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Yet Another Year In America April 29, 2010
Country singer Miranda Lambert makes her first visit ever into the mainstream singles top thirty. Don't know yet if this is a blip or a true crossover; a lot depends on if she breaks onto AC radio. Click the cut to see what I think of the song. She's the week's only highlight.
Glee Cast "Like A Prayer": Similar to the Madonna version except slightly out of focus, so the outlines are less distinct and the colors less vivid, and there's less kick. The arrangement carries the song pretty well anyway, I can rock out to this, just don't see any reason why I would. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Miranda Lambert "The House That Built Me": It's a tick, but I'm meh on it, for a Miranda song. The details are better than cliché - it's her hand print on the front steps, it's her favorite dog buried in the yard - but they don't seem poised on the brink of interesting stories, except for the little vignette about mom having clipped picture upon picture from Better Homes And Gardens in anticipation of creating the house. Miranda's singing is too carefully directed at communicating nothing but reverie and regret, feels trapped there, doesn't have the straightforward emotion of the ballads back on Kerosene like "Me And Charlie Talking" and "Bring Me Down." BORDERLINE TICK.
Joe Nichols "Gimmie That Girl": Another country attempt to convince itself that the home life is better than the night life. Joe likes the girl (i.e., girlfriend, wife) when she's the way no one outside the house ever sees her, hair messy, barefoot in jeans, "dancing around like a fool, starring in her own little show." The music is as modest as this ambition, an OK little throwaway. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Usher ft. Nicki Minaj "Lil Freak": From "Self-Control" to "Disturbia," parties can be made to seem attractive even when dark and compulsory rather than fun, but this single is just dreary - Nicki Minaj as Usher's procurer being the sole respite from all the grim sexiness, her bit about taking you to Usher only if you let her touch your kitty cat reminding me of the old Funkadelic gag, "No head, no backstage pass." So, another r&b track that convinces me nightlife is boring. NO TICK.
Glee Cast "Like A Prayer": Similar to the Madonna version except slightly out of focus, so the outlines are less distinct and the colors less vivid, and there's less kick. The arrangement carries the song pretty well anyway, I can rock out to this, just don't see any reason why I would. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Miranda Lambert "The House That Built Me": It's a tick, but I'm meh on it, for a Miranda song. The details are better than cliché - it's her hand print on the front steps, it's her favorite dog buried in the yard - but they don't seem poised on the brink of interesting stories, except for the little vignette about mom having clipped picture upon picture from Better Homes And Gardens in anticipation of creating the house. Miranda's singing is too carefully directed at communicating nothing but reverie and regret, feels trapped there, doesn't have the straightforward emotion of the ballads back on Kerosene like "Me And Charlie Talking" and "Bring Me Down." BORDERLINE TICK.
Joe Nichols "Gimmie That Girl": Another country attempt to convince itself that the home life is better than the night life. Joe likes the girl (i.e., girlfriend, wife) when she's the way no one outside the house ever sees her, hair messy, barefoot in jeans, "dancing around like a fool, starring in her own little show." The music is as modest as this ambition, an OK little throwaway. BORDERLINE NONTICK.
Usher ft. Nicki Minaj "Lil Freak": From "Self-Control" to "Disturbia," parties can be made to seem attractive even when dark and compulsory rather than fun, but this single is just dreary - Nicki Minaj as Usher's procurer being the sole respite from all the grim sexiness, her bit about taking you to Usher only if you let her touch your kitty cat reminding me of the old Funkadelic gag, "No head, no backstage pass." So, another r&b track that convinces me nightlife is boring. NO TICK.