Album Review – Maddie & Tae EP
No matter where you stand on it, the enigma that is Maddie & Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song” has made for grand country music theater in 2014, marking one of the most talked about musical offerings since Kacey Musgraves’ “Merry Go ‘Round.” The song takes a swipe at the same sort of Bro-Country that has completely permeated country music’s airwaves, while still remaining playful enough where egos can’t be bruised (mostly) or turf wars can’t break out between the country music sexes.
But similar to Kacey Musgraves, we didn’t really know what to make of Maddie & Tae beyond this one song because we didn’t really have any other offerings to balance it with aside from a few acoustic performances at radio stations. Was this simply another Scott Borchetta pop country Frankenstein brought forth to be an alternative to Bro-Country to where the country music industrial machine gets you coming and going no matter what side of the debate you stand on? Cute little 18-year-old girls releasing a song that starts of with a hip-hop beat seemed so easy to refute, even if the sentiments of the song struck a favorable chord.
Make no mistake, the emergence of Maddie & Tae is the result of tactical gaming of country music’s notoriously malleable masses by label types, but that doesn’t mean that the music can’t be any good. “Girl In A Country Song” really didn’t help answer the question of, “Who are Maddie & Tae?” It exacerbated it. Were the hip-hop elements simply there for irony? Were these girls really influenced heavily by classic country as they said?
So now the young duo has released a four-song EP, and all of a sudden a brand new set of parameters emerge. You do hear those classic country leanings in the songwriting. You hear fiddle solos and steel guitar by god. You hear two girls singing in close harmony with heavy twang about similar themes once championed by Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. And you begin to realize that whether Maddie & Tae are a machination of Big Machine Records or not, their music truly is living up to the more traditional and tasteful approach they were touted as embodying when they first emerged.
Granted, we only have four songs to draw from. But from what I’m hearing, the Maddie & Tae EP might just be the best offering of mainstream country so far in 2014, and I’m not kidding. Moreover, listening to “Girl In A Country Song” in the context of additional music refutes many of the concerns it initially posed, and emphasizes the song’s strengths. Maddie & Tae really are traditionally-leaning country girls who love to instill wit and a strong sense of feminine values into music that is both smart and fun, and fairly well suited for the listening enjoyment of both sexes and a general audience.
The other song floating out there in acoustic form before the release of this EP was “Sierra.” Already a witty and smart tune in its raw form, when fleshed out in the studio, we really see the potential of the Maddie & Tae project come to life. Up tempo and twangy, with fiddle and steel guitar right out front and a story fit for Dolly or Tammy with a few modernizations, this song announces Maddie & Tae as that potential act that can bridge strong country roots with present-day relevancy. Even the slight presence of electronic accoutrements doesn’t feel like a detriment here, but a tasteful way to bring the roots of country forward to a new audience.
This is followed by “Fly”— the sentimental offering in the group that revitalizes the inspiring style of female country indicative of the early careers of Lee Ann Womack and Martina McBride. It may be a little too adult contemporary for some, but “Fly” is a solid offering that illustrates a deeper side to these girls’ otherwise silly and smart approach. And again the song endears itself to discerning country ears by relying on fiddles to fill the solo allotment instead of Stratocasters.
“Your Side of Town” is where the electric guitars show up in force, and this is the song that sounds more similar to what we’re used to from country music’s leading ladies of today like Miranda Lambert, with attitude dripping from the lines and the fiddle fighting for attention. But the song still fits into the interesting space the duo has carved out for itself with this EP. Maddie & Tae are great singers as well, though I suspect their twang is so pronounced, it will be polarizing for some listeners.
Like every good EP should set out to accomplish, this collection of songs introduces you to what Maddie & Tae are all about without exposing too much, and wets your whistle for what else might be in store. With “Girl In A Country Song” cracking the Top 10 of the Country Airplay and Hot Songs charts on Billboard, we might expect a fairly quick turnaround to a full-fledged album. But for now, this EP offers a fun experience, and good insight into what this much debated and ballyhooed duo have in store.
Color me impressed.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Up.
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JadeAlixandra
November 4, 2014 @ 7:34 pm
They sound great!
Hank
November 4, 2014 @ 7:53 pm
Thanks for the review. I can’t add much since I haven’t heard it yet, but this review will expedite that. I like the message of “Girl In Country Song” but I’m not crazy about the sound of it. I do like the sound of fiddle and steel guitar though.
Gena R.
November 4, 2014 @ 8:15 pm
I checked out the samples on iTunes earlier today and was most impressed with “Fly,” but “Sierra” is pretty funny and catchy. 🙂
BwareDWare94
November 4, 2014 @ 10:08 pm
I just hope that these two eventually quit pronouncing song as sawww-unggg
Klancy
November 4, 2014 @ 10:12 pm
It’s not on their EP, but i quite enjoyed this song from their Opry debut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qnOuh_BIO0&list=UU0N2JCPta-vcvfffDZRTykw
Justin
November 4, 2014 @ 10:16 pm
I feel like when I’m watching their videos Chris Hanson is lurking somewhere nearby in the bushes with his camera crew
JC Eldredge
November 5, 2014 @ 8:19 am
lol, That’s hysterical. “Have a seat man, any reason you’ve got wine coolers and condoms in that bag?”
