AMERICAN HIGHWAY
(Plowboy Records)
Marty Brown
Album Review by Preshias Harris for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Marty Brown is truly an irrepressible and
unique personality in the world of Country music as anyone who has seen him
play live can tell you. The Maceo, Kentucky, native came to Nashville and
recorded several albums in the 1990s that garnered a lot of critical acclaim.
He then took a break from recording but was co-writing songs for other artists
including Brooks and Dunn, Trace Adkins and Tracy Byrd.
Marty found an entire new audience with his
appearance on the eighth season of America’s Got Talent. The YouTube clip of
his audition generated more than 11 million views. He reached the semi-finals,
endearing himself to viewers and listeners with his voice and his lovable character.
He is now back with his first studio album
in more than twenty years. It is set for release May 17, 2019.
The album kicks off with the title track,
“American Highway.” The song provides a musical slice of rural American life.
I’ve got a windshield view of it all / Cruisin’ up and down this old asphalt /
on this American highway.” It’s a
feel-good anthem that is a mix of nostalgia and hope for the future.
“Umbrella Lovers” is the first single from
the album and creates warm word-pictures of two people in love, sharing an
umbrella and a kiss. The happy jog-along tempo makes it ideal for shag-dancing
fans of Carolina Beach Music, too. Marty
has released a music video for “Umbrella Lovers” that he directed himself and
includes couples young and old dancing to the song in a roadside café and on
the beach.
Marty is rocking along the road in the
guitar-driven “Casino Winnebago” about an older couple having the time of their
retired lives crossing the country, “hitting all the big resorts, pullin’ up
and playing cards.”
“Velvet Chains” is a gentle ballad that
tells the sweetly poignant story about the sadness of having to leave a loved
one to go on a road trip as the “velvet chains holding me here / velvet chains
pulling me near / oh, I don’t want to go / I don’t want to say goodbye.”
Other standout tracks include the heartache
ballad “Kentucky Blues” and the happy-go-lucky “Shaking All Over The World”
that has a chorus that will have audiences at live shows swaying with hands in
the air and singing along to “Na na na, Na na na, Na na na, Shake it!”
Marty co-wrote all the songs on the album
with producer Jon Tiven, and Marty’s son, Marty Jr., joined them as co-writer
on “I’m On A Roll (Better Than It’s Ever Been)”. It’s a pleasure to hear
Marty’s voice again after way too long away from the studio. Find tour dates, music and more at http://www.martybrownmusic.com/
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