Country singer/songwriter and American Idol alum Lauren Alaina hasn't been releasing music for a while now, staying quiet and working on her sound. This EP is the first real introduction to her new sound, which is drastically different from her debut album. Wildflower was full of beautiful ballads, storytelling country songs like "The Locket" and "Like My Mother Does." Of course, they were not written by Alaina so they were not her stories. This EP is a shock, seeing how much her sound really has changed. But this is her voice, and this new voice is sure to create some buzz around her, and hopefully a few hits.
The first song, "Road Less Traveled," a co-write with Meghan Trainor, disappointingly falls into Trainor's shtick. Trainor has written some truly amazing songs. Take her song on the radio right now, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You," which she co-wrote with Nashville songwriters Caitlyn Smith and Justin Weaver. That is one incredible ballad. But this song, "Road Less Traveled," mentions body type, just like Trainor's mass hit. That is not a bad thing, but when someone asks who wrote it, it'll be obvious when the answer is Meghan Trainor. However, this song is as empowering as it is addicting, and could face some success on the pop charts. This song and the next track "Holding the Other" are the two middle of the road pop songs on this EP, which speak of overcoming obstacles in life and being yourself. What is already obvious is that this EP is not a country EP. You could call it a pop EP with country influences, but this is straight up pop-country, with more emphasis on pop than country.
Although Alaina does do the pop game very well, the two main highlights of the EP are the ones that are the most country. "Painting Pillows" is a classic country song. It's a waltz, and the lyrics are absolutely flawless. Alaina and her co-writers Alex Masters and Lindsay Jack Rimes play on how the makeup of a girl flows off when they cry, and they say how they're "painting pillows" with their mascara when they cry it off "All of the hurt / all of the pain / keeps pouring down like black rain." It's a classic breakup song, and Alaina shines so brightly here. There's a touch of blues and R&B influence which lifts the song to higher heights. This is where Alaina belongs, in the country pop ballads. She succeeds at pop music, but there is such a difference in quality between this song, and the others on this EP.
Although Alaina does do the pop game very well, the two main highlights of the EP are the ones that are the most country. "Painting Pillows" is a classic country song. It's a waltz, and the lyrics are absolutely flawless. Alaina and her co-writers Alex Masters and Lindsay Jack Rimes play on how the makeup of a girl flows off when they cry, and they say how they're "painting pillows" with their mascara when they cry it off "All of the hurt / all of the pain / keeps pouring down like black rain." It's a classic breakup song, and Alaina shines so brightly here. There's a touch of blues and R&B influence which lifts the song to higher heights. This is where Alaina belongs, in the country pop ballads. She succeeds at pop music, but there is such a difference in quality between this song, and the others on this EP.
"Next Boyfriend" is the other song that stands out the most in this 5 song collection. It has a classy yet flirty feel, not unlike Kelsea Ballerini's new single "Dibs."It's a sort of perfect pop country, and this is definitely what Alaina does best, besides "Painting Pillows." As written in our recent review of this song, "a light, airy country-pop tune, this one doesn't stray from Alaina's usual formula. She's done the country pop game ever since "Georgia Peaches" went big in 2011, and she continues that trend her. The amazing thing about this song is that it shows growth, while still maintaining the light feeling and topic that Lauren Alaina excels at. Not to say that she shouldn't be singing about heavier topics, which she should eventually, but as a lead single, this topic works well."
"History" is a song that should have stayed as an NFL jingle, and off her album and EP. It's a pure pop song, and not one that accurately represents her skills as an artist. She's so talented as a songwriter and singer, but this song doesn't properly show off those abilities or set her apart in any way.
Three other songs, which have hopefully been cut for her upcoming album, are songs that truly show her skills. This EP doesn't give her justice, but songs like "Doin' Fine" "Crashing the Boys Club," and "My Kinda People" do. The first song is an emotional song about her parents divorce, that although adopted her new sound, still feels like a song that could have belonged on Wildflower, at least lyric wise. "Crashing the Boys Club" is a song written with Emily Wesiband and Johan Fransson, which follows the same comedic pattern as "Next Boyfriend," which Alaina has discovered she shines at. (Listen to a demo of this song.) And "My Kinda People" is a song that focuses on Alaina's vocals, which are what has brought her to where she is today.
This EP is quite good, and it emphasizes Alaina's ever-growing talent, but it's not country. It's the same issue there was with Kelsea Ballerini's album, and with Thomas Rhett's and Sam Hunt's album. It's mislabeling. Country music does change and evolve, but these songs are for the most part POP songs, with some country instrumentals, but that doesn't change the fact that they are pop. At least when Taylor Swift changed to pop she declared her new album pop. So many artists these days have so much trouble doing that. Lauren Alaina is incredibly talented. Her voice is flawless, and it makes sense that she'd want to expand into the pop genre. This EP is good, but she should have labeled it what it is: pop.
Best tracks: Next Boyfriend, Painting Pillows
Throwaway tracks: History
Overall rating: 3 and a half crowns
"History" is a song that should have stayed as an NFL jingle, and off her album and EP. It's a pure pop song, and not one that accurately represents her skills as an artist. She's so talented as a songwriter and singer, but this song doesn't properly show off those abilities or set her apart in any way.
Three other songs, which have hopefully been cut for her upcoming album, are songs that truly show her skills. This EP doesn't give her justice, but songs like "Doin' Fine" "Crashing the Boys Club," and "My Kinda People" do. The first song is an emotional song about her parents divorce, that although adopted her new sound, still feels like a song that could have belonged on Wildflower, at least lyric wise. "Crashing the Boys Club" is a song written with Emily Wesiband and Johan Fransson, which follows the same comedic pattern as "Next Boyfriend," which Alaina has discovered she shines at. (Listen to a demo of this song.) And "My Kinda People" is a song that focuses on Alaina's vocals, which are what has brought her to where she is today.
This EP is quite good, and it emphasizes Alaina's ever-growing talent, but it's not country. It's the same issue there was with Kelsea Ballerini's album, and with Thomas Rhett's and Sam Hunt's album. It's mislabeling. Country music does change and evolve, but these songs are for the most part POP songs, with some country instrumentals, but that doesn't change the fact that they are pop. At least when Taylor Swift changed to pop she declared her new album pop. So many artists these days have so much trouble doing that. Lauren Alaina is incredibly talented. Her voice is flawless, and it makes sense that she'd want to expand into the pop genre. This EP is good, but she should have labeled it what it is: pop.
Best tracks: Next Boyfriend, Painting Pillows
Throwaway tracks: History
Overall rating: 3 and a half crowns
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