Friday, May 28, 2010

That Nashville Soundbites- Jonathan Singleton and the Grove EP


That Nashville Sound receives many different CD releases throughout the year from indie, bluegrass and artists just off the mainstream radar that we’re doing short mini CD reviews on. We call them That Nashville Soundbites- it’s a feature that will allow us to give some props to some albums and artists that deserve a spotlight on their work.


Release Date: May 2010
Music Label: Show Dog/Universal
The Skinny: For those unfamiliar with Jonathan Singleton, he’s co-wrote the singles "Watching Airplanes" for Gary Allan and "Don't" for Billy Currington, both of which peaked at #2, as well as co-wrote David Nail's "Red Light" and Josh Turner's "Why Don't We Just Dance." On this EP, culls his Memphis and Nashville influences and reveals a guitar driven and blues-influenced album that resembles Allan’s “Airplanes.” His voice is engaging and the production is interesting, but with the exception of “Look Who’s Back In Love,” the material isn’t all that revealing. Perhaps Singleton is using the sound/instrumentation for that reveal, but for this reviewer, I’d like to hear more about Singleton in his music. Most disappointing on the album, however, is the absence of what I thought was a terrific single- and one way too unappreciated by country radio- “Living In Paradise.” The single dipped into the Top 50 of the charts, but mysteriously, it’s missing here on his first release. The album easily could have included that single as well as a cover of a couple of his co-writes to strengthen it a bit.

Sounds Like
: Springsteen’s voice & Gary Allan’s material
Standout Tracks: “Look Who’s Back In Love”; “When Will My Love Come Around”
The Verdict: Three Stars Out Of Five

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