It's easy to get one kind of impression when faced with a song. Bridgette Tatum is best known for writing Jason Aldean's amped-up "She's Country." Her debut single was "I Like My Cowboys Dirty." NASCAR driver Ryan Newman has chosen one of her cuts as his introductory music. And finally, her new release is given the unsubtle title "That's Love Y'all." Combine all of these factors, and it would be incredibly easy to dismiss Bridgette Tatum as yet another female artist casting herself in the image of Gretchen Wilson. (Remember the epic rant I unloaded on Terri Clark when she seemed to be leaning that way?)

"That's Love Y'all" does have an emphatic attitude and muscular production that could bring to mind Gretchen Wilson's best midtempos. Tatum's vocals are more in line with Wynonna's slightly husky, soulful contralto, if maybe just a tiny bit smoother and higher. Overall, the song is a perfect fit for her voice, adding a few tasteful guitar licks and Hammond organ flourishes to emphasize that soulful sound. The lyrics, also some of Tatum's work, are surprisingly well-removed from the countrified tropes of "She's Country" or "I Like My Cowboys Dirty." Sure, a song that has some form of "That's Love" is pretty much guaranteed to be a typical exploration of the highs and lows of love, but Tatum and co-writer Kirsti Manna are at least smart enough to dodge the clichés this time around. (Well, okay, the title hook is a little silly.)

Lately, it seems like soul influences are starting to come into fashion on country radio, although so far, that sound has been mostly limited to male artists such as James Otto or Jerrod Niemann. Bridgette Tatum seems poised to bring something new to the rapidly-increasing pool of female artists on country radio. And as I have said several times before, there's certainly nothing wrong with more women on the charts.

By: Bobby Peacock

Read more at Roughstock.com
Back