Songwriters: Daryl Neil Burgess and Robert W. Terry, Jr.
Some of today's pop-country fare tries very hard to convince listeners of its legitimate country chops: Taking cues from David Allen Coe, some incorporate popular themes like mama, trucks and trains, while others overlay the genre's most recognizable instruments when the material otherwise doesn't warrant it. And then, there are some songs that don't have to try at all.
"If I Didn't Love You" falls into the latter category, and while it's neither groundbreaking nor life-changing, it is a breath of fresh country music air. The song combines a golden trifecta of country music—steel guitar, fiddle and a strong, twangy vocal—to pull together a sweet, toe-tapping ditty reminiscent of Marty Raybon-era Shenandoah.
With lyrics like "I might have been all alone/On a lonely road/With no one to come home to," the single tackles the tired theme of what life might have been like without that special someone, like a country version of the Choose Your Own Adventure children's books.
"If I Didn't Love You" shares the lyrical shortfalls of so many similarly themed songs, and it's especially disappointing to hear a tired romantic cliché like "moonlight rays on your skin" in an otherwise straightforward song. However, the mediocre lyrics are saved by the Grapeland, Texas, native's strong voice and charm, with additional help from the catchy musical arrangement.
Vondra's first national release with indie label Loftin Creek, "How Long Am I Supposed to Wait," failed to make waves on national charts, and his latest single's instrument-heavy arrangement could be better suited for dance hall performances than radio airwaves. It also comes dangerously close to existing in a time warp of the nineties country neo-traditional formula, without bringing anything distinctly new or modern to the table.
To ears conditioned to overproduced, guitar and drum-heavy spectacles as seen on last week's 2008 CMA Awards, "If I Didn't Love You" could come off as simple and plain—which is exactly what is so nice about it.
Listen: Donnie Vondra - "If I Didn't Love You"
Karlie Justus is a The9513.com contributing writer, and can be reached via email.
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1 comment:
Donnie has worked hard and glad to see he is finally achieving his goals and being noticed in the country music industy. awesome friend and singer. So Proud of him!!
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