he also doesn’t downplay the fact he has a long way to go and is presently at a loss as to where to start. The desperation is contained so well here, and while we maintain hope the narrator is setting himself on the right track in resolving to get right with the Lord and doesn’t make any excuses for his follies, the hazy ambiguity in both the vocal delivery and production underscores the fact this will be no easy work and there are no quick fixes to changing your ways………..and we’re not even sure he’ll stick with his resolution or not.
The second verse also holds some razor insight. He states he has broken nine out of ten commandments, but then insists he knows he’ll get to heaven because Jesus died for all his sins. That disclosure, alone, speaks volumes. Because had he figured that he would already be judged otherwise, we have every reason to believe he wouldn’t come to the same cathartic release he does. Because there would be no incentive to reverse course if he interpreted Jesus as any less forgiving.
Growing up, many of us soaked up these particularly black-and-white dichotomous views of heaven and hell, right and wrong, saints and sinners, etc. But when you really delve into the Holy Book, regardless if you identify as religious or secular………….the richness of the text is decisively grayscale and replete with moral ambiguity and parables that intentionally contradict each other. So that insight in the second verse definitely hit me hard……….and only adds further impetus with the refraining chorus.
*
“Whiskey In My Breath” hits just the right balance of self-awareness and moral ambiguity that makes for a most haunting and brutally honest ballad that is in equal measure intimately personal as well as universally relatable (I personally can’t imagine, despite references to Jesus and heaven, how secular listeners and even listeners of other faiths won’t be able to appreciate the sentiment here).
This deserves a strong 8/10 to weak 9/10 from me, and is easily among the best mainstream country has to offer this year (heck, make that the past five years).
*
By the way, I can also warmly say that more than half of the album of the same name is also a much-welcomed effort that consists of more to like than dislike.
Yes: I won’t diminish the fact that they DO still pander to the most banal and irritable commercial country tropes on several tracks. “Tan Lines” simply sucks, and the first three songs on the album (“Can’t Wait For The Weekend”, “Anytime, Anywhere”, “Hang Out Hungover”) are all tracks I’d interject “Skip It!” toward. I’m by no means saying this is a home run.
But considering their worse-than-mediocre track record beforehand, and their situation with finding a label and means of releasing future music…………I honestly am optimistic about where they can further grow and take their strengths from here. Aside from the title track, “Everybody Drives Drunk” hits hard (don’t let the title fool you, it’s actually a song about how past heartbreak and disappointment impacts and influences us to the extent we all may struggle to let loose of those haunted memories and live freely again.). And “Wrong Baby Wrong” (originally made a moderate hit by Martina McBride), “Easy” and “Get Drunk and Make Friends” (again, don’t instantaneously dismiss the song by its title: it’s actually a competent and listenable brand of party song that sounds like a 90s throwback) all impress me based on the production and exquisite harmonies.
*
So, for the first time yet, I’m actually looking forward to where Love & Theft can potentially move from here.
Until then, we have this outstanding single.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:13 pm
I always liked “Angel Eyes.” Yeah, it was a theme well-covered by country singers, but it was a fun song about a girl and the final verse/bridge about holding her at night contained some nice reflection on love in a more mature way than one would expect.
I haven’t listen to their other songs yet, so I cannot render an informed opinion on those songs.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
While I respect your take on “Angel Eyes”, I don’t buy it myself.
The lyrics give me the impression they’re much more lust than love, and spend most of the time, in a laundry list format, listing wild things she does that are stereotypically “naughty” like drinking beside the bonfire and cranking up the dial, while contrasting them with stereotypically “nice” things like singing in the church choir.
Now, like I’ve said, I like the production of “Angel Eyes”. It has a nice jangly drive to it that wouldn’t feel out of place on a sunny AM station back in the day. But, lyrically, it just didn’t work for me. It came across as written-by-committee and impersonal.
April 30, 2015 @ 5:39 pm
Glad I wasn’t the only one that thought “Running Out Of Air” was pretty good.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:42 pm
Sounds like a country boy band; not a fan of the vocals – higher-octave male duo harmonies just aren’t my thing.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:38 pm
I understand that high harmonies can be off putting or even sound feminine to some, but that’s the old bluegrass register, and that’s one of the things I like about the song because it harkens back to that tradition. That’s Ira Louvin’s part.
