Review Summary: Tangled up in summer love
Pop-country is
the worst. It’s a cheap derivation of the genre that basically goes like this: handsome singer(s) grow up with absolutely no country roots or affiliation, learn to sing pop with a slight rural twang, and then get signed to a massive label, often based out of Nashville. Dan + Shay are no exceptions to this pattern – Shay Mooney was brought over from T-Pain’s
Nappy Boy Entertainment, an R&B label shared by the likes of Gym Class Heroes, and Dan Smyer came from an assortment of various Christian labels. More recently, the pair has collaborated with Justin Bieber on a new single that’s apparently lighting up the
Billboard Hot 100. Yeah, this is
that kind of country music. I’ll forgive you if you stop reading right now and turn your attention to someone more worthwhile like Sturgill Simpson.
Oh, you’re still here? Awesome. Now that we’ve shaken off the notion that this could be anything genuine (or even feature actual instruments), let’s talk about what might be one of the catchiest albums of the last ten years. There’s a certain warmth to
Where It All Began that makes it worth wading into the shallow waters of country-pop. Dan + Shay sing about California sun, blonde hair flowing in the wind, and porch-lit goodnight kisses. If you haven’t vomited quite yet, there are also butterflies. This debut might be sickeningly sweet, but it’s also catchy enough to make you forget about pesky things like musical standards and simply sink into the melodies. ‘19 You + Me’ possesses a huge summery chorus that will make you swoon, ‘What You Do To Me’ stirs those “first-time-feeling” romantic flutters, ‘Can’t Say No’ is a bouncy little number about helpless infatuation, and ‘Nothin Like You’ is an ode to finding love within someone else’s unique quirks. It’s very much a country-pop summer love album, for better or worse.
The lyrics perform an uncommon dance between mind-numbingly basic and interestingly personal. For the most part, the songs are blanketed in clichés designed to evoke that very specific “summer love” vibe. We get more than our fair share of platitudes such as “I can still hear that sound of every wave crashin' down / Like the tears we cried that day we had to leave”, but at the same time are also treated to Dan + Shay’s detailed storytelling ability. Enjoyment of this record is found in these little moments, like the way that ‘What You Do To Me’ paints a vivid picture of a fairytale date night, complete with the watchful father ominously waiting at the door: “I was lookin' right into your eyes, right then, porch light flipped on and I saw your dad lookin' through the window - hope he ain't mad / Then I helped you outta my truck, through the yard to your front door / Said "girl, am I gonna see you again?", you answered me back with a kiss.” There’s plenty of these transient moments that recall memories through specific places or times, and while it’s not going to force you to reevaluate your life, it’s fun to just let your guard down as the hooks draw you in and then sing along as the melodies carry you off into a series of charming, carefree daydreams.
Dan + Shay are definitely a vocal-centric act that rarely stray from mainstream pop ideals, but with that said, their songwriting chops are impeccable. They’re very much of the Taylor Swift “can’t write a bad song” ilk in the sense that their works are not incredibly diverse, but every melody sticks a graceful landing.
Where It All Began is one of the few pop (or country-pop) albums that I can listen to from start to finish without skipping a single song. It’s a sleekly produced, hook-laden experience best enjoyed with the windows rolled down while driving oceanside. They’ll never change the landscape of modern country music, but that’s not their aim. Dan + Shay reside in the same realm as Rascal Flatts, Hunter Hayes, and Keith Urban. It’s “country” to mindlessly bob your head to – and within that arena, Dan + Shay are kings.
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