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If That Ain't Country - Anthony Smith | |
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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke
If you think the name sounds familiar, you must have read the liner notes in albums released by George Strait, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Confederate Railroad, Tommy Shane Steiner, Kevin Denney, and Lonestar. Strait's "Run" and Adkins' "I'm Tryin" were big hits while Confederate Railroad's "That's What Brothers Do" and Montgomery Gentry's "Didn't I" were moderate hits.
Anthony Smith was signed to Mercury Records in late 2000 after his quick success at placing songs on other artists CDs. Granted total freedom to record the kind of CD he wanted to do; Anthony enlisted his longtime friend, Bobby Terry, to produce his CD. Terry is a talented multi-instrumentalist who played virtually every instrument that is heard on the CD.
With each of the 12 tracks being written or co-written by Smith, If That Ain't Country is one of the finest releases I have heard this year. With a vocal style that falls somewhere in between Danny Shirley and Travis Tritt, Anthony has a distinctive voice that is sure to impress the ficklest traditional country music fan. There simply isn't any pop sheen to these songs, although there are some elements like drum machines tastefully added to the mix. The themes are decidedly country and the music is melded deftly by producer Bobby Terry who played virtually every instrument on the album.
"Who Invented The Wheel" opens up this fine album. Starting with a moanful sound, the song ends in a sonic boom with forceful vocals that feature a growl that'd make Travis Tritt proud. The lyrics are smart and ask who made the rock who made the roads which the wheeled car drove off on.
"If That Ain't Country" is the first single and is currently rising up the charts. A cleverly written tune, with Sony artist Jeffrey Steele, the
song describes everything Anthony thinks make the girl of his desires "country." In a sea of "I love you ballads" this track is a much-needed
shot of adrenaline to country radio.
"John J. Blanchard" is going to be the second single released from the CD. Tommy Shane Steiner's debut CD also includes this cut. I think
Anthony's grittier voice is better suited for the track's lyrics which are about a man who is sent to a nursing home after a stroke. The family
vowed to stay by his side but they just ignored him. It's sad to say but the lyrics of this song are true to many families out there who don't take
care of their parents or grandparents when they need special care.
Growing up in a small town I can relate to the lyrics of "Metropolis" which talk about leaving the small town for the big city only to return to it to raise a family. With its simple melody and light strings backing up the strong baritone vocals, this song is one of my favorites on the album.
"Airborne" is one of those fun songs that has spoken verses (dare I say Country Rap?) with sung choruses. Toby Keith's had fun with two hits like this and both Trace Adkins' "Chrome" and Mark Chesnutt's "Population Minus One" have similar structures. In fact, Anthony wrote "Chrome" with Jeffrey Steele, who also has written similar songs for other artists. On this song, Anthony has written some nice lyrics about a thrill seeking guy who falls in love and gets married jumping out of a plane.
"What Brothers Do" was a hit for Confederate Railroad" and I could see it becoming a hit again. Anyone with a pair of little boys can relate to the simplistic message of the song. This song is about brotherly love in its purest form.
"Venus" is one heck of a honky tonker that takes the John Gray book idea and turns it into a song about a guy who says "if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, I'm going to Venus." Simply cute, this is the type of song that could be a nice song for the summertime radio air waves.
"Infinity" ends the album on a softer note after the rollicking "Venus" by asking a bunch of questions about the world then comparing those wonders to the strong love Anthony holds for his special lady. With beautiful lyrics and soft production, this song oozes the type of stuff that makes it a strong contender to be a future single.
If you truly want to hear one of country music's most distinctive singer/songwriters then go out and pick up Anthony's fine debut release, If That Ain't Country.
Song List:
Sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
Album cover, used with permission of Mercury Nashville.
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