April 30, 2015 @ 10:05 pm
Everything about this song makes me think about Ira Louvin
May 1, 2015 @ 6:20 am
I like this song a lot, and I can pretty well guarantee that this is the first time Love & Theft and Ira Louvin have been mentioned in the same context.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:45 pm
Just beautiful. Brought a few tears to my eyes. Maybe I can get our local university station to play it.
April 30, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
Very good song. Not a fan of the band in general and I admit to not having checked out their new album, guess only time will tell if this is a case of a “blind squirrel find a nut” or the start of these guys actually making good music. I mean, let’s face it FGL cut “Dirt” which was solid and the same goes for Luke Bryan with “Drink a Beer”. Granted “Drink a Beer” was pretty much a bro-Country ballad if there ever was one, but it wasnt completely terrible and included Chris Stapleton’s always solid vocals.
I almost feel for artists like Love and Theft in a way, because they have to try and appease their fanbase, no matter the size of it now, by recording some songs that are basically the “diet” version of their Country radio hits, while also wanting to try and appeal to more independently minded Country fans. Has to be a hard, often creatively stifling line to straddle.
April 30, 2015 @ 2:27 pm
I take it none of you have heard Jason Boland’s Bottle By My Bed or Matt Borden’s Jack Daniels Daze? Two cautionary drinking songs by current artists(not boy-band bros) that are way more real
April 30, 2015 @ 3:47 pm
I’ve definitely heard Jason Boland’s “Bottle By My Bed.” I’ll have to look up Matt Borden’s. I don’t think you have to hate one song just because you like another. As I said in my review, I’m far from wholeheartedly endorsing Love & Theft as a band you should be listening to, but I thought this song was surprising and refreshing from an act like them, and evidenced growth.
It’s always said that 90% of what comes out of the mainstream is garbage. Well then it stands to reason that 10% is not. So in my opinion, it’s not my job to ignore all the mainstream or just spend all my time trashing it, but seek out that 10%, shine a spotlight on it, and hope that the 10% grows and takes shape and encroaches on that 90%. If a mainstream fan hears a song like this and connects with it, it could be the moment that opens up their musical horizons, and leads them to discover an artist like Jason Boland.
April 30, 2015 @ 3:19 pm
This song is dumb. It sounds like someone listened to Charlie Robison “Life of the Party” And wrote a watered down bullshit song.
April 30, 2015 @ 3:37 pm
I didn’t think that Zac Brown was capable of releasing anything truly bad, or that Love and Theft were capable of releasing anything truly good, yet both happened in the same week.
April 30, 2015 @ 4:10 pm
Best remorseful drinkin song I’ve heard in 20 years is YOU DON’T KNOW JACK co-written by Erin Ederlin ( Monday Morning Church ) .Incredible lyric ….cuts to the bone .
But even MORE amazing than the song is the only cut I’ve heard on it except for Erin’s from her album …and its by ….wait for it ………….LUKE BRYAN . Yup …THAT Luke . It’s the only reason I’d give Luke a ride if he were hitchhiking on a wilderness back road at 3 in the morning . He seems to KNOW what a good song is . He just doesn’t wanna sing one on the radio .
Check out his version on You Tube if you are serious about a lyric .
April 30, 2015 @ 4:16 pm
This song’s not incredible, but it’s definitely more than I expected from a duo I dismissed as Nashville B-listers when I first heard them on the radio a couple years back.
If anything, I think it’s proof that no artist; and no song; should be dismissed out of hand without being given a shot. Thanks for highlighting this, I definitely would have missed it otherwise.
April 30, 2015 @ 7:00 pm
like it when you make me take a second look at someone. favorite part of the review is the ‘one of the unfortunate parts of the Nashville machine is you never know how truly talented or not the artists are after production’ statement. I agree, and tend to lean to talented side, even some of the ones who get blasted on here regularly. If more would just strip it down and pull back a little it would come thru more. A lot of radio singles suck, but some of the deeper cuts, by even some of the ‘bros’ make me wonder why can’t you just stick with that type of stuff. Seeing some of these pop country type acts, usually up and comers, at acoustic, storytellers type shows, seem so much better, than when it is finally cut to record. At any rate, thanks for the unexpected review, and little bit of history on a band I knew not much about.
