Single Review: 100 Proof – Kellie Pickler

12 years ago Liv Carter 3

Songwriters: James T. Slater and Leslie Satcher

Kellie Pickler returns to the country radio airwaves with the title track of her latest album, ‘100 Proof.’

Before I can address anything else, this needs to be said yet again. As with so many country releases, the music is too loud. I don’t mean volume that I can adjust, I mean the loudness that is (supposed to be) adjusted in the studio. The music is pushed right up to the max leaving the vocals drowning in a sea of sound. This is great for pop songs, but here, it all but drowns out a great vocal track. It’s a testament to Pickler’s performance that she still manages to sound tender in the midst of this sonic storm.

The song has two happy lovers observe another couple struggling and, without ever really resorting to smugness, feel secure in knowing that they don’t need any outside help to reach bliss:
We’ll go home and lay down safe in the arms of love
And we’ll dance all night long on the edge of can’t get enough
And we’ll wake up in the morning like we always do
Drunk on the beautiful truth
We got a love 100 proof

This kind of lovely traditional(ish) ballad is where Pickler is right at home and she is utterly convincing. Impressive, since she gets no support. The music surrounding her is, it bears repeating, too loud and there is too much of it. The dialogue between two guitars, with steel popping in and out of the conversation, is a nice track by itself, but isn’t what a simple song like this needs.

‘100 Proof’ is a welcome return to radio for this type of song, which has been missing from commercial country stations, and I hope to see it get lots of support.

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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