Courtesy of Stormlight Pictures
Kalie Shorr had a monster 2016. Her single "Fight Like A Girl" became the second best selling debut single by a female artist that year, she was named a Highway Find, and she played shows across the country. When naming artists that are on the rise, it's hard to forget Kalie Shorr. A songwriter with writerslist and an unsigned artist, Shorr's new EP is representative of that meteoric rise in 2016, and of the new music she's been writing. Featuring her first two singles, "Fight Like A Girl" and "He's Just Not That Into You," Slingshot is a must-listen.
Her next single, according to Taste of Country, is flawless. "Nothin New" was written at a Youtube/Song Suffragettes event a year or so ago with Lacy Green and Emily Landis in a couple hours. What they managed to produce in that high-pressure situation blows away most of mainstream country music. This songs stands head and shoulders above the rest of the songs on the EP (all of which are incredibly good songs) because of the universal element. In Cam's recent Ted Talk, she spoke about how whatever tough time a person is going through, you are not alone. Because most likely, someone else is going through the same thing. In this song, Shorr comforts all the broken-hearted girls out there. They are not alone. They are all feeling the pain of unrequited love, and that unites them. The lyric, "you couldn't love me, even if you wanted to" adds an element of finality to the track. There's nothing they can do, so they just want to move on.
The song is structured in the verses to list a bunch of facts that will always be true, like how the sun always sets in the west, and a funny addition, that "the best songs are three chords and the truth," always followed by, "that ain't nothing new." This not only relates how final the breakup is, and how much this guy is never going to love this girl, but it's also a comfort. Shorr tells these girls, he may not love you, but the sun still shines, and the sky's still blue. Your life isn't over. This song is so great because there are so many ways that people can interpret the lyrics, allowing it to relate a large range of people facing a variety of different struggles.
While I've devoted half of this article to "Nothin New," the final two new tracks are nothing short of brilliant as well. "Love Like That" is sassy in a way Shorr has never been before, and it suits her. The lyrics are as strong as in "Nothin New," but in a clever way rather than a more powerful way. The bouncy beat sounds like it's made to be performed live. A little more country peaks out behind the pop-influenced beats, which makes the song all the more fun. "Odds Are" is the only song on the EP that Shorr didn't write, and it's actually a Barenaked Ladies cover. For your listening pleasure, I placed both the original song and Shorr's cover below. Shorr's version is a country twist on the original, but stays true to the quirky sound of the original track. Definitely a bold move for an aspiring country artist, but it works!
While I've devoted half of this article to "Nothin New," the final two new tracks are nothing short of brilliant as well. "Love Like That" is sassy in a way Shorr has never been before, and it suits her. The lyrics are as strong as in "Nothin New," but in a clever way rather than a more powerful way. The bouncy beat sounds like it's made to be performed live. A little more country peaks out behind the pop-influenced beats, which makes the song all the more fun. "Odds Are" is the only song on the EP that Shorr didn't write, and it's actually a Barenaked Ladies cover. For your listening pleasure, I placed both the original song and Shorr's cover below. Shorr's version is a country twist on the original, but stays true to the quirky sound of the original track. Definitely a bold move for an aspiring country artist, but it works!
|
|
|
Shorr is part of a new generation of female artists: they write their own songs, they tell the truth no matter what, and they're not afraid to be a little sassy. Over the past couple years, Shorr has developed from a writer with Taylor Swift comparisons and YouTube covers to a unique artist of her own making. Slingshot is only the beginning for Kalie Shorr.
Best tracks: "Nothin' New," "Love Like That"
Throwaway tracks: none
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns
Best tracks: "Nothin' New," "Love Like That"
Throwaway tracks: none
Overall rating: 4 ½ crowns
RSS Feed
