Search - Joe Nichols :: III

Impressive; 3 ½ Stars

Musac Critic | 01/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'll be the very first to say that I'm NOT an avid country fan. I don't dislike country music in the least, but it isn't the genre of music that I run to the record store to buy the newest attraction. For me, I have an acquired taste when it comes to purchasing country CDs; I have select favorites. Recently, I've been trying to explore the music more because being a musician, I feel it is important to be well-rounded in as many genres as you can be. Personally, country has a few artists that draw my attention and even in some instances strike my fancy: Alan Jackson, Gretchen Wilson, Carrie Underwood (impressive enough new artist), The Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and now Joe Nichols joins the batch. Even with that said, a few standout singles impress me from time to time, particulary Billy Currington's catchy "Must Be Doing Something Right" or Johnny Cash's posthumously released single/video for "God's Gonna Cut You Down". Getting back to the person being reviewed, Joe may not be the most popular nor the most lauded country singer, but I think Joe has a lot of promise in the industry; his baritone vocals certainly resonate with me and he is good for a couple of strong country singles. His baritone is quite reminiscent (to me at least)of Alan Jackson. However, III isn't an Alan Jackson album in the least-- it is a Joe Nichols album.



The album starts out rambunctiously with the infectious, playful "Size Matters", which starts out with a country, twang sound, heightened via fiddles in the background. Sure, it has your typical country sound, but it is a strong, catchy track. The chorus resonates very well: "with a big ol' heart/ who can love her like nobody can/ big ol' kisses that go on and on and never end/ with a big ol' small that'll fill the world with laughter/ size matters/ size matters". You can't help but sing "Size Matters" to yourself, which is what makes it such a strong track. "Freedom Feels Like Lonely" is another strong track, though not as strong as single "Size Matters". The chord progression and song writing here are very tight and the production suits Nichol's baritone vocals perfectly. It is in the pocket, even if it doesn't quite live up to the greatness and the fun qualities of "Size Matters". It is a good, "it is, what it is number."



"Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" is the number that drove many buyers to Nichols's new album. It is definitely fun and sort of "raw" in a tasteful way. Most amazing may be Nichols's reference to "patron" in a country song! You'd expect to hear references to patron in a hip-hop/rap number, but a country track? That's innovation right there! One trend within III is that the best tracks tend to be the ones that are a bit riskier such as "Size Matters" and of course the rediculous, but credible "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off".



"Talk Me Out Of Tampa" is another strong track, though it is more low key compared to the risky "Size Matters" or "Tequila". It does however return Nichols to a tamer country sound with some pop sensibilites, well at least till the chorus exhibits all of Nichol's country chops. "That's What Love'll Get You" is a faster track, needed after the good, but slow "Talk Me Out Of Tampa". It isn't anything truly new or anything that we haven't heard from country singers in the past, but it is your typical country performance and it is above average.



What attracted me to III was a quick skip past Country Music Television's Top 20 Video Countdown. There I saw the excellent, yet underrated "I'll Wait For You". For me, "I'll Wait For You" is perhaps the most touching ballad I've heard for a while, country, pop, rock, reggae, or whatever it be. Nichols sounds fantastic here and the song makes you just want to burst into tears. I took the risk of buying the whole album because I loved "I'll Wait For You". Honestly, I wasn't the least bit disappointed either. "Should I Come Home (Or Should I Go Crazy)" is another straightfoward country number that doesn't wow me, but it is very catchy. The chorus is another that I enjoy to sing to myself and the vocal harmonies are very lovely. The production work is very strong as well and is simple enough that it truly highlights Nichol's deep baritone.



"My Old Friend The Blues" is another slow number, which starts out without drums and eventually adds them in. It is predictable, but Joe again sounds at his very best and he doesn't oversing the song. It is a number like this where you hear the "Alan Jackson" comparisons. The simplicity is what makes this number. "As Country as She Gets" is more rhythmic, but it is "Honky Tonk Girl" that revives the album for anybody who had doubts after the past few tracks preceeding it. Again, Nichols proves that his strongest material is he "riskier" numbers. "Just A Little More" ends the album with a very slow rhythmic feel. Again, the production is very simple with only traces of instruments adding to the feel occasionally. Nichol's subtle vocals again drive this number and it proves to pay off, even if it is predictable. It is a nice way to end a brief, but overall very strong album.



III is strong enough for me, but I do wish that it was a bit longer. I think that shorter albums are more consistent because there is less room for error (or filler), but 37 minutes maybe cutting it a bit too close. 45 minutes is more acceptable in my eyes. The positive thing is that III does feel complete enough and the extra 8-10 minutes may have hindered it as opposed to helped it. Sure, III isn't perfect, nor is it the best country album I've heard, but it is very good and it is a shame that just 500,000 country fans purchased it. But, Nichols I think has a promising future and if he keeps getting better and better he will hopefully one day get the recognition he deserves. 3 ½ Stars."