Marshall Madison
has all the style and substance of
country
ueber-stars such as
Tim McGraw
or
Kenny Chesney
, especially on the toe-tapping
"Not Pretty, But Real,"
which name drops influences like
Conway Twitty
. It also has a bit in common with
McGraw
's
"Real Good Man"
despite chastising the current glut of "
" frauds.
"Truckers Anthem"
is rather corny with its mid-tempo sound that brings early-'50s
rock
to mind. The same can be said for
"Harry Arm,"
a very run-of-the-mill
tune with a whisker of
within.
Madison
seems to hit his niche with the classic
ballad
sounds on
"Jackson Mississippi,"
holding his own against the likes of
Alan Jackson
and few others who can pull it off as well. The bouncy '70s
oozing from
"Lonely Home"
is another early highlight, with
Kathy Lee Jarrell
providing backing harmonies.
"She'll Always Be"
is too lightweight for a
song, moving more into an
adult contemporary pop
area that
shouldn't tread too often. Thankfully,
"Take Me Away"
atones in spades, a catchy
-meets-
gospel
tune that easily ambles along. Only on
"Why and Now
does
opt for a somber piano tone, giving a good performance for most of the five minutes.
"Place of Shattered Dreams"
demonstrates his strong songwriting style, as he wrote all 12 songs himself. His only real miscue is leaving
"Give Up Eternity"
at the bottom of the record, despite it being one of the strongest here. ~ Jason MacNeil