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Song of the Day #1,116: ‘Creep’ – Devon Barley & Rebecca Loebe

I spent last week on songs by the four coaches of NBC’s The Voice, and this week I’m featuring performances by the show’s contestants.

Of the few dozen songs performed on the show over its 2 1/2 month run, not many really stood out as exceptional. Untested amateurs and semi-pros singing without the help of studio trickery in a high-pressure situation is not exactly a recipe for success.

But that air of uncertainty is what made these clips work. You can tell these are real people trying to fulfill a dream, and every note is weighed down with that drama.

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Song of the Day #1,115: ‘I’ll Take You Back’ – Brad Paisley

For a guy who is so good at writing earnest love songs, Brad Paisley sure has fun taking things in the other direction.

After I discovered Paisley through his 2009 album American Saturday Night, I started buying up his previous albums. Time Well Wasted was either the first or second record I picked up, and ‘I’ll Take You Back’ was an instant favorite.

I don’t care if you don’t like the simple constructs of a typical country song (like some of my frequent commenters!) — I defy you to listen to this track and not have a ball. Apart from the funny lyrics (the “waa waa waa” chorus is my favorite), just listen to his guitar playing, and that instrumental jam that makes up the last minute-plus.

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Song of the Day #1,114: ‘Time Well Wasted’ – Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley’s fourth album, Time Well Wasted was released in 2005 and marks the point where he really hit the stratosphere.

Starting with his second single release from this album (‘When I Get Where I’m Going,’ a duet with Dolly Parton), he sent a record 10 straight singles to the #1 spot on Billboard’s country chart. That streak ended with a #2 single, and he released three more #1’s and two more #2’s after that. And in the past eight years he’s put out six #1 albums.

Now that’s a lot of numbers to crunch, but the point is Brad Paisley is the Will Smith of country music (minus a misstep like Seven Pounds).

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Song of the Day #1,113: ‘Crazy’ – ‘The Voice’ Coaches

The four coaches of The Voice — Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green — are perhaps the unlikeliest quarter to ever share a stage.

And the truth is, they didn’t always click in the several performances they gave to open or close episodes of the show. The result was about as disjointed as you’d expect it to be.

But this performance, of Cee-Lo’s big hit ‘Crazy’ (which he recorded as part of Gnarls Barkley) was a case where the four coaches really meshed.

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Song of the Day #1,112: ‘Hillbilly Bone’ – Blake Shelton

Ah, Blake Shelton… the cute, mischievous southern gentleman who charmed the socks off of everybody who got within 100 yards of The Voice. As talented as Dia Frampton is, I have no doubt that she made it to second place in large part because Shelton was her coach.

Prior to the show, I knew Blake Shelton primarily as Miranda Lambert’s boyfriend (and then husband). And liking her as much as I do, I knew any man worthy of her would have to be pretty special. I’d also seen him co-host a country awards show in his typical charming fashion.

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