Song Review – Gary Allan’s “Do You Wish It Was Me?”
So this is what we waited 14 months for? Last time we saw Gary Allan he was looking all dapper in a crushed velvet suit with a perfectly-folded silk pocket handkerchief, trying to do his best Justin Timberlake impression and singing “Hangover Tonight” like he had a shot at that new hot R&B sound of Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge. Now we see Gary lounged back on a couch rescued from a curbside, wearing jeans with a bunch of crap rubbed into them and a faded novelty T-shirt. He didn’t even bother to put any shoes on, because you know, we’re just chillin’ all casual in this one boys and girls. Shit, Gary probably hasn’t showered in three days he’s so chill.
“Do You Wish It Was Me” starts out sounding almost like some demented version of carnival music. Too bad it didn’t end that way, because it would have been a hell of a lot more interesting to hear a country version of prog rock band Mr. Bungle or Tom Waits as opposed to what Gary Allan serves up with this second single from his incessantly-delayed next album. It’s not that “Do You Wish It Was Me” is bad to the point of being offensive or anything, it’s just pretty much immediately and aggressively forgettable, it says almost nothing lyrically or sonically, and it is still outside of the music that Gary Allan’s career has been most known for, leaving long-time fans completely unsatisfied.
The whole, “Do you wish the person you’re loving on was actually me” has been done a million times in music, and now it has been done a million times plus one. So thanks for that, Gary. The two verses speed right by because there’s almost nothing to them, and the chorus is nothing more than rehashed verses. Gary brings his touring band into the studio to record the track, and from the way the marketing around the song won’t shut the hell up about this somewhat superfluous fact shows that they’re hoping Allan will win some street cred by shewing off the studio boys like Waylon did and favoring the road crew. Maybe it’s the signal of a sea change coming from the veteran performer; redemption after theย colossal belly flop “Hangover Tonight” took, and having moved from MCA Nashville to EMI Nashville recently.
But musically, the biggest takeaway is not the tightness of the band, or the organic nature of the music, even though the crunchy rock guitar tries to get your attention. It’s the somewhat cool watery organ sound, and the electronic tinkles accompanying it. Normally such dalliances outside of country music’s prescribed sonic boundaries would be grounds for musical demerits. But in the case of “Do You Wish It Was Me?” the song is such musical boredom, you welcome any kind of unique texturing to pique a semblance of interest. Too bad the move into the musical world of Mr. Roboto also made its way onto the vocal track, as the hallmarks of the presence of Auto-Tune can be clearly heard in Gary’s vocals.
Gary Allan is due to mount a comeback, but “Do You Wish It Was Me?” is neither here nor there enough have a hand in moving the needle either way. It’s not one of those songs where you say, “It sounds so bad, it’s bound to be a hit on commercial country radio,” nor is it can in any way be construed as good. But it’s also not truly bad enough where you’re ready to give up on Gary Allan altogether. “Do You Wish It Was Me?” is just sort of “there,” which in this world of polarized attitudes and appetites, and so many people looking for attention, might be the worst place to be.
Connie D.
May 30, 2016 @ 10:36 am
The singing is fine, as expected. I do like Gary Allan and I could’ve enjoyed the song, but they ruined it with nerve-wracking music. grrrr
theresa GARMAN
May 31, 2016 @ 12:08 pm
Well I love Gary Allen!he’s the best country singer out there! He’s so talented not to mention ruggedly handsome.lay off guys ,this mans been through hell the fact
that he even has the will to pick up his guitar and sing to us is amazing!!!
JohnWayneTwitty
May 31, 2016 @ 5:50 pm
You love him, yet can’t spell his name properly.
Madisonn
July 2, 2016 @ 10:39 am
Right on!!!!!
Nadia Lockheart
May 30, 2016 @ 12:07 pm
The one positive thing I can say about “Hangover Tonight” is that, in spite of its lyrical shortcomings and being bereft of country influence, it had an unmistakable groove to it. The sort of groove that may not entice me if it was blared on the airwaves, but might get me dancing if played at a club (like there’s any chance of that happening since it wasn’t a hit).
“Do You Wish It Was Me?” has somewhat the direct opposite problem. Lyrically it’s still threadbare, but not in a way where it insults your intelligence like “Hangover Tonight” did in pandering to the metro-bro hook-up trope. Singing about wishing you could be the one to pour an old flame’s coffee and make love to her all night long may be painfully generic and a little dopey coming from someone his age, but is nonetheless harmless.
No: my biggest problem is the track’s production.
In the opening eleven seconds, the droning technological flourishes strike me as a terribly misguided attempt to create an EDM-sensible sampling of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” while manipulating the sound of grandfather clock clicks as a substitute for percussion and maintaining tempo. Then Allan enters and some live percussion enters the picture 21 seconds inward to shatter the illusion Allan has hooked up with Disclosure to issue an electro-house chiller. Then he reverts to a customary arena-rock form thirty seconds in and the remainder of the track is primarily just a juxtaposition of hot-and-cold dreary techno verse followed by fists-in-the-air rock-on chorus, with some token strings added in the coda clinically designed to tug at your heartstrings and remind you that he’s REALLY asking his ex.
