Joe Nichols - Crickets
8 Oct 2013 release date
Album Review by: Cheryl Harvey Hill, Sr. Staff Journalist
The first four tracks are feel good, up-tempo tunes and then comes “Billy Graham's Bible”, written by Chris Dubois, Jimmy Melton, and Neal Coty.
“Souls got saved and blue eyes cried / And here I am with you tonight / Thank God some things wind up where they're meant to be / Like Billy Graham's Bible, Willie's old guitar, and me.” I absolutely loved it!
I enjoyed the entire album but the stand out track for me is “Old School Country Song” written by Rivers Rutherford and Jim Collins. In my humble opinion, Nichols was born to sing this type of song. He has this magnificent voice that so effortlessly resonates through your entire body. Even when he is singing about death and despair, you will find yourself smiling because he has a special way of delivering lyrics that makes them all deliciously palatable, regardless of the message. This is what they mean by “pure country”.
“Breaking up is still a mess / it don't make a heart hurt less / 'cause you text it from a mobile phone / all you've really done you see / is modernized the melody / but it still feels like an old school country song”.
“You can take it off that old jukebox / burn it on your new ipod / but three chords and the truth are just as strong / you can say we've come a long, long way / play what you wanna play / but there's nothing like an old school country song / life is still an old school country song”
On this track, perhaps as a nod to old school country, the lyrics end at just a little over three minutes but the music continues for another minute plus. It is very reminiscent of being in a dance hall when the singer stops singing and turns it over to the band with a wave of his hand and the instrumental ending on this track is simply splendid.
There isn't a bad cut on the album and that's really saying something since there are sixteen songs. Yep, that's what I said, sixteen! You sure won't be able to complain that you didn't get your monies worth. I enjoyed all the new songs but I would be amiss if I didn't mention that Nichols does an amazing cover of “Footlights”, written by Merle Haggard.
The title cut, Crickets, written by Brent Baxter, Bill Whyte, and Lisa Shaffer, is also the final cut and I think it's a great way to finish the album since the song is one of those easy listening tunes that leaves you with a good feeling and a smile. After all is said and done, isn't that something we all want? This album delivers all that and then some.
Joe on Joe: “As far as where I'm at with my new music and my new label, Red Bow, this is more than a new chapter. It's a new book. My new single, 'Sunny And 75' is getting as great a reception as anything I've ever done, and the album it comes from is something I might have hoped I could do at other points in my career, but have been held back from. And I'll be the first to say that the holding back has mostly been me. What strikes me this time is how much freedom I've felt in this process, the depth I have in my relationships – personal and professional, it really is a family thing. And to be honest, just how much fun I'm having. Freedom, family and fun … there's your sound byte.”
Previous reviews and features:
It's All Good
Las Vegas, NV 2002
Fan Club Party - Nashville, TN 2010
Old Things New
Real Things
www.JoeNichols.com
Nichols has won every “best new artist” award available in the field of country music: the prestigious Horizon Award from the Country Music Association; Top New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music and CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year, as well as New Artist awards from Billboard, Radio & Records andMusic Row Magazine and a New York
During his career to date, he has received four Grammy Nominations, including Best Country Album and Best Country Male Vocal Performance (2 consecutive years) and Best Country Song for his #1 debut single “The Impossible.”
Album Review by: Cheryl Harvey Hill, Sr. Staff Journalist
The first four tracks are feel good, up-tempo tunes and then comes “Billy Graham's Bible”, written by Chris Dubois, Jimmy Melton, and Neal Coty.
“Souls got saved and blue eyes cried / And here I am with you tonight / Thank God some things wind up where they're meant to be / Like Billy Graham's Bible, Willie's old guitar, and me.” I absolutely loved it!
I enjoyed the entire album but the stand out track for me is “Old School Country Song” written by Rivers Rutherford and Jim Collins. In my humble opinion, Nichols was born to sing this type of song. He has this magnificent voice that so effortlessly resonates through your entire body. Even when he is singing about death and despair, you will find yourself smiling because he has a special way of delivering lyrics that makes them all deliciously palatable, regardless of the message. This is what they mean by “pure country”.
“Breaking up is still a mess / it don't make a heart hurt less / 'cause you text it from a mobile phone / all you've really done you see / is modernized the melody / but it still feels like an old school country song”.
“You can take it off that old jukebox / burn it on your new ipod / but three chords and the truth are just as strong / you can say we've come a long, long way / play what you wanna play / but there's nothing like an old school country song / life is still an old school country song”
On this track, perhaps as a nod to old school country, the lyrics end at just a little over three minutes but the music continues for another minute plus. It is very reminiscent of being in a dance hall when the singer stops singing and turns it over to the band with a wave of his hand and the instrumental ending on this track is simply splendid.
There isn't a bad cut on the album and that's really saying something since there are sixteen songs. Yep, that's what I said, sixteen! You sure won't be able to complain that you didn't get your monies worth. I enjoyed all the new songs but I would be amiss if I didn't mention that Nichols does an amazing cover of “Footlights”, written by Merle Haggard.
The title cut, Crickets, written by Brent Baxter, Bill Whyte, and Lisa Shaffer, is also the final cut and I think it's a great way to finish the album since the song is one of those easy listening tunes that leaves you with a good feeling and a smile. After all is said and done, isn't that something we all want? This album delivers all that and then some.
Joe on Joe: “As far as where I'm at with my new music and my new label, Red Bow, this is more than a new chapter. It's a new book. My new single, 'Sunny And 75' is getting as great a reception as anything I've ever done, and the album it comes from is something I might have hoped I could do at other points in my career, but have been held back from. And I'll be the first to say that the holding back has mostly been me. What strikes me this time is how much freedom I've felt in this process, the depth I have in my relationships – personal and professional, it really is a family thing. And to be honest, just how much fun I'm having. Freedom, family and fun … there's your sound byte.”
Previous reviews and features:
It's All Good
Las Vegas, NV 2002
Fan Club Party - Nashville, TN 2010
Old Things New
Real Things
www.JoeNichols.com
- Hard To Be Cool
- Just Let Me Fall In Love
- You're In Love With Me
- Yeah
- Billy Grahams Bible
- Better Than Beautiful
- Gotta Love It
- Sunny And 75
- Yant To
- Hee Haw
- Love Has A Way
- Smile On Mine
- Open Up A Can
- Old School Country
- Footlight
- Crickets
Nichols has won every “best new artist” award available in the field of country music: the prestigious Horizon Award from the Country Music Association; Top New Male Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music and CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year, as well as New Artist awards from Billboard, Radio & Records andMusic Row Magazine and a New York
During his career to date, he has received four Grammy Nominations, including Best Country Album and Best Country Male Vocal Performance (2 consecutive years) and Best Country Song for his #1 debut single “The Impossible.”