April 30, 2015 @ 7:18 pm
Thanks for this one. Probably would not have ever heard it if not reviewed. I know people are giving it mixed reviews on here, but I have to say it is a great song. They have been very forgettable up until this. It has that bluegrass sound. I know a lot of people are referring to Gary Allen’s song, but I’ll go back a few more years and reference “cheap whiskey” by both Martina McBride and Patty Loveless. Damn good song. Even better voices.
April 30, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
That song…wow. For those of us who have lived/are living that song it’s a pretty chilling moment, and almost uncomfortable in a way. Could you imagine George Jones singing that?
April 30, 2015 @ 7:59 pm
Sonically, it’s a cheap knockoff of Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on that Mountain”
April 30, 2015 @ 9:21 pm
I don’t know what it is, but I honestly can’t take any modern country religious songs seriously. I don’t honestly believe that any of these artists truly release these songs without the understanding that they’re pandering to some extent.
Granted, I’m not much on organized religion, but still. It all sounds hollow. “Something in the Water” even sounded somewhat insincere, but it was probably the most authentic sounding song since “Long Black Train.”
May 1, 2015 @ 6:31 am
So, the “guys” from Panic! at the Disco have “gone country?”
May 1, 2015 @ 10:29 am
News just came down today, this song is getting a new push on country radio through Thirty Tigers’ new radio division. Should be interesting.
http://www.musicrow.com/2015/05/love-and-theft-take-whiskey-on-my-breath-to-radio/
May 1, 2015 @ 12:05 pm
While I still think it will be an uphill struggle pushing this track to broad mainstream consciousness, Thirsty Tigers has definitely proven their mettle over the past year in marketing and promoting some top tier talent including Sturgill Simpson, Aaron Watson, Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams and the emerging St. Paul and the Broken Bones.
Heck, Chase Rice is their only signee whose music I don’t like, but it is indisputable they’ve done a fabulous job marketing and promoting “Ignite The Night” when it has been a mainstay within or around the chart’s Top Ten for months now despite his current single “Gonna Wanna Tonight” hardly moving the needle at all. “Ignite The Night” is easily one of the strongest sales-to-spins ratio mainstream releases out now, and Thirsty Tigers deserves a whole deal of credit there as well.
It obviously remains to be seen whether they can strike lightning twice with radio promotion, but I trust they know what they’re doing as they’ve earned my respect for how they’ve nurtured their existing roster of exquisite talent.
May 1, 2015 @ 1:21 pm
Love & Theft make a great entry point for Thirty Tigers with their new radio promo company because it’s a name mainstream listeners will recognize, but it’s a song that fits into the spirit of what Thirty Tigers is about. I get this strange sense that what once was laughed at as a label dining on table scraps is at some point going to get the last laugh as it makes established stars out of Music Row’s overlooked and castoffs.
May 1, 2015 @ 7:24 pm
This is actually quite a good song. Even after reading your review I was still expecting something that was just maybe a little above average for a mainstream act. I know it’s nothing groundbreaking, but still very good. The only other song I’ve heard by them is Angel Eyes which I really disliked, so I pretty much have ignored them. I’ll certainly be paying closer attention to them in the future. I would say the song definitely has a strong Irish influence (which is always a plus a far as I’m concerned). Their vocals are good but quite pop influenced, but it’s not too big of a drawback. Great harmony though. Hopefully this does well on radio but I’m not getting my hopes up. Thanks for the review.
May 2, 2015 @ 8:50 am
This is an ok song…Saw them last year as part of an event & many of us left…They were awful. They will need more than one song to make me give a darn
May 2, 2015 @ 1:31 pm
K so anyone else notice how this sounds very close to go rest high up on that mountin?
May 2, 2015 @ 1:40 pm
I did. Mentioned it in the review.