There’s just something about the track’s mixing that seems outright peculiar to my ears. Was this recorded underwater in a bathysphere? I get the impression that they were trying too hard to make an otherwise anonymous song have a lo-fi coolness to it, while still being uncommitted in messing with it too much because they need another hit, dammit! So this smacks as an ill-fated compromise to sound “edgy” compared to the polished sounds of Thomas Rhett and Brett Eldredge while also being agreeable enough to radio programmers.
Also, sorry I have to say this, but Allan’s vocal performance is among his weaker efforts as well. Not that this shallow subject matter demands more vulnerability in one’s delivery anyway, but this would still rank among his five worst vocal tracks of any of his single releases to date. The Auto-Tune isn’t glaring to the point it distracts from my own listening experience, but I still get the impression that he recorded this while lounging barefoot on that faded forest green couch while watching a baseball game rather than standing up and re-assessing a moment in his life relevant to the material at hand.
*
So yeah: this is his second-consecutive underwhelming single and, when sized up to “It Ain’t The Whiskey”, it’s a staggering drop-off in quality. I expect a whole lot more than this from Allan, and this just isn’t gonna fly with me.
I’m thinking a Strong 3 to Light 4 out of 10 for this.
Rob
May 30, 2016 @ 1:01 pm
I’m a Gary Allan fan, but I don’t really like this one after just hearing it for the first time
Mary
June 4, 2016 @ 6:37 pm
Loved it can’t wait til Knoxville’s show
Matt
May 30, 2016 @ 2:34 pm
Is getting another song like Don’t Look Away from See If I Care too much to ask for? I’m a big fan of Gary Allan, especially his work from his first four albums, and I own his entire music catalog. Having said that, this song does NOTHING for me. Two duds in a row have left me very disappointed.
Matty T
May 30, 2016 @ 2:37 pm
This is highly disappointing. I’ve always seen Gary as one of the few mainstream guys who is actually worth listening to but he’s better than this.
Gary
May 30, 2016 @ 2:52 pm
Is this the same “Do You Wish It Was Me?” that Jason Aldean did on his “Relentless” album?
BwareDWare94
May 30, 2016 @ 4:37 pm
Not even close.
Tom
May 31, 2016 @ 8:23 am
Different song / lyrics. Jason Aldean’s version is one of his best songs in my opinion. He surprisingly used to have a lot of good country music.
Charles Murphy
May 30, 2016 @ 3:41 pm
The only thing I got from it was it came off like it’s from the point of view of a stalker.
Otherwise, it’s really the same ole same ole from a singer (any of them these days) and their lounge full of marketing experts recording the same songs with the same production over and over until condos mow over their Music Row offices.
Summer Jam
May 30, 2016 @ 6:23 pm
I don’t even……..
The music sounds like a bunch of shit they came up with off the top of their heads as they were playing the instruments. Gary’s voice and the lyrics do not fit with the bizarre music…and what is with that horror music at the opening? It’s been a few hours since i listened to the song and i completely forget what it sounds like except the creepy opening. This will be a flop just like Hangover Tonight. Gary is done. He needs to hang it up. Not the worst song on radio, but its pretty bad. the predictable formulatic lyrics, bridge, and chorus are cringe-worthy. id rate it roughly 3 – 3.5 out of 10.
Thomas Davis
June 27, 2016 @ 1:49 pm
Ok i agree that the song is bad including hangover tonight but i wouldn’t go as far as saying that he needs to stop making music. He’s still the best country music singer out there and always will be it’s better than most music. He still has a lot of talent and his voice and unique style make him one of a kind and like no country singer we’ve ever heard or seen. Just because he comes he comes out with a couple of bad songs doesn’t mean we should give up on him. I think he’s going to come out with a big hit and soon and make a big come back because he’s GARY!
JB
May 30, 2016 @ 6:46 pm
I was hoping that he’d record another album and abandon the one that Hangover Tonight came from. Gary can do a lot better than that. This is slightly better, but it’s not enough. He doesn’t need to chase trends. He needs to be himself.
ElectricOutcast
May 30, 2016 @ 7:50 pm
I had the outright gut to comment on his Facebook to not make another ‘Hangover Tonight’, and now hearing this, I’m very glad to not regret the decision to go as far as to San Antonio to see Garth Brooks over seeing Gary Allan at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. He recruits his road band and what kind of BULLSHIT did we fucking get here?
I’ll tell you this, if he releases this kind of shit just one more time, I’M FUCKING DONE!
Les
May 30, 2016 @ 9:40 pm
So this is also within the purview of the country music savior/messiah’s devout calling? Disparaging people’s looks and what they wear? Tough getting into the music paradise this savior seems to have prepared and waiting for the faithful after country music has been saved from evil for all eternity.
Quite an anointed mission,
scott
May 31, 2016 @ 11:41 am
Wow, way to bring it. Thanks for sharing.
