Year In America July 17, 2008

[koganbot]

Only three new entries, though Young Jeezy's excellent "Put On" drifts back in.

Jason Mraz "I'm Yours": Square white reggae with a relaxed feel, "relax" being the message more than whatever the lyrics say about relationships ("I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted"). Harder to do well than it seems, since it's not supposed to seem hard, and Jason doesn't have the lilt to do this, though the caucasian lack of lilt may be part of what makes it comfortable for its target audience ('cept I don't really know what that target audience is). NO TICK.

Taylor Swift "Should've Said No": I've been writing about this for more than a year and a half, tremendous track, was the obvious followup to "Tim McGraw" except country radio never knows how much rocking nonredneck anger it can play so this had to wait (Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" was the fifth single from Some Hearts, and Miranda Lambert only just recently pushed a song into the country top ten). Taylor's regular nice-girl anguish and anger, as delivered in her slight voice, gives me even more of a gut punch than Miranda's role-playing rage. IS TICKING TREMENDOUS, IT IS.

Alan Jackson "Good Time": Country line dance, far more relaxed than Jason but without the beauty that effortlessly permeated Like Red On A Rose two years ago. RELAXED TICK.

Comments

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

I am the target audience for "I'm Yours," it seems. (My mom is the target audience for Jason Mraz in general.) Although I prefer the earlier version, which is just Mraz and guitar, with a slightly more relaxed voice. (That was the song playing when I drove by the Italian ice place in town and watched a whole movie / lived a whole lifetime in the space of five seconds.)

[koganbot]

I should check that version, as this was a near miss. Problem is that if you're attempting the summer reggae lilt, you're either "I Can See Clearly Now" or you're not.

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

You should check your email.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Put On' is one of my top 5 tracks of the year, easy.