Snippet Reviews

"My Heart Can't Tell You No" Sara Evans
Musically great, vocally amazing, and a fine lyric, no the strongest but gets the job done.
Grade: B

"You and Tequila" Kenny Chesney
Matraca Berg's amazing pen, a sparse arrangement and  a great delivery make this not only a years highlight but career highlight for Chesney
Grade: A

"I Love You This Big" Scotty McCreery
Nice neotraditional production and a clear vocal make this listenable, but the lyrics lack and make the song just that, listenable.
Grade: C-

"Like My Mother Does" Lauren Alaina
A sweet, believable lyric matched with one of the finest young vocalists in music make this song more than just another Idol song, but rather a song for radio to play and enjoy. The one limitation: the production don't let her vocals shine as much as they can.
Grade: B+

Sunny Sweeney "Staying's Worse Than Leaving"

As a follow up to "From A Table Away", Sunny continues to prove the 90's value that comercial success is possible without sacraficing artistic integruity with "Staying's Worse Then Leaving". Her lyrics have the spite of a modern Taylor Swift song, but it is much more comparable to a song  Pam Tillis would've sang in her prime. Likewise, the production compliments the song in all the right ways, much like that of Shania Twain. However, while she has released the best song so far this year, Sunny's one weak spot is that this song is so great it feels like a classic for a stronger vocalist (like Pam, Patty Loveless, or Sara Evans), and she is a more then compitant singer just not quite the same caliber that could've made this an instant classic.

Grade: A-