Review: Corey Smith- ‘The Broken Record’
Anyone who has read Corey Smith’s post-CMA blog about his experience playing the Riverfront Stage for the first time knows how passionate he is about music (If you haven’t read it, you really need to). His passion definitely comes through on his latest album, Broken Record.
His voice has an unmistakable southern drawl. His lyrics are simple, and to the point, yet manage to tell great stories about partying, love, and life. His live show is awesome. Although these qualities are staples in country music, some still feel hesitant to label him as country. Fans of Smith know that he’s been around for a while and that his journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. He’s not the traditional country type, he never has been and he’s not going to change now just to get a hit on the radio. These characteristics are what make fans of Corey love him so much. So if you have an open mind and like the way country artists have been pushing the musical boundaries lately, then you should definitely give Corey Smith a try and start with these tracks from his latest album:
‘If I Could Do It Again’ – Although this song has previously been released it’s still a favorite on this album. If you’ve ever been to college, been in love, been on spring break, or just had “one of those nights” then you can relate to these lyrics. The song boasts, “Best friends in a pick up truck, we were Panama City bound. Eight hours in the back, wind blowin with the sun beatin down,” and then goes on to talk about the events of that trip, including a fling that had to be hidden from his girlfriend back home. “I’d break my first love’s heart, forget to hide the fingernail marks.” It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and has already proven to be a fan-favorite in his live shows.
‘Broken Record’ – This is one of the new tracks on the album. It tells the tale of a boy from his start as a struggling musician to finally making it to the big stage, yet being in the spotlight is not everything that the artist had thought it would be. The line “I’m a, I’m a broken record” is one of those lines that you’ll find yourself singing in your head throughout the day. “In come the money, and out goes a song” seems almost like a stab at ‘mainstream’ music for not caring about the quality of a song as long as it will do well on the radio. It’s definitely one of those songs that seems so simple yet the underlying story is much deeper.
‘Maybe Next Year’ – This track has also been previously released by Smith. The title is pretty self explanatory. It’s all about how maybe next year will be different, maybe next year you’ll change everything you’ve been wanting to change, maybe next year will finally be the year you grow up. We’ve all been there, and Corey Smith says it’s “Only 365 days until [we] change [our] ways.”
If you’re going to give Smith’s The Broken Record a listen, you’ll definitely want to check out these other stand-outs on the album: “New Day”, “Carolina”, and his latest single, “Twenty-One.” And if you’ve already been a fan of his then definitely buy this album. He hasn’t ‘sold out’ and it’s definitely worth it.
Rating: 4/5
The Broken Record is available in stores and on iTunes now.
-Jayme O., CountryMusicIsLove Contributor
