It's the time of the year again, when we bid a glad farewell to the days gone by. Yes, 2011 is coming, in just a couple more days. But first, let us look back on the country music scene, and my top three albums of the year. It wasn't easy to pick out three albums that in my opinion, shone among the rest in 2010, but I finally did.
3. Get Off On the Pain - Gary Allan
What can I say? This was one of the best surprises in the first half of 2010. Filled with songs about heartbreak, reconciliation and moving on, Gary Allan sings with raw emotion in his gritty vocals, giving each of the songs his own authentic feel about it. From the hard-rocking title track about a masochistic man who had his heart broken one too many times, to the album closer, a heartbreaking ode to his wife who passed away years ago, this is one album you'll listen to and remember for a long time.
2. Nothing Like This - Rascal Flatts
Nothing Like This; a real game-changer for the Flatts who had a mediocre year with their sixth studio album, Unstoppable, the title track of which, ironically, was stopped from reaching number one on the country charts. With their latest effort however, they decided quite rightly to steer away from their new sound (apparent in their last few albums) and instead, going back to the basics. I have to admit, that was a great decision, and as a result of it, comes an album reminiscent of the time when Rascal Flatts was just three guys dreaming of making it big on the music scene. Yes, this album brings back memories of their double-platinum debut and the triple platinum follow-up, Melt, allowing us to travel back in time to the good old days.
1. You Get What You Give - Zac Brown Band
No matter how hard I searched, I could not find a worthy contender to the Zac Brown Band's chart-topping follow-up to their double-platinum debut, You Get What You Give. With a whopping 14 songs (and an additional 4 in the deluxe edition) the band has definitely been generous. And why shouldn't they be? 2010 has been an extremely successful year for them, with this album debuting at number on on the Billboard 200 Charts, the lead single As She's Walking Away becoming their sixth consecutive number one single, and the band themselves being honored by CMT as one of five Artists of the Year.
Listening to this album, a perfect representation of the band's unique sound, I found nothing to complain about. Each track on it was sang to perfection, especially the epic 'Colder Weather' which would undeniably have topped my Song of the Year list, had I bothered to create one. Yes, You Get What You Give definitely deserves the honour of being my choice for Album of the Year.
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