Review: Little Big Town - Pain Killer
By Ethan Forness, Contributor
[Capitol Nashville; 2014]
Rating: 4/10
Key Tracks: “Day Drinking,” “Stay All Night”
Little Big Town is definitely a unique group on the country circuit. A quartet that relies heavily on group harmonies, Little Big Town has had mixed success over the course of a 16-year career. Pain Killer is the group’s sixth studio album and follow up to its most successful effort, 2012’s Tornado.
Although Little Big Town is known for its gang vocals across the industry, all of the tracks on Pain Killer follow a very basic and easy-to-follow structure similar to most successful country music stars. “Day Drinking,” albeit a catchy tune, has a very repetitive nature, but represents the track closest to Country Music Award winning single “Pontoon” in 2012.
“Pain Killer,” the album’s namesake, has a Jimmy Buffett feel. Country fan or not, you’ve probably partied to “Margaritaville” at least once in your life, and “Pain Killer” has the same tiki bar atmosphere about it.
Despite being a group that features four vocalists taking turns at the helm, the women of Little Big Town, Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, definitely outshine the men, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook.
“Stay All Night” is the only track of 13 on which the guys steal the thunder from Fairchild and Schlapman. It’s Sweet who catches the most attention, displaying a vocal range on parts of “Stay All Night” that would rival Schlapman’s strong, twang-y vocals on “Save Your Sin,” which vocally is the strongest track Pain Killer has to offer.
Fortunately for Little Big Town, as well as those on the fence about the country genre, Pain Killer features enough pop elements that it doesn’t sound overwhelmingly backwoods, but not enough to bring them to Taylor Swift’s level of pop/country.
Unfortunately for Little Big Town, Pain Killer isn’t anything more than a middle of the road album. All 13 tracks are inherently good; the quality and production are well done, but as a whole it’s missing a certain je ne sais quoi.
Pain Killer doesn’t have a “wow” factor that even some weaker efforts present. Nothing about this album will leave listeners feeling blown away, despite the flashes shown in “Things You Don’t Think About.”
Pain Killer is a poor follow up to Tornado, but to Little Big Town’s credit, it is a very good live act that can recreate studio harmonies on a stage in real time. “Girl Crush” and “Live Forever” are also great tracks for listeners looking to take a nap, which could lull any listener to sleep in seven minutes or less. Your move, professional golf.
