
Carly Pearce. A musician who has performed with Hunter Hayes, has toured with actress-turned-country-singer Lucy Hale and is now going to be part of CMT's Next Women of Country Tour. Carly Pearce is on the road to success. This song, "Blame the Whiskey" has had quite a bit of airplay on Sirius XM's The Highway, a radio station showcasing some of the best new talent in country music, where Florida Georgia Line gained their success. Could Carly Pearce be the next big thing? She definitely deserves it!
This song is completely addicting. First and foremost, Pearce's voice is perfect. It has the low, raspy edge that makes the song totally and utterly bad-ass, and a song that all female country music fans, and country music fans in general will blast. Her voice is also powerful, giving it that Carrie Underwood-esqe boost that makes the track a real girl power anthem.
Production-wise, this song is BIG. The track has the country/rock production of artists like Miranda Lambert and Brantley Gilbert, but has a masterful buildup from the verse to the chorus and the eventually to the bridge. After the first chorus, the muting of most instruments besides the banjo when Pearce sings "tonight..." puts more emphasis on her vocals, and is a nice little pause in the midst of the big, booming guitars.
Despite the tough girl vibe the song puts off, there is a sweetness that shines through Pearce's vocals, adding just a little hint of vulnerability in the song. The song does come off as sassy, but there must be a reason she doesn't want him to just hook up with her for tonight. During parts of the song, if you look for it, it is easy to see the truth behind the attitude: that Pearce has gotten hurt before, and she just doesn't want to get hurt again. The lyric "Boy, this feels something like real, better say it if you disagree," is a key example of this vulrability underneath the rough exterior. That hidden message makes the song so much more meaningful to girls everywhere, and a song that will be well received both critically and commercially.
Overall rating: 4 crowns
Production-wise, this song is BIG. The track has the country/rock production of artists like Miranda Lambert and Brantley Gilbert, but has a masterful buildup from the verse to the chorus and the eventually to the bridge. After the first chorus, the muting of most instruments besides the banjo when Pearce sings "tonight..." puts more emphasis on her vocals, and is a nice little pause in the midst of the big, booming guitars.
Despite the tough girl vibe the song puts off, there is a sweetness that shines through Pearce's vocals, adding just a little hint of vulnerability in the song. The song does come off as sassy, but there must be a reason she doesn't want him to just hook up with her for tonight. During parts of the song, if you look for it, it is easy to see the truth behind the attitude: that Pearce has gotten hurt before, and she just doesn't want to get hurt again. The lyric "Boy, this feels something like real, better say it if you disagree," is a key example of this vulrability underneath the rough exterior. That hidden message makes the song so much more meaningful to girls everywhere, and a song that will be well received both critically and commercially.
Overall rating: 4 crowns