If there’s one thing country music knows, it’s love songs. Whether it’s loving that pretty girl from down in the city, your high school sweetheart or just plain old loving your momma, country has you covered. Tim McGraw’s latest album, “Damn Country Music,” is no exception, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Tim McGraw has produced a unique and frankly fun sound in “Damn Country Music,” even if the album is pretty dull thematically. McGraw, who’s been writing country music for 25 years now, isn’t trying to blend his music with hip-hop beats the way Florida Georgia Line does; rather, he’s sticking to old-fashioned country while adding his own distinct style.
The first track, “Here Tonight,” for instance, features an odd Irish folk beat, which melds well with McGraw’s “aint’s” and accent. It’s definitely something different that makes McGraw unique and sets a great tone for the album.
Unfortunately, the next two tracks “Losin’ You” and “How I’ll Always Be” lack such nuance. “Losin’ You,” perhaps obviously, is about missing a girl you love. It’s lyrical blandness and references to slow dancing, moonlight and memories will surely land it on radio repeat for the next several months however. “How I’ll Always Be” isn’t much better, featuring McGraw singing about liking the little things in life such as sitting on the front porch, strumming the guitar and watching the sunset.
The album picks up with its fourth track, “Damn Country Music.” Here, McGraw’s style isn’t anything noteworthy; instead, the significant part is what he’s singing about. The song follows an unnamed man who presumably represents McGraw as he leaves his small town to find fame and fortune in the music industry. What’s intriguing is how McGraw presents an ambiguous message with “Damn Country Music.” He easily could have bashed country music for ruining his once-simple life, but instead he seems to fairly evaluate life as a country music star. Lines like “It’s the sweetest highs and the lowest lows” certainly give credit to the good times he’s had as a musician, while other lines like “Well you’ll still be a slave to … damn country music” lament on certain aspects of the industry. The interesting aspect is McGraw himself doesn’t quite seem to know the answer to whether country music stardom is worth it. This raw, emotional track makes the album.
The remainder of the 11-song album nicely shows off McGraw’s classic, old-school country style as well as his novel beats, especially “Top of the World” which is sure to top the charts in the coming months.
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