Marlee Scott’s 3rd album hits store shelves on Tuesday, June 19th. This will be the second album release from the Big Ride Entertainment label for this Canadian-born singer/songwriter.
Marlee was discovered in 2004 after winning the Corus Entertainment’s Rising Country Superstar Challenge. She originally signed to 306 Records, who released her debut album in 2005. That album sent 4 singles to radio, none of which charted.
Marlee released her second album in 2008 after moving to Big Ride Entertainment. This album produced 3 singles, none of which charted.
After going mostly unnoticed thus far in her career (her first 9 singles failed to chart), things are starting to look up for this talented artist. She made multiple appearances at this year’s CMA Fest in support of her new album, and her latest single, “Train Wreck,” features special guest Vince Gill singing background vocals.
As with past reviews, I try to judge an album on a song-by-song basis and a key component is whether I think it could be at least a single on radio, if not a hit.
Track-by-Track Analysis
Song Title (Songwriters) – Review
1. Beautiful Maybe (Marcus Hummon, Tia Sillers, Tania Hancheroff) – This was the first single released off the album late last year, and it failed to crack the charts. It’s a catchy tune, and right away her voice reminds you of Jamie O‘Neal. While not garnering much airplay, the album starts off with promise with this song. I also find it interesting that Amanda Wilkinson provides background vocals on the track. You may remember her from The Wilkinsons (and their hit “26 cents”).
2. Jane Doe (Marcus Hummon) – This song has a good rhythm to it…it’s dark, yet a bit upbeat…I like it. I could see this being a single on country radio. It’s got a unique enough sound that could provide the breakthrough song she needs to get noticed.
3. I Love Hating You (Noah Gordon, Marlee Scott, Bryan Wayne) – This song doesn’t jump out at me and I think it’s a little too much on the Pop side. While it’s not a bad song, it doesn’t sound distinct enough to be a single on the radio.
4. I Won’t Love You Anymore (Blair Daly, Troy Verges, Hillary Lindsey) – This is a song about commitment and her reassuring her love that nothing would make her stop loving him. It’s a subject covered by many songs before, but this one has a good sound to it and could have some success as a radio single.
5. I’m Not Your Baby Anymore (Marcus Hummon, Alissa Moreno) – We go from a song about being firmly in love to a sad song of love lost. “I think freedom is overrated…you say love is a chain. I know those fields of joy are gated, but you can always walk away. And I promise I won’t follow, or stand forever at the door. But you’ll forgive me if I cry a little, if I’m not your baby anymore.” This is a great song, but might be a little too slow for today’s country radio. Definitely boosts the overall grade of the album though.
6. Let it Rain (Kirsten Hall) – This song was penned by the former 3rd member of Sugarland and is no relation to David Nail‘s song of the same title. It’s a solid song…while not necessarily radio friendly, when the background singers kick in, it sounds like you’re listening to a SheDaisy song…and that’s a good thing!
7. Planet of Your Own (Thom McHugh, Daryl Burgess) – This is a catchy song about someone who does nothing but complain. She thinks they need “a planet of their own.” I really like this song, but again, not sure if it’d have much success on the radio.
8. Rhinestone in the Rough (Lesley Roy, Barry Dean, Desmond Child) – This song has a catchy chorus. It’s about her wanting to stick with a guy who doesn’t seem to have much going for him. “His heart is like a diamond, still shining when the going gets tough, I guess I’m in love with a rhinestone in the rough.” This song just might be catchy enough to get some radio airplay if released as a single.
9. Crazy For You (Marcel, Tommy Henriksen) – This song was co-written by Jessica Andrews‘ husband (Marcel). It starts off with her speaking rather than singing. It’s very pop-country and has a catchy hook to it, but I think it’s a little too pop for radio. I can see a lot of teenage girls digging this song though.
10. Kiss of Coming Home (Marcus Hummon, Laura Veltz, Marlee Scott) -This song didn’t really jump out at me. To me, it’s just album filler.
11. Train Wreck (Marcus Hummon, Sarah Buxton, Jedd Huges) – This song is written by some of my favorite song-writers in Nashville, and features Vince Gill on background vocals. It is her current single, and hopefully it will crack the charts with all the star power behind it. It’s also more “country” sounding than most of the other songs…you can hear the banjo, steel guitar, etc more than you do in the other songs on this album.
12. Life is Not a Movie (Troy Verges, Blair Daly, Aimee Mayo) – This is another song that could have some moderate success on the radio if released as a single. It’s got a unique sound to it, will have you tapping your toes as it starts, and is a good way to close the album out on a strong note.
Overall, I’d say this album is decent to good. Not too much potential for major commercial success, but some songs have the potential to crack the Top 40 country charts. If you like female Pop Country, you will enjoy this album. Unfortunately these days it’s hard for a new female to break into the charts with any kind of success, which as I wrote in the beginning, is a big part of how I grade my reviews. My initial instinct was to give it a grade of 6.5, but the album closed out strong and my personal grade for it based on if I liked it would be higher than if I just based it on how I think it’ll do commercially, so it makes the climb to a 7 out of 10.