KIXS FM 108 » album review

Trace Adkins, 'Love Will …' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:05:18 +0000

The idea behind Trace Adkins‘ new album ‘Love Will …’ makes so much sense you almost wonder why he hadn’t done it sooner. This collection of love songs is as obvious as the tagless T-shirt, yet for years we went without both. ‘Love Will …’ stops short of being able to melt wax on its [...]

Craig Campbell, 'Never Regret' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Craig Campbell does a lot of things better than average. He’s a better than average singer who has chosen better than average songs for his new album ‘Never Regret,’ yet somehow, the project ends up feeling rather ordinary. There’s no defining moment that will etch Campbell’s name into the Nashville cement. If anything, the line [...]

Lady Antebellum, 'Golden' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:35:33 +0000

The best moments on Lady Antebellum's fourth album 'Golden' find Charles Kelley or Hillary Scott singing solo, with minimal help from the other on harmonies. There is no shortage of songs that act as features for the two talented vocalists. The evolution of the trio finds them becoming a dual threat super power instead of a two-headed pop-rock-country group.

Pistol Annies, 'Annie Up' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:03:33 +0000

Strong production keeps 'Annie Up' -- the new album from Pistol Annies -- from being something their debut effort certainly was not: boring. The women thrive among thick, bluesy guitars that moan and wail throughout the 12 cuts. It's a throwback sound that fits the trio as well as the daring outfits they've become known for wearing.

Kenny Chesney, 'Life on a Rock' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:03:17 +0000

Kenny Chesney's 'Life on a Rock' album is as revealing of a record as 'Be as You Are' -- more so in some ways. The songwriting isn't as sharp as the 2005 project (the most closely comparable to 'Life on a Rock' in style and substance), but the experiences are as mixed and honest.

Tate Stevens, 'Tate Stevens' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:09:18 +0000

The debut effort from Tate Stevens is about as straight-forward of a country album as you'll find. 'Tate Stevens' is an end cap-at-Walmart sort of record that proves the 'X Factor' winner can compete with the big names in Nashville.

Granger Smith, 'Dirt Road Driveway' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:45:26 +0000

If you look back over Granger Smith's early album covers, you'll find that he presented himself as a hat act. Sonically he's come a long way since those efforts, with his latest album 'Dirt Road Driveway' falling squarely in the singer-songwriter sub-genre of country music. It's an album that would sound best at a coffee house, not a honky tonk.

Willie Nelson, 'Let's Face the Music and Dance' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:30:25 +0000

'Let's Face the Music and Dance' is a great place for a young country music fan to meet Willie Nelson. It won't be his most famous, and it won't create any hit singles. This wonderfully consistent effort proves what longtime fans of the legend already know: At 79 years old (80 on April 30), Nelson is still as important and skilled a vocalist as there is in country music.

Brad Paisley, 'Wheelhouse' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:33:46 +0000

Brad Paisley's 'Wheelhouse' delivers a familiar mix of humor, life lessons and scorching guitar solos, but it does it in a way different from any of the other eight albums the 'Beat This Summer' singer has released. He took his old formula, balled it up, lit it on fire and tossed the ashes in the garbage. The result is a meaty and ambitious project that doesn't always click, but clears new ground when it does.

The Band Perry, 'Pioneer' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:30:32 +0000

The Band Perry‘s new album ‘Pioneer’ is just as dramatic, yet dramatically more steady than their debut effort. The bar was raised and reached vocally, and songs like ‘Done,’ ‘Forever Mine Nevermind’ and ‘Chainsaw’ prove the family trio has lost nothing in terms of lyrical edge. The highs aren’t quite as high (no song matches [...]

Blake Shelton, 'Based on a True Story …' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:35:16 +0000

Women who already think Blake Shelton singing is the sexiest thing since Johnny Castle pulled Baby from the corner may want to take the rest of the week off. The best moments on 'Based on a True Story ...' sizzle, and not in that ironic "bow-chicka-wow-wow" sort of way that's occasionally implied with this singer's sense of humor. Songs like 'Mine Would Be You' are safe to put on any red wine and candles soundtrack. Guys, you can thank Shelton via his Twitter account, if you'd like.

Maggie Rose, 'Cut to Impress' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:39:53 +0000

‘Cut to Impress’ by Maggie Rose is one of the more entertaining listens of the year. Fans will either embrace the dark, swampy sound the singer creates with producer James Stroud, or they’ll be terrified by her bad girl persona and downright chilling stories. The album is no teddy bear. ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ and ‘Looking Back [...]

Thompson Square, 'Just Feels Good' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:03:55 +0000

The best songs on Thompson Square's new album 'Just Feels Good' sound like a conversation between the two married lovers. Early on, their back-and-forth is light and playful. Later ballads take a more somber tone, but all that find the 'If I Didn't Have You' singers sharing lead are highlights from the duo's sophomore project.

Kacey Musgraves, 'Same Trailer Different Park' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:05:03 +0000

Kacey Musgraves' Mercury Records debut album is everything a new artist dreams her first record will be. 'Same Trailer Different Park' is well-written, edgy (yet familiar) and coated in "cool." Musgraves is an original who at age 24 is surprisingly wise and adept at using her voice to share her experiences.

Shooter Jennings, 'The Other Life' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:07:23 +0000

Fans of early albums from Shooter Jennings will appreciate the singer's return to center on 'The Other Life,' his sixth studio album, available for purchase as of March 12. Still far from mainstream, the collection of songs isn't quite as experimental as projects that followed 'Put the "O" Back in Country.'

Ashley Monroe, 'Like a Rose' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:41:19 +0000

No one does anguish quite like Ashley Monroe. On her new album, 'Like a Rose,' the singer redefines bittersweet for a country music audience that is still very much learning her name. Her sorrow comes sprinkled with just a teaspoon of sugar when she's at her best. One finds hope in the face of tragedy and bad circumstance, which is at times inspiring.

Gary Allan, 'Set You Free' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 22:36:25 +0000

Gary Allan delivers the emotionally rich album his fans expect while stretching his sound in multiple new directions on 'Set You Free,' the singer's ninth studio album and first in three years. The songwriting is strong from the first track to the last, with Allan mixing moments of joy and hope within his familiar anguish.

Randy Houser, 'How Country Feels' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:30:45 +0000

Randy Houser comes in from the edges of country music with his third album ‘How Country Feels’ — his first on new label Stoney Creek Records. The singer wrote just seven of the project’s 15 cuts, but employed many of Nashville’s top songwriters to help with the others. The result is an even effort with [...]

Katie Armiger, 'Fall Into Me' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:00:09 +0000

Katie Armiger's new album, 'Fall Into Me,' features 14 songs that describe love's highs and lows. It's a rollercoaster ride that at times feels like that line from Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,' i.e., "I say 'I hate you,' we break up, you call me, 'I love you.'" Fortunately, Armiger's way with words is more debonair.

JT Hodges, 'JT Hodges' – Album Review

Billy Dukes — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:00:54 +0000

JT Hodges‘ collision of varied influences make his self-titled, debut album a strange — but not unenjoyable — listen. Lyrically, the best songs on ‘JT Hodges’ feel strange and somehow forbidden, like a journey through the wardrobe, or adventure to a new world. He teeters on the axis of cool and too cool for the room.