For his first record with BNA Records, Cannonball, Pat kept his previous producer but chose to use more of Nashville's studio pickers and also chose to let other writers write as much of the record as he did. All of his choices were smart and from the sound of this album, there will be plenty of hits to come. Nashville must make room for its newest superstar.
A Texas superstar goes national
Pat Green first appeared on the music scene in the mid 1990's while he was a student at Texas A&M. By the end of the decade, Pat had hold over 200,000 copies of his own records to gain the attention of major label record companies. He chose Republic/Universal out of New York and over the course of the last five years on that label, Pat has racked up Top 10 hit and gold album of the same name (Wave On Wave) and sales that are nearing 2 million copies. After his contract with Republic/Universal ended, Pat finally headed to Nashville and signed with BNA Records, home to artists like Kenny Chesney and Lonestar.Reinvention
The record leads off with the title track ("Cannonball") and immediately the instrumentation showcases a slightly different sound for Pat Green. Realizing that Pat isn't going to win any vocal contests, producer Don Gehman has deftly played to Pat's strengths; he is an entertainer and excels on mid to up tempo tracks. In fact there's been a void in modern country music's radio charts for a "Springsteen" kind of artist and that's exactly the sound that "Cannonball" and "Way Back Texas" present."Dixie Lullaby" is a sweet ballad about the love a hardworking family and how country music is the soundtrack of their lives. If they release a ballad from the record it may just be this one. "Feels Just Like It Should" has a similar melodic vibe to it that "Wave On Wave" did. It's the anthemic type of melody that I just love almost to the point that the lyrics, which are about living in the moment, don't really matter. It's just a fun song.
Radney Foster's "Love Had Something To Say" and the Pat Green co-writes "Learn How To Live" and "Sleeping With The Lights On" end Cannonball with a well-written story arc and groove-based tracks. Pat Green hinted at his heartland rock aspirations on his last two records but it's fully realized here. Cannonball is one of the best CDs I have heard this year and it's most definitely Pat Green's best album to date. If you're a fan of the mainstream heartland rock sound of the 80s (which is all over country radio these days) then you should give Pat Green a serious look.
Song List:
- Cannonball
- Way Back Texas
- Love Like That
- Dixie Lullaby
- Feels Just Like It Should
- Missing Me
- Virginia Belle
- Finder's Keepers (Duet With Sara Evans)
- Won't Let Love
- Lost Without Out
- I'm Trying To Find It
- Love Had Something To Say
- Learn How To Live
- Sleeping With The Lights On