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Eli Young Band made their major-label debut with Jet Black & Jealous, an album that stretched the definition of contemporary country music to include pop melodies and rock & roll guitars. The band does the same on this follow-up release, but the new tracks don’t pack the same punch as “Radio” and “Throw and Go,” two songs that elevated Jet Black above the rest of the Nashville pack. Perhaps it’s because Eli Young Band is now one of countless country bands who take their cues from other genres. Or maybe it’s because these songs simply aren’t as memorable, trading genuinely affable hooks for a paint-by-the-numbers approach to country-pop. By a long shot, the best song here is the opening number, a revamped version of Will Hoge’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” that smoothes down the original’s rough edges and beefs up the chorus with three-part harmonies. The band sounds far too even-keeled for this sort of chest-swelling anthem, though, and the song never really gets off the ground. The rest of Life at Best is similarly beached, with songs that target the band’s female fans (“Crazy Girl”) or evoke Sister Hazel (“Every Other Memory”) with semi-solid results. Life at Best isn’t a bad album; it’s just a step backwards.
© Andrew Leahey /TiVo
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Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Will Hoge, ComposerLyricist - Eric Paslay, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Liz Rose, ComposerLyricist - Oran Thornton, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lee Brice, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Russ Pahl, Steel Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Fred Eltringham, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Webb, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Obrohta, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Eli Young Band, MainArtist - Frank Liddell, Producer, Executive Producer
℗ 2010 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Josh Kear, ComposerLyricist - Chris DeStefano, ComposerLyricist - Catt Gravitt, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Scooter Carusoe, ComposerLyricist - James Young, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jon Jones, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
James Young, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Sean McConnell, ComposerLyricist - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Kyle Jacobs, ComposerLyricist - Lee Brice, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Thompson, ComposerLyricist - Jon Jones, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Tim Putnam, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Blu Sanders, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
James Young, ComposerLyricist - Kyle Jacobs, ComposerLyricist - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist - Ryan James, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Blu Sanders, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Katrina Elam, ComposerLyricist - John Paul White, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Melissa Peirce, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Daniel Tashian, ComposerLyricist - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
James Young, ComposerLyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Wrucke, Producer, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mike Eli, ComposerLyricist - Eli Young Band, MainArtist
℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
Album review
Eli Young Band made their major-label debut with Jet Black & Jealous, an album that stretched the definition of contemporary country music to include pop melodies and rock & roll guitars. The band does the same on this follow-up release, but the new tracks don’t pack the same punch as “Radio” and “Throw and Go,” two songs that elevated Jet Black above the rest of the Nashville pack. Perhaps it’s because Eli Young Band is now one of countless country bands who take their cues from other genres. Or maybe it’s because these songs simply aren’t as memorable, trading genuinely affable hooks for a paint-by-the-numbers approach to country-pop. By a long shot, the best song here is the opening number, a revamped version of Will Hoge’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” that smoothes down the original’s rough edges and beefs up the chorus with three-part harmonies. The band sounds far too even-keeled for this sort of chest-swelling anthem, though, and the song never really gets off the ground. The rest of Life at Best is similarly beached, with songs that target the band’s female fans (“Crazy Girl”) or evoke Sister Hazel (“Every Other Memory”) with semi-solid results. Life at Best isn’t a bad album; it’s just a step backwards.
© Andrew Leahey /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:50:15
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Eli Young Band
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Big Machine Label Group
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
© 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC ℗ 2011 Big Machine Label Group, LLC
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