Canadian country singer Ray Gibson is back with her second EP, featuring her new single "In Your Kiss." The follow up to her debut EP, which was released in 2013, Ray Gibson (EP) delves into Gibson's sound more, and explores the areas where she succeeded in her last project. She has been working for a year and a half on this EP, and it shows. The songs are polished, and Gibson has really found her sound. She has improved on what she did well in the past and honed her music into a solid genre and sound — pop-country songs about love.
The lead single and first song of this EP is "In Your Kiss." Wereviewed this song a while back, and said: The songs by female artists that get popular these days, with the exception of Cam and "Burning House", are the songs that are bold, brash and confident. There aren't really any middle of the road love songs going No. 1 anymore, at least for women. Gibson seems ready to fill that role. Love is a big topic for her musically, and she could definitely make those kind of songs big again with the sugary pop country outer covering of this track. This song is the perfect candidate for her break out song, and based on its sound, could end up being a big hit in Canada, and in the US as well. This song sets the tone for the EP, and shows off Gibson's new, solidified sound.
Pop country singer songwriter Kelsea Ballerini was a major influence on this project. She wrote two of the tracks: "Rebound" with "Love Me Like You Mean It" and "Dibs" co-writer Josh Kerr and Jason Massey, and "Ain't Your Girl" with Jesse Lee and Forest Glen Whitehead. Both of these tracks are on the sassier side, and that injects a whole new personality and edge into Gibson's sound. The better of these two tracks is "Ain't Your Girl." (Listen to a clip of Ballerini's version.) Gibson shines so much vocally on this song, and it was produced to pop country perfection. It has an infectious beat and a girl power element that makes it a must have on a girls night playlist. "Rebound" is also a solid song, but doesn't quite live up to the sharpness of "Ain't Your Girl."
Pop country singer songwriter Kelsea Ballerini was a major influence on this project. She wrote two of the tracks: "Rebound" with "Love Me Like You Mean It" and "Dibs" co-writer Josh Kerr and Jason Massey, and "Ain't Your Girl" with Jesse Lee and Forest Glen Whitehead. Both of these tracks are on the sassier side, and that injects a whole new personality and edge into Gibson's sound. The better of these two tracks is "Ain't Your Girl." (Listen to a clip of Ballerini's version.) Gibson shines so much vocally on this song, and it was produced to pop country perfection. It has an infectious beat and a girl power element that makes it a must have on a girls night playlist. "Rebound" is also a solid song, but doesn't quite live up to the sharpness of "Ain't Your Girl."
But the Ballerini influence continues throughout the EP, not just on the songs that Ballerini wrote. "Lovin' You Lately" has a very Kelsea Ballerini sound, but in this case, it doesn't pay off as well as it did for the other two tracks. It's a typical country song, somewhat like "In Your Kiss," but doesn't cover any new ground. It's a sweet love song, and although Gibson does sound nice vocally, it's a bit too pop to fit in with the rest of the EP.
The two ballads of the collection are reminiscent of the amazing ballad of her last EP, "Stop the Clock." "Permanent" and "You Still Got That" don't quite live up to the beauty of that song, but they come pretty close. The better of the two is "Permanent," which embraces country instrumentals more than the other, basically pop rock track does. Written by Gibson, "Permanent" is the best song on this EP. There has to be a classic love ballad on every collection of music, and this song fits that bill. The lyrics are simple and beautiful, one of the best lines being: "we can get a little lost before we're found."
It's funny listening to the lead single "In Your Kiss" after hearing the whole EP. That song is good, but the rest of their EP surpasses expectations. Gibson has figured out who she is as an artist, and this EP proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Best tracks: Permanent, Ain't Your Girl
Throwaway tracks: Lovin' You Lately
Overall rating: 4 crowns
The two ballads of the collection are reminiscent of the amazing ballad of her last EP, "Stop the Clock." "Permanent" and "You Still Got That" don't quite live up to the beauty of that song, but they come pretty close. The better of the two is "Permanent," which embraces country instrumentals more than the other, basically pop rock track does. Written by Gibson, "Permanent" is the best song on this EP. There has to be a classic love ballad on every collection of music, and this song fits that bill. The lyrics are simple and beautiful, one of the best lines being: "we can get a little lost before we're found."
It's funny listening to the lead single "In Your Kiss" after hearing the whole EP. That song is good, but the rest of their EP surpasses expectations. Gibson has figured out who she is as an artist, and this EP proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Best tracks: Permanent, Ain't Your Girl
Throwaway tracks: Lovin' You Lately
Overall rating: 4 crowns
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