A.M.

When I first saw some of the song titles on Chris Young's fourth release, A.M., I was a little worried....seemingly centered around partying and alcohol, I was concerned that Young had A) fallen into the "good-time-country-frat-boy" mold that is plaguing so many of the under-40 cookie cutter male singers in Country music today, and/or B) that he was reverting back to the boozy one trick pony vibe that permeated most of his 2006 debut. Well, I have some good news....and some bad (Actually, let's call it ...so-so). While A.M. doesn't exhibit the depth, conviction or maturity of either 2009's THE MAN I WANT TO BE or 2011's NEON, it's also not just some mindless ode to partying. Yes, there are numerous references to beer, Patron and coolers, but it's not gratuitous....rather than just a celebration of drinking and goofing off, this is more about unwinding, taking the time to just breath, and enjoying the smaller moments in life. Is A.M. Young's masterpiece? No...we have yet to see (or hear) that. But his voice continues to grow and develop, evolving into (easily) one of the best in Country music today. Now we just need some more material with some real meat on it's bones. Young is at a major crossroads right now....it'll be interesting to see which path he heads down next. In the meantime, just sit back and enjoy the simple things! Things kick off with the disc's first single, the infectious "Aw Naw." Everything works here....an energetic arrangement, an assured, sly lead vocal, spirited lyrics...it all comes together perfectly! When Young sings "No, I didn't mean to be here this long/I'm trying to leave so it ain't my fault", you almost feel sorry for him! (Mind you, I said "Almost!"). A fun, upbeat note to start things on! There's a slinky sensuality to "Hold You To It" that gets under your skin and stays there. The instrumentation oozes out of the speakers, while Young's velvety voice wraps around you like a favorite old quilt. I swear, I don't think there's anyone else right now in Country music who so effortlessly combines an innate Soul groove with his twang. Brilliant! Things hit the first bump in the road right around this point. "Lonely Eyes" is graced with a smooth lead vocal and sharp lyrics ("They analyze your glass of wine/Roll away a pickup line/Now and then they check your phone/Catch mine and let 'em go"), but there's just something....generic...about the arrangement. I think this would have made a much better stripped down ballad. Good...could have been better. The same can be said about the next track. "Goodbye" is a great ballad, but it's hampered by BIG vocal runs and GRAND guitar riffs. When you have a voice like Young's, you don't need all....that. He still needs to learn that less is frequently more, that he can pull back at times. (Personally, I would have loved to have seen this done as an acoustic track). Another near miss. Up next is the album's rockin' title track. From my first listen, this puppy reminded me of Keith Anderson's "Pickin' Wildflowers" (Whatever happened to Keith?!?)....insanely tuneful, they share that combined sense of playfulness and naughtiness. You can almost hear the wink and a smile coming through Young's voice. This is a hit waiting to happen! At first glance, "Nothin' But The Cooler Left" might be lumped in with the aforementioned "party-hearty" craze that is running wild in much of Country music today, but doing so would actually be a disservice to the cut....it's so much more than just that. In a full-bodied lead vocal, Young boldly proclaims that it's O.K. to wait out hard times by having a little fun. In fact, we've all EARNED that right. Nice! Much like "Goodbye", "Who I Am With You" is a good song that, sadly, could have been so much better. These two tracks remind me of the big power ballads that EVERYONE was doing in the mid-to-late 80's and early 90's....in many cases, good songs that were just taken WAAAY over the top. Once again, Young has a voice that can stand on it's own. Couple it with a beautiful melody and an acoustic guitar and you would have had a winner here. Another "could have been!" And then there's "Text Me Texas", arguably A.M.'s best cut. A delicate arrangement with minimal instrumentation perfectly cushions a sterling lead vocal that floats out of the speakers, soaring here, swooping in there. When you have a voice this good, it DESERVES to be heard, in all it's nuanced beauty. Breath-taking...absolutely breath-taking (And, once again, I love the pinch of Soul!)! Things don't work out quite so well for "We're Gonna Find It Tonight"....there's just something forced and cliched about the song. There's no denying that Young can rock it when he wants to, but when doing so, he needs better material than this. A nice cover would have fit in perfectly right about now. Have to call this a miss. The album wraps up on a strong note, though. "Forgiveness" has a timeless, classic feel to it, what with it's economical arrangement and smooth, steely lead vocal. Toss in powerful lyrics ("It ain't hiding in no bottle on a shelf/Or lying in the bed of someone else/I can't feel it on some Sunday morning pew") and you have a song that everyone from Merle Haggard and George Jones to George Strait and Randy Travis would have killed to have gotten their hands on. Lovely. "Lighters In The Air" ends things on an up note. Young's strong lead vocal perfectly captures and conveys the power of young love, youthful good times and memories that will linger throughout a lifetime. And now he's seeing it come full circle, as he helps to make those memories for others. Very nice. But is that enough? It's clear that being the most successful winner of "Nashville Star" is no longer enough...as Chris Young closes in on his 30's, he'll soon have to decide what kind of artist he really wants to be....a leader? A follower? A good-time guy? Someone with something to say? Such choices are enough to keep anyone up at night, well into the A.M. That said, I think Young is more than capable of handling it! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics).