Lone Wolf
May 30, 2016 @ 10:07 pm
Like everyone who’s posted, I’m also a Gary Allan fan. My personal take on this song is that it’s one that I’m happy I heard it once…. and I’ll hear it again since I like hearing everything at least twice to make a fair opinion….. but if radio stations decide to have it in a regular rotation, it could get old fast. It’s that simple of a song and kinda catchy but I don’t get much else out of it. Maybe it’s the producer’s fault. Maybe GA I read so many reviews where fans will point out that they’re fans of (insert any singer/artist) but the particular song doesn’t do any justice to the (insert same singer/artist) or their previous songs. Perhaps these singers/artists should take heed to what they’re fans are writing. @JB: I completely agree with you. GA shouldn’t be chasing trends. The problem with doing that is, eventually, fans are going to lose faith and realize that these people aren’t going for anything but the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Trends work in the beginning; then they lose their appeal.
Nadia Lockheart
May 30, 2016 @ 10:24 pm
This is obviously off-topic, but I gather a review of Dierks Bentley’s “Black” is on the way, yes?
I have to admit I’m quite curious to see what you have to say about his latest. I personally found myself neither loving nor hating it, and simultaneously giving him credit recognizing the intention he set for the project but then giving him some demerit points for the music and production being synthetic way too often. I just felt conflicted listening to it, and still am after several subsequent repeats.
TK
May 31, 2016 @ 8:31 am
I would be more upset about Gary’s lackluster efforts of late, but too pumped that Sam Outlaw’s debut was killer and Jon Pardi’s sophomore release is coming out this Friday. California is still pulling its weight even though Gary Allan seems to have lost his way lately. I seem to remember Gary promising to get back to his roots on this next album, but this doesn’t sound anything close to his killer 90’s material (or the epic See If I Care album). I enjoyed some of his rock and roll phase, but would be nice to see him beginning a transition back to country.
The Ghost of Buckshot Jones
May 31, 2016 @ 1:01 pm
This sounds like a b-side off a Tonic Album from 1997. Jesus.
JohnWayneTwitty
May 31, 2016 @ 5:53 pm
He has too good of a voice to make mediocre (and below) music. I wish talent would be appreciated again.
Siggggghhhhhh, maybe someday.
Doug Phillips
June 1, 2016 @ 1:06 pm
I’m usually hanging here for the real country music by the old school singers that I feel still are the heart of the genre but that said, I’ve always enjoyed gary allan’s music because it was “real” in its own way. More like Tom Petty than the country music i love but real in its way. This song starts off oddly but builds quickly. I think Allan is trying to give today’s radio what they want and this seems to fit it precisely to me. I particularly like the organ which is reminiscent of Augie Meyers in the Sir Douglas Quintet days. I think this track crosses over just fine. It may not move the needle on your emotions but it has its hook, you can dance to it or whatever top 40 radio wants these days. Don’t judge it so harshly – the man is surely trying to gain a foothold on the airwaves and hopefully will then come back to entice with something well over the heads of today’s radio programmers but sonically what his longtime fans want to hear.
Toni Carlson
June 4, 2016 @ 9:01 pm
Gary is Gary and I love him just for the way he is…..his music always reaches me!
Amanda
June 6, 2016 @ 7:16 am
I love Gary Allan. He’s one of my favorite country artists. I absolutely adore his voice (He could sing anything and I’d love it), and I think he is probably the sexiest male country singer (in my opinion anyway, I guess I’m just a sucker for those gorgeous big blue eyes and those sexy tattoos). “Smoke Rings in the Dark”, “The One”, and his cover of “What I’d Say” are three of my all-time favorite songs. In fact, “Alright Guy” may just be my favorite country album ever. This song certainly isn’t bad by any stretch, but it could be much better. However, it is much better than Brantley Gilbert, Cole Swindell, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett, Chase Rice, Michael Ray, Canaan Smith, Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, FGL, Raelynn, Chris Lane, the recent outputs of Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, and the like. And it’s more country than Sam Hunt. On another note, Gary sure is looking sexy as hell in that picture on that couch. I’d love to join him. ๐ I’ve never seen a man look so fine in dirty jeans and bare feet. ๐
Charlie
June 6, 2016 @ 8:32 am
If I was Kansas I would demand his shirt be redacted. No way I would want my epic lyrics associated with this horrible song.
Savannah
July 11, 2016 @ 11:12 am
I don’t see why everyone is bashing Gary Allan for Hangover Tonight or Do You Wish It Was Me. I think they’re both great, and honestly, I’d listen to him sing out his grocery list. He’s one of the most talented musicians and I will forever be a fan/supporter. I’ve yet to hear him sing something I wouldn’t listen to over and over. I understand that he’s known for a certain style, but what’s wrong with him having a few songs outside of what we all love him for? People have become way too judgmental. Personally, I can’t wait for his new album to be released! Not to judge anything new he’s decided to try, but for the true talent he bestows in his voice.