Tag Archives: Tyler Johnson

Reviews

Song Review: Cam’s “Road to Happiness”

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Rating: 7.5/10

We’ve been waiting for Cam to deliver us something in the vein of “Burning House” ever since that song came out and showed such promise. There was nothing really like it on her debut album, and “Diane” was really a great single lyrically, but it was bogged down by busy, pop production that rendered it virtually ruined. “Road to Happiness” is the closest thing we’ve yet seen to that beautiful song, acoustic and heartfelt, and it’s this type of song where Cam really shines as an interpreter.

Similar to “Burning House,” there’s not much here in the way of instrumentation; it’s primarily driven by acoustic guitar and keeps the main focus on the lyrics and vocals. Cam sings thoughtfully of the paths we all take looking for that elusive thing known as happiness–“it’s the wild unknown, it’s a ball and chain” seems like such a simple line, but it’s a great showcasing of how we all seek happiness in different ways. Some of us don’t want to be tied down and find joy in freedom, while others find their greatest fulfillment in loving another for the rest of their lives. She asks, “is the future that we’re chasing worth the right nows that we miss, on this road to happiness?” What a question, putting everything into perspective, and what a bleak way to look at things if we’re so caught up in reaching some indeterminate destination that we lose sight of the little joys in life right at our fingertips. It’s a really simple song, much like “Burning House” was, and yet, like that song, the lyrics are deceivingly complex and thought-provoking. Cam is at her best when she’s capturing that beauty in simplicity, and when her voice and lyrics aren’t drowned out by overproduction. As a fan of Cam and her potential, this song is exactly what I’ve been waiting for from her.

Written by: Cam, Tyler Johnson, Hillary Lindsey

Reviews

Single Review: Cam’s “Diane”

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Rating: 5/10

Cam has been getting a lot of attention for this song, and as someone who was excited by her potential and loved “Burning House” but wasn’t necessarily blown away by the rest of her debut, I went into this hesitantly. I hope for Cam’s sake and the sake of talented women seeking to make it on country radio that she can have success with this song–because the half of this song that is great is the half that Cam has some responsibility for.

So let’s just ignore the supposed ties to that old Dolly Parton song that literally every other outlet everywhere is discussing and take this as a song. It’s told from the point of view of the other woman, speaking to Diane and telling her that she didn’t know he was married and that she’d give back the nights he spent with her if she could. She’d rather Diane hate her than not understand what happened, but she knows Diane will probably choose to blame her instead of believing the whole truth “because that’s what a good wife would do.” Yes, a song in country that tells a story, and about adultery no less. I love the little details like how Diane will probably hate her anyway, but this woman is desperate to tell her the truth in order to keep Diane from being deceived. Cam sings it quite well too, with nice vocal delivery and heartfelt sincerity that elevate the lyrics.

So why the lukewarm rating? Simply put, the arrangement/production of this thing is horrendous. It’s too frantic and upbeat for the words Cam is saying. There’s supposed to be all this cool harmony in the chorus, but it’s the result of effects rather than actual four-part harmony. I respect the fact that acoustic guitar drives the melody, and you don’t really hear electronic beats, but as I say, this song is moving along at such a rapid, frantic pace that it feels like Cam is just trying to keep up. It could have been a great song, it’s got a great country theme. I’m all for even modernizing it some to give Cam a fighting chance to make it on radio, but she can sing the hell out of stuff like “Burning House,” and if they’d stripped this down even a little, it would have flattered both her voice and the song. As it is, this arrangement has absolutely killed it and forsaken the melody. Further, it’s still not exactly radio-friendly, as it’s kind of vintage poppish with a little country flavor, so in essence, it’s probably not going to fly either on radio or with her more country-leaning fans. So it’s lukewarm all around, and maybe that’s the genius in tying it back to that Dolly Parton song, to attach it to an admittedly interesting talking point.

I hope I’m wrong for Cam’s sake, and for the sake of more songs buried in there like “Burning House” that need this single to be successful in order to see the light of day. But in the meantime, this is a case of a good country song on paper ruined at the hands of a pop producer, and my fear is that Cam will suffer for it.

Written by: Cam, Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson