NEWS4U NOVEMBER 2021 | MUSIC REVIEWS
LIL NAS X Montero Columbia Records
JESSE MCCARTNEY New Stage Blue Suit
Music and fashion icon Lil Nas X
Jesse McCartney first caught my eye
is dropping his spurs for a pink prison jumpsuit on his debut album Montero. We’ve had to sit in agony for two years since “Old Town Road” for this sultry symphony to drop and it is truly a masterpiece. At only 22, Lil Nas X has solidified himself not only as a lyrical mastermind but as a visionary. Every last detail in his music videos - each more grandiose than the next - shows how dedicated he is to his craft and giving the audience a good “old” time. Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus all bring the heat on tracks, too. Harlow slices up a witty rap on “Industry Baby” while Doja Cat brings the sauce on “Scoop.” Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X's vocals melt like butter on a sticky Sunday morning with “Am I Dreaming?,” while Elton John
as a teeny bopper boppin' bangers in Dream Street. While his career early on was packed with crowds and adoration from loving girls, he hasn’t been able to streamline his success the way successor Justin Bieber has. Although McCartney has sunken into the shadows a bit, he still has the vocal flair that made us put posters of him up on our middle school bedroom walls in the first place. The singer, who just recently tied the knot, is hoping this album is a fresh start. It's also a sweet ode to his wife. There’s a newfound sense of maturity from the vocalist, now in his mid thirties. “Discovering You” breaks down how they first fell in magnetic love: “History started in your tiny one bed apartment/ When I think of my story, you begin and end it all for me.” He's clearly done some soul-searching since
passes off the torch to the future legend on “One of Me.” His
“Beautiful Soul.” I admire a man with growth. “Party for Two” is a
Patwa
stadiums again, he’ll always have a place in the music industry
range is astounding and his career will be ever-lasting. - Marisa
breath of fresh, catchy air. While McCartney may never sell-out as a respected artist. As for the level of romance in dedicating a
whole album to the love of his life? Men listen up. - Marisa Patwa
KACEY MUSGRAVES Star-Crossed MCA Nashville/Interscope Records While I’m not a true country girl at heart, Kacey Musgraves made mine beat.
She
absolutely
slayed
her
musical guest performance during the season premiere of SNL. She sang “Justified” raw and naked as an ode to Jenny from Forrest Gump - and she delivered “Camera Roll” with just as much sincerity. Musgraves was hauntingly raw and vulnerable with the masked studio audience and it was beautiful. The sixtime Grammy Award-winner turned me into an instant fan, and then the deep dive into her discography began. Like Maren Morris, she has the perfect combination of salty country with some sugar pop. I’m glad I’m finally catching up in the country classroom because this fifth studio album is a true education. “Simpler Times” is a throwback to 90's high school life. The slow, sweat burn radiates with passion. The music video is full of fun and color as Musgraves and her gang of girls hit the mall, then rob a wedding dress shop. There is just something so insatiable about her twangy voice that infuses each track with a layer of honey that just tastes like home. - Marisa Patwa
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• www.evansvillemediagroup.com
RESIST & BITE Self-titled Lor Live Records Resist & Bite is a refreshing new band featuring former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch, Owensboro native David Parks on drums, vocalist Nathan Utz, guitarist Steve Stokes and bassist Brian Powell. At first listen, the new record sounds a bit like Tesla’s ground-breaking 1986 debut Mechanical Resonance. This is not surprising, as Skeoch is a founding member of Tesla. But what is serendipitous about the debut is how varied the song styles are - metal, blues, countryrock, dark and rhythmic to energetic rockers. This record nicely showcases Skeoch’s body of guitar work and Utz’s vocal range. What’s more, it features glimpses here and there of Parks and Stokes’ Nashville influence. Twin guitar solos are featured throughout, and Utz does a fine job crafting catchy vocal hooks whilst tackling real-life subject matter on some tracks. Start with “A Soul for Mary,” “Fate,” “Up in Flames” and the opener “Blood on Me.” This one is great fun! - Matt Alschbach
