Search - Carolina Rain :: Weather the Storm

Michelle B. from PHOENIX, AZ
Reviewed on 11/3/2006...

This is an advance copy.

Great New Group!

Monkeyville Citizen | Arlington, VA | 05/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great debut from a group that will likely be around for a while. The song "Carolina Rain" is one of my favorite songs for the melody and the picture the words paint. "Dealin" is a song that everyone can relate to about those days when you feel like you're just getting by. The radio releases (so far) are as different as night and day. "Isn't She" is slow, sweet, and nostalgic about the aftermath of a break up, while "Get Outta My Way" is a rowdy upbeat song about getting rid of your wingman at the bar so you can hook up. "Sweet Virginia Kiss" reminds you a young love and has a great beat. The rest of the songs each have their own character and you can listen to the CD straight through.



This is a perfect CD for a long walk, a boat ride, or a drive through the mountains."

Fair Weather Predicted for Carolina Rain's Equity Debut

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 09/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Isn't She, Dealin', Get Outta My Way



Good things come to those who wait. After a handful of misfired singles, all of which have had lukewarm responses from radio hitherto, Carolina Rain has finally braved through the weather with this debut on Clint Black's enterprising label Equity Records. Clear skies seem to be on the horizon as their brand new single "Get Outta My Way" is zooming up the upper echelon of the Billboard chart. Thanks are in order to the trio's Eagles-like breezy yet resonant soft-rock tunes and their southern rustic-sounding harmonies. Named after the first song they ever wrote (which is the opening track on this disc), Carolina Rain consists of Rhean Boyer, Jeremy Baxter and Marvin Evatt. Unlike other country groups that are heavily parturient by their lead singer, democracy seems to be the group's mantra. Each member actually is musically inclined: not only does each member play on the CD, but also 11 out of the 12 cuts are in-house compositions. Vocally, lead singer Boyer's sturdy tenor and the trio's congruous harmonies present a prismatic of emotions that fills the subtle nuances of each song with heart as well as depth.



Producer Clint Black's knack for songs with melodic flare is on display in penning the lead single "Get Outta My Way" (the only song not written by the boys). A cute pick-up song with a funky kick, "Get Outta My Way" rocks with a youthful abandon. The trio's originals are by no means inferior, in fact, "Isn't She," a mid-pacer, has a seductive melody engulfing a romantic valentine that goes beyond the caricature of those superficial "I-love-you" paeans. "I Ain't Sacred," a gritty propulsive number, ought to have female fans swooning with the protagonist finally willing to forgo his roving single life for marriage. Still within the ballpark of romance is the Lonestar-esque ballad "Who Needs the Sun." "Who Needs the Sun" brings out the warmth in Boyer's voice; just listening might give you a tan.



As message songs are currently in vogue (a la Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" and Diamond Rio's "God Only Cries"), these lads do move out of their carrel to tackle such a genre on a number of selections. Though the forlorn ballad "Somebody's Child" finds some fiddles sharing in the song's desperate cry for the homeless, the track sounds more obligatory than authentic. Much better, though not revolutionary, is the wistful utopian seeking "How Should It Be." Like an empathetic friend, "Dealin'," a song dealing with the angst of life's tribulations, offers a shoulder of comfort with its easily warmed up sing-along melody.



If there are any quibbles, it resides in the production. Perhaps due to his lack of experience at the helm, Black approaches each of these 12 cuts with a monolithic 70s soft-rock style on all the cuts. Perhaps, a little variegation especially with the uptempoes would have created a more sustaining listening experience. Nevertheless, as a whole, with their acumen for songs with a sturdy melodic flair and songs that explore the various facets of life, Carolina Rain is the badly needed elixir to modern music's relentless loop of repetitive and superficial furor. Poised for great things to come, based on this debut, fine weather is indeed ahead for these guys."