Today, Maddie & Tae released their début album ‘Start Here’. In what has been a short space of time, they have made country music sit up and take notice. Their breakout single ‘Girl In A Country Song’ certainly ruffled a few feathers, with the lyrics calling out several of the bro country cliches led by the likes of Thomas Rhett and Luke Bryan. However this wasn’t a mindless rant aimed at upsetting the establishment, ‘Girl In A Country Song’ was a well written song about how women are perceived in country music videos and lyrics. Working alongside songwriter Aaron Scherz, Maddie and Tae were given a platform to express their grievances. The result is a fiesty, firecracker of a hit, full of wit not really seen since Taylor Swift departed country music. Examples include “I got a name and to you it ain’t pretty little thing, honey or baby”, whilst they refer back to the good ol’ days “George Strait never did it this way”.
Inside and of course outside of country music there are numerous artists who have that one song that becomes a huge hit and then struggle to live up to the expectation or the hype with future releases. However despite the fact country music has a well documented problem with providing women with airplay on radio, thanks Keith Hill for making it so blindingly obvious, you don’t get signed up by the giant that is Big Machine records unless you have something about you.
However in an industry littered with one hit wonders, the duo had to somehow follow ‘Girl In A Country Song’ with a record that proved they had substance as artists. So naturally I was very much intrigued to see what the end result would be. As it turns out the two of them have already given us quite a taster. Last year they released their self-titled EP with the songs, ‘Girl In A Country Song’, ‘Sierra’, ‘Fly’, and ‘Your Side Of Town’.
All of the above appear also on ‘Start Here’. A natural sense of humor is only really apparent in a few artists, Brad Paisley being the prime example, but Maddie and Tae between them possess enough of a mischievous streak to make people laugh and think. ‘Sierra’ is straight out of the Taylor Swift book of nasty bitch shaming. “I wish I had something nice to say about that girl with a million dollar face, but beauty only gets you so far, a heart of pure gold is something very rare and the only one she has is in that necklace that she wears”. The chorus is catchy and really goes for it, “It might not be Christian to be wishing what I’m wishing but… Sierra Sierra girl let me tell ya you can’t break boys’ hearts like you’re flipping a switch.”
‘Sierra’ was expected to be the follow up single to ‘Girl In A Country Song’ but perhaps mindful of the overall image they wanted to project, Big Machine released ‘Fly’ as their second single. I first heard the song when they performed it at the Grand Ole Opry, and it has to be said although it was such an antidote to ‘Girl In A Country Song’, for me ‘Fly’ was the concrete proof that this duo were a hell of a lot more then just a flash in the pan. With the use of traditional country instruments, they delivered a heartfelt ballad about a friend trying to get through some hard times. “Just wondering if she’s got the guts to take it… running down her dream in a dirty dress, now her heart’s a mess”, paint the picture of a girl going through a horrible time, but again relating to real life experience, Maddie and Tae take on the role of supporting friend. “Praying she will find a way to make it… we’ve come this far don’t you be scared now, you can learn to fly on the way down”.
‘After The Storm Blows Through’ is another beautiful heart melting song which really brings you back and reflect about what country songs are really about. Whereas nowadays you hear songs about, beer, trucks and getting drunk, which is fine, but country music was built upon songs of heartbreak, tragedy, solidarity for friends and family, and love. Despite their relatively young age Maddie and Tae have really taken those traditional themes and integrated it within their music. ‘After The Storms Blow Through’ is one such example, “You’ve been walking around with a dark cloud hanging under every step you take… you’re doing your best not to break… I’ll face that wind by your side… I’ll give you space, I’ll give you time, I’ll be here for you after the storm blows through”. You read those lyrics and you immediately relate to them personally. Who hasn’t been in that situation?
The have the ability to deal with subjects such as heartbreak in ‘Smoke, which is one of the best tracks on the album in my opintion, and love in ‘No Place Like You’. One of the things I love about ‘Start Here’ is the variety in the tracks, where you may take it down a notch with the tracks previously mentioned, ‘Waiting On A Plane’ provides a more upbeat track about the excitement of “Reaching out for the next dream… spreading wings… get gone living on that blue streak waiting on a plane.”
Overall you are left with 13 tracks of fantastic country music. Vocally Maddie and Tae are probably the best duo in country music. Their song-writing talents allow them to really put across everything, from their dry humor seen also with ‘Your Side Of Town’ to the heart wrenching ballads, however their persona in performance really allows girls especially to relate to them, because these are two American Girls who have been through it and tell it like it is.
It is always difficult to follow up a breakout hit, especially one that had the impact that ‘Girl In A Country Song’ had, and show you credibility as artists who are here to stay. The only disappointment is that ‘Start Here’ is perhaps a little short in length and features all of the songs on the EP meaning there isn’t many songs that fans will never have heard, but out of them ‘Smoke’ and ‘Waiting On A Plane’ are the best of of the unreleased songs.
In ‘Girl In A Country Song’ they released a definitively lasting hit, but in ‘Start Here’ they have proved that they are here to stay. Another thing that is refreshing is that this is unashamedly country, as with the use of traditional instruments, heavy use of acoustics, and focus on the vocal talents of the two girls, this is what country fans have been crying out for. It also shows that there are young country stars who are in touch with what country really is and for that reason I really hope ‘Start Here’ proves to be the success that this deserves, because I genuinely don’t think there is another duo quite like these two fantastic girls. It’s like having two Taylor Swifts. Only ones that will hopefully not sell out.
Originally posted here.