Jonny
November 5, 2014 @ 5:31 am
Just had a listen. The EP kind of reminds me of a slightly sassier early Sara Evans, which is a good thing, and just what country music needs.
Ashley
November 5, 2014 @ 12:16 pm
I thought the same thing! “Your Side of Town” also reminded me a little bit of a sassy Dixie Chicks song. Either way it’s just what modern country needs on the radio right now.
Charlie
November 5, 2014 @ 6:06 am
I fear this, (and perhaps something like TBP’s cover of Gentle on my Mind?) are just an indication of the pendulum in mid-swing–away from bro-country, a quick pass through good taste, and on to the next fad: probably more of the big drums-foot stomps-and hand claps from pop three years ago.
No lamestream country artist can avoid ‘the pendulum’. It is made of money, and every label chases it. Check your soul at the door, climb on and grab ahold.
OMFS88
November 5, 2014 @ 7:28 am
Thanks Trigger, as always your reviews are spot on and greatly appreciated
Fuzzy TwoShirts
November 5, 2014 @ 9:16 am
“were these girls really heavily influenced by classic country?” I don’t know how old these girls are but based on what I’ve seen, classic to them would be, say, John Anderson, not Homer and Jethro or Faron Young. These two girls are about the best that mainstream “country” has put forward in a while, but is it really fair to them to expect them to hearken back to Jimmie Rodgers or Buck Owens? How “classic” does it have to sound? I for one say that this is good enough. I approve
poolside
November 5, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
Having been burned before, I am completely skeptical that any female artist today truly aspires to be a traditional country artist. It all seems just seems like an easy way to gain name recognition and a fan base before they pursue their real desire, being a pop/R&B diva.
Hopefully these two won’t stray.
Michael
November 5, 2014 @ 3:53 pm
Any idea why iTunes and Amazon are charging more for the collection than buying the 4 songs individually? Or am I just bad at math?
Just previewed the EP, and it is definitely surprising and refreshing. I hope that they continue to see radio success and stick to their sound and the type of music they want to make. I must admit that I’m always taken aback every time I hear “Girl in a Country Song” on the radio. I also get a chuckle at the uncomfortable hack disc jockey’s who introduce it as a protest of Bro Country.
Looking forward to getting a full album from these ladies. They definitely have the sound to fill the Dixie Chicks void (great comparison by previous commentors)
Eric
November 7, 2014 @ 1:53 am
Well-written thorough review, but calling Maddie and Tae “little girls” comes off as rather condescending, even in a humorous context.
Kristin
November 17, 2014 @ 1:48 pm
You should do reviews for lesser known people such as, Easton Corbin, Aaron Watson, Cody Johnson, Chris Young,etc.
Trigger
November 17, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
First off, I think you could make the case that all the artists you listed are still better known than Maddie & Tae. That may change shortly for Aaron Watson and Cody Johnson, but it may take years for them to surpass Easton Corbin and Chris Young, if they ever do.
The idea of putting out any of these four names as “lesser known” baffles me quite honestly. I just did a review for an artist from New Zealand. THAT’S lesser known. Most of the artists I profile have less than 5,000 likes on Facebook. Cody Johnson has over 100,00 likes and sponsorships with Bud Light and Wrangler Jeans. He seems to be doing just fine.
And lastly, your comment just reinforces two misnomers 1) that my job is to promote artists 2) that my job is to reinforce opinions about artists fans already know about.
I wrote a review for Maddie & Tae because they are an interesting and important topic in the country music landscape. And to navigate to this review, you had to pass over more than a dozen reviews and features for “lesser known” artists.
Kristin
November 19, 2014 @ 11:56 am
I didn’t mean they were lesser known than Maddie and Tae, I was agreeing that they’re lesser known. I like your reviews, I mainly see for more mainstream artists (which is understandable). I just meant that in spare time between they’re big CDs, we could review lesser known artists.
Trigger
November 19, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
The majority of my reviews are for artists that aren’t even close to the stature of any of the artists you named, meaning artists that are barely, if at all, making a living off of music. One of the reasons there has been so many mainstream reviews here lately is because this is the season (right before the Christmas buying season) that all the major mainstream music artists release their albums. It is like this every year, and folks think that Saving Country Music has sold out, etc. etc., and then about Thanksgiving, everything else shifts back to normal.
Go check out this review I just did for Tami Neilson, I bet you’ll like her.
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/tami-neilson-positively-dazzles-with-new-dynamite-album
Kristin
November 19, 2014 @ 12:28 pm
I’m not one of those people that think y’all “sold out.” I love your website, especially the reviews. All I was saying was a suggestion for future reviews, it’s your choice If you want to do it or not.