Now That’s What I Call Country Volume 7
Universal CD (2014)
Have you ever had those ‘feeling-blah’ kind of days? The days that you’re just grumpy, down-in-the-dumps and melancholy for no particular reason other than ‘Just Because’? I’m sure you have…we all have. Well, if that day ever reappears, then the perfect remedy is at hand, and it’s neatly packaged in a 5½ x 5 inch plastic case.
Now That’s What I Call Country Volume 7 is the ray of sunshine fighting its way through the clouds that are your ‘blah’ day. The latest collection in the iconic ‘Now…’ brand is a plethora of all things good about modern country music. It has songs from most of today’s biggest names on the Nashville playlists, including Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, Parmalee, Cassadee Pope and so many more.
It lures you in with the 2014 CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan’s poignant future classic ‘Drink a Beer’. A poignant, sad song start – not to bring your mood down, but to give you a chance to reflect, and realise that, no matter how bad you think your day is…it could always be worse.
After easing you in with that opener, the mood perks up and launches into a playlist that will have you foot-tapping, head-nodding and singing into hairbrush microphones in no time.
From Darius Rucker’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ to Chris Young’s ‘Aw Naw’ via a bit of Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley, the top tunes keep coming.
Of course, no country compilation would be complete without the young guns of the moment, Hunter Hayes and infectious Florida Georgia Line.
With more of the newer breed of country artists on the track-list like Thomas Rhett, Brett Eldredge, Scotty McCreery and Leah Turner, we are left in no doubt that the future of country music is in good hands, and that these talents will grace many more ‘Now…Country’ compilations for years to come.
The one drawback with this compilation, however, is that there is only one CD. Many of the ‘Now…’ brand have 2, 3 and sometimes 4 discs. It would have been nice to have a double-CD, with a second disc containing more of the ‘lesser-known’ names maybe, who just to have their name included could be a launch-pad for their careers.
Being totally greedy, they could have included a third disc with more blues/folk based country artists, or even a classics compilation disc.
Much of this is down to my love of all things Country and me being a bit selfish of course, and too many songs can often lead to a slight dumbing-down of the product, or less credible finished article – neither of which can be said of this CD.
The Good: A great variety of both artists and songs.
The Bad: A shame there isn’t a second disc.
Rating: ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ 5 notes out of 5 – A must for any country fan’s party playlist!
Paul Nicholson
