Smith travels the "Backroad"

Country Things Vol. 2

Vol. 2 of Granger Smith's "Country Things" leads off with "Man Made" a clever track, which posits that men may have made the world, but the women have made the men. He has a writing credit on five of the seven tracks. Per usual a few are by his alter ego Earl Dibbles. Jr. Typically, Mr. Dibbles typically tries way too hard to convince the listener that he belongs in the genre. In the first 60 seconds of "Diesel," he's got "his overalls on and a good dip in. ...

Country Things, Vol. 1

Fearing that the 16 songs that made up "Country Things" would get lost on a single album, Granger Smith opted for an opus. Volume 1 begins with the title track; co-written by Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line. It begins with simple fiddle and a laundry list of G-rated country things. There is no mention of alcohol, women or pickups. He refreshingly opts for rope swings, corner stores and other pieces of Americana. It has the feeling of being inspired by the pandemic with its focus on ...

When the Good Guys Win

For his ninth studio album, "When The Good Guys Win," Granger Smith used outside writers for half the 14 tracks. It is appropriate that Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard has a co-write credit. Much like FGL's sound, this effort feels like it was presented to a focus group of contemporary country listeners for approval before the final cut. The production is glossy, the melodies catchy and the themes bro country.The opening track sets the tone for the 49-minute collection. ...