Corey Smith - Hard Headed Fool

I like some country music even though it's not really "cool." Still, I really like Corey Smith, a Georgian musician. On his website he talks about how he combined multiple music formats he heard while growing up in the South (country, gospel, hip hop, rock, blues) into his style. I can hear those different styles, but I'd still say he's mostly a country artist.

I recently bought his most recent album, Hard Headed Fool. I got most of his other music as soon as I learned about him from friends at Mississippi College. The first song I heard from him was "If That's Country", which makes fun of popular country music:

Straight out of Nashville, here’s your next big star

He don’t write the songs he sings, but he knows the words by heart.

Wears a cowboy hat, and some tight blue jeans,

And he struts around the stage like he’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen.

He looks like a super model, knows how to strike a pose

And he don’t mind the makeup, as long as no one knows.

And he’s got that crooked grin, and talks with a southern drawl,

Acts like Toby Keith, but sounds a lot like Tim McGraw

But if he’s country I’ll kiss your ass,

And throw all my Willie Nelson records in the trash.

He’s the same old shit in a slightly different bag,

But if he’s country, well then country’s pretty bad.

I don’t watch CMT

Naw that shit makes me sick.

And that ole Kenny Chesney,

What a hypocrite.

He’ll swear he’s country,

But he lives in the Caribbean.

Sings all about the islands now,

What happened to the Tennessean

Aw if he’s country I'll kiss your ass

Throw all my Johnny Cash records in the trash

He’s all about image cuz image pays the bucks,

Aw but if he’s country, well then country really sucks.

I'm also a huge fan of his song "Maybe Next Year".

He's playing in Houston, TX soon, so maybe I'll actually go to that concert even though I usually don't go to concerts.