Sugarland
Enjoy The Ride
(Mercury)
OVERALL GRADE: B+
1. "Settlin'" (3:27)
--Enjoy The Ride opens with easily one of the best Sugarland songs to date.
An up-tempo, feel-good song, "Settlin'" is just a simple, pure country song about aiming high for your goals. It really picks
up as it goes along, and lead singer Jennifer Nettles shows great vocals throughout the song, especially in the bridge towards
the end. Kristian Bush even gets some vocals in on this song, making it better. Even though it is the first song on the
album, "Settlin'" will probably pop into your mind later while you are just sitting there and you'll find it impossible
to get out of your head. What more is that it is the second single from Enjoy The Ride.
2. "County Line" (2:50)
--Very fast and instrumental, "County Line" is just OK. The lyrics are a little
cheesy and by time the chorus comes around again you are bored with it. Jennifer's vocals aren't as strong on this song, either.
The high point is the bridge, where the song slows down and Jennifer really can show off her amazing vocals.
3. "Want To" (3:55)
--A great lead-off single to Enjoy The Ride, "Want To" is a great country song
that praises Jennifer's vocals. Oh, and not to mention it is Sugarland's first number one hit.
4. "Everyday America" (3:52)
--A unique opening says "Everyday America" will be something different. And
really it is. As usual, the vocals show through with shining colors here, but this song has a certain beat to it that makes
you want to tap your foot (or feet) to the catchy rhythm. And once again, Kristian gets part of the action. Jennifer closes
"Everyday America" with a perfectly exectued high note that sends shivers down your spine.
5. "Happy Ending" (5:17)
--The fifth and longest song off of Enjoy The Ride, "Happy Ending" is not that
unique. Simple and pretty stripped down, this is just one of those songs where in the middle of a long note you lose attention
in it. "Happy Ending" is also one of those songs you may forget about when you go back to listen to the album again in a day
or two.
6. "These Are The Days" (3:50)
--Although this is one of the slower songs on the album, and takes awhile to get into,
there is one reason to love this song in particular. So absent from Twice The Speed of Life, Kristian Bush comes
in and sings most of the second verse by himself. And he sounds just as good as Jennifer Nettles does on it, too.
Regretfully, there is not much else to like about the song unless you are in a mood for a song that seemingly drags on forever.
A shaker in the background and a few other vaguely noticable instruments pushes this song on for about 4 minutes.
7. "One Blue Sky" (4:18)
--"One Blue Sky" is probably the song on Enjoy The Ride that sounds the most
like those off of Twice The Speed of Life. If you listen to its lyrics through the whole song, you can really appreciate
it for what its worth. I fear that Mercury will make the same mistake with "One Blue Sky" as they did with "Speed of Life"
on Twice The Speed of Life. Not releasing it.
8. "April Showers" (3:25)
--One of the light and fluffy songs of Enjoy The Ride, there is really nothing
else special about it. As might be described by some as a "lovey-dovey" song, "April Showers" simply is saying the one line
"Love leaves an open door."
9. "Mean Girls" (2:41)
--This is definatley the most unique song on the album, teenage girls can be heard in
the background throughout the song along with synchronized clapping. The instruments seem to run amok thorughout the song,
and as unorganized as the song seems, you can't help but go back and listen to the song again. Wild, crazy and fun would best
describe this.
10. "Stay" (4:45)
--This was originally recorded by Jennifer Nettles as a solo artist, but was re-recorded
for the album. This song is pretty acoustic throughout, but somehow Jennifer keeps it from getting boring. She viously has
spent some time singing this, because she sounds amazing.
11. "Sugarland" (4:24)
--Yes, that's right. Sugarland has recorded a song of the same name. Sugarland opened with
the jumpy "Settlin'" but closes Enjoy The Ride with the slower and more typical country "Sugarland." This is like
alot of other songs out there right now, yet this seems to be one of the best off the album. If "One Blue Sky" didn't take
you back to Twice The Speed of Life, this sure will.