May 5, 2015 @ 5:44 pm
I read an article a coue months ago that said religion wasn’t much of a common subject in country music anymore
Well I don’t know about yall but this and Chris Stapletons “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore” look to me like religion may start making a comeback
At least in traditional circles
May 6, 2015 @ 8:47 am
There is some songs that you has to grow on you but, not this one I rushed out and bought the cd after hearing this awesome song. I haven’t decided which version I like the best but, the acoustic one is in the lead right now. 🙂 I love it. !!!!! Great Job guys
May 6, 2015 @ 11:05 am
I grew up with Eric and have tried to be supportive of his career. I had no idea people loathed them so much until reading these comments! Eric has always been his own biggest fan, but I’d never deny that he’s truly talented. At a very young age I’d listen to him sing and I knew he was going to be famous for it. He just had that indescribable something. I think these boys need to read these comments and take the criticism to heart. Songs like “Girls look hot in trucks” insult the listeners intelligence, and make them look like a big joke. They’re wasting their talent on mindless songs like that. With that being said they also have some great songs on all of their records. Some of the lyrics are very strong, and their harmonies are really beautiful on some of the more stripped down songs like “Whiskey on my Breath”. They can both truly sing their faces off. I don’t think they’ve really found their own voice and what they have to say yet. They’re just trying to write songs like the others on the radio. I know they’re incredibly talented and are both great writers. They need to stop trying to be copy cats and be more authentic. It’s clear that most of you see them as fakes and wanna be’s, and that’s truly sad because they do have real talent and have worked hard to be where they are today.
May 6, 2015 @ 2:33 pm
As a big Love & Theft fan, I feel I need to stick up for them a bit. If you’ve seen them in concert, you’ll know what a fun show they put on and how they love interacting with their audience. Stephen and Eric are both very talented singers and songwriters. They really did get screwed by RCA. Recorded an album they were so excited to release and share. Now Reba (who I love!) Is getting lots of air time with one of those songs “Out Like That”. They had to record a completely new album for their new label.
Just a little trivia…and Stephen told me this himself …the inspiration for “Angel Eyes” was actually his sister.
I recommend checking out some of LnT’s older stuff again…there are some great tunes you’ve probably never heard! At one time they were actually a trio with another talented artist, Brian Bandas.
Anyways…good luck to them with their new label and album!
May 6, 2015 @ 3:23 pm
Thanks for the review. It seems to me some very good points for the boys to ponder, both good and bad. The choice of songs are not always the artists favorites. Labels have much to do with it. Country music has many styles and flavors. No one likes it all. If we listen to country radio, we are given what to like. If we hear it enough we forget it has dumb lyrics or sounds like the last song played. Overall I’m encouraged to see Love & Theft find their voice in country music. Their first album had some great messages. They were a trio. That label shut down and Bryan dropped out. Obstacles they worked through. I know Stephen has been writing songs since he was 14, taking his guitar to school and writing songs with heart. He grew up being encouraged to write songs to help others. How many times would he sing me a new song and I would get choked up. Most have never been cut. Mom, that’s not what people want. But, maybe someday they will or he will have the courage to try. For now I thought “whiskey on my breath” was a meaningful message.
He wrote it with friends and it is heart felt. Drinking in moderation often gets out of control and our life is lost. It’s happened to our family members. I hope the song brings hope, because we can always change for the better. It’s never too late. Thanks again for writing a positive review, as Stephens mom I’m proud of his perseverance amidst both personal and professional challenges. He keeps moving forward and helps others along the way.
May 6, 2015 @ 3:57 pm
Mrs. Liles, one of my favorites is “Try to Make it Anyway”. After a show in Charleston, I told him so and he sang part of it for me. Congrats to you for raising such a talented and generous son!
February 1, 2017 @ 4:50 pm
LOVE THIS SONG from the first time I saw it on CMT but I was looking it up because it struck me as sounding very close to my favorite singer ever Vince Gill’s Go Rest High like I said the song struck me hard the visual was strong and the words are strong and the music even stronger. Just give my boy a little credit he wrote it the notes I say
March 16, 2018 @ 2:42 pm
‘Broke all but one of my Lord’s 10’
what exactly is 1 commandment amongs 10 that he’s talking about?