I love how he sings!!

Go buy this album. Now. Stop waiting. Still not sure? Ok… I have written a long drawn out review of it. Obviously, this is my opinion, so here it goes. First off… Ladies… hello, It’s Chris Young. Not only is he a damn fine looking man, he’s got sexy voice – so that’s all we need, right? Guys… trying to hook up with a special lady? Just a suggestion… sing Goodbye or Who I am with you, to her. But do it in a sexy Chris Young voice, or the results may not be as effective. All kidding aside, the one thing I love about A.M., is that all of the songs are really strong, catchy and just awesome. It’s an AMAZING album, with some rockin’ songs, cool groovin’ songs and a couple of beautiful ballads. I don’t want to jinx the guy, but I definitely hear a few #1’s on A.M. I don’t skip any of them‐ and that’s rare‐ I’m pretty picky. I also listen to a lot of different kinds of music, so I’m not just partial to this because it’s country.Song Breakdown (just giving you the gist of what it’s about).Aw Naw – If you listen to country radio, you know that they’re blowin’ this song up. It’s a ‘I’ll just have one drink and then ‐ damn we ended up stayin’ out way to late’ kind of song. It’s catchy as hell, and if you’re not tappin’ your foot by the end of the song, well then, there’s really nothing Chris (or I for that matter) can do for you.Hold You To It – Love this song. I chair dance to it a work (and yes, I look like an idiot). It’s got a great vibe and makes you want grab someone and dance with ‘em all night long.Lonely Eyes – Great lyrics/music in this song. I think everyone – man or woman – can relate to it. Seeing someone you really want to meet when you’re out and about, and desperately hoping to catch their eye, and get something started with them …score? ;)Goodbye – Hands down the most romantic, sexiest song ever. It melts brain cells every time I listen to it. Unfortunately, I listen to it a lot, so I will probably be brain dead in a few weeks. Any grammatical or spelling errors in this review can be attributed to this song. It seriously gets to me.A.M. – Another toe tapping, boot stomping, chair dancing song. Catchy, catchy party song. I blast it over and over at work (and play air drums). Definitely a Friday kind of song (for me anyway).Nothin’ But the Cooler Left – Love this song a lot—awesome vibe. Totally brings me back to great times hangin’ with everyone at the beach, drinkin’ beer all day, while chillin’ to some good music.Who I am With You – Another beautiful song. (sigh) The lyrics are incredible, and I doubt there’s a woman out there that wouldn’t like her man to tell her (or sing to her) any of the words in this one.Text Me Texas – This one has such a mellow, soothing melody. Then, when you listen to the lyrics, the only thing that comes to mind is ‘damn’. It evokes a lot of emotion, and your heart just may hurt a little bit by the end of it.We’re Gonna Find It Tonight – What gets me movin’, gets me groovin’, gets me fired up? Why this song does, Chris, this song does. Do yourself a favor ‐ grab a beer and blast this song. You’ll be in a great mood by the end of it.Forgiveness – What I would call a more classic sounding country song, with great lyrics ‐ finding everything in the world but what you need. The tone of the vocals in this one is unbelievable.Lighters In the Air – How appropriate to end an album with a song with this title. It’s love song about one epic night and the memories that remain. Again, most everyone can relate to this song. (me? Frank when I was 19 - at a Metallica concert) Love the melody.My only complaint would be that it’s not long enough. I feel like Chris Young is teasing me by only singing for 37 minutes. Luckily, I know how to use a repeat button (and I do… constantly).Even if you’re not a country fan, I’m betting you can find at least a couple of songs on this cd that you can appreciate and love. It’s definitely one of the best I’ve heard in a long time.So there you have it <curtsy‐ing>. My review. I have to say- obviously I have a bit of a crush on Chris Young. I can assure you that this, in no way, shape or form, swayed my opinion of this CD. It’s just a damn good album. Just curious if anyone actually reads these reviews to the end. If you did, let me know if you liked it, hated it, or basically think I’m a nut (yes, I’m fully aware that I need a life - lol) Hit me up on twitter and let me know @kittykat5287

I feel on this album Chris has found his feet, he has produced good albums in the past but as other reviewers have said, this is probably his best album to date. Starting off with the brilliant lead single 'Aw naw' the album really doesn't have a weak track. It's more 'country' than a lot of other artists these days who have drifted more towards rock and AC, but it sounds a little more modern than some of his previous effects. Great album!

Another great album from Chris Young. A lot of people thought he would be a one hit wonder but is albums are as good or better each time. The Man I Want To Be and Neon were fantastic follow ups to his first album and this one will not disappoint either. Great voice and going to be a legend.

They liked it

Very good album with great tracks

We really love this cd, i hear Aw Naw on the radio all the time on my travels in the rocky mountains canada last autumn, everytime i hear this it takes me back to Banff, Jasper and Whistler.