Country Music Single Releases - Week of June 1, 2009

George Strait - "Living For The Night"

Don't you dare think for one second that just because George Strait was recently named the ACM Artist of the Decade that he's hanging up his cowboy boots. This song is special, having been co-written by George along with son Bubba and Dean Dillon, who has penned many of Strait's past hits. "Living For The Night" proves just that with a twinge of piano here and a little bit of mandolin there. The mandolin always has a way of adding another layer of emotion to sad, lonely songs such as this. George's next album can't get here soon enough.
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Shea Fisher - "Don't Chase Me"

I'm all for bringing in a poppy, young feeling to a song with lyrics and a fun beat, however the first few seconds severely turned me off of "Don't Chase Me." As a matter of fact, it had me wondering if I was listening to something from a completely different genre thanks to the high-school sounding cheer in the beginning. The cheer (which is also in various parts throughout the whole single) is highly irritating and takes away attention from what is otherwise an empowering song about a woman who is only seeking some truth from a man. The steel guitar within the music is a saving grace for me. Listen