Song of the Week: She Doesn't Sing by Jeremy McComb

I've been trading emails with my friends over at Turnstyled and Junkpiled about the nature of Country music in general and Americana in particular. As reviewers we receive dozens of new CDs every month. More and more of these artists are calling themselves Americana, Alt-Country, CowPunk, Psychobilly, Roots Music, etc. It seems lately independent bands are shying away from the name Country. So it was refreshing for me to finally find an artist who is not ashamed to admit that he is Country.
Jeremy McComb has a great unabashadly Country style. He's a combination of Tim McGraw and Phil Vassar, both with his voice and his songwriting. He spent seven years in Nashville honing his skills as a singer and songwriter. After several recording, and promotion, and management contracts were signed and abandoned, Jeremy was starting to lose faith (and maybe this is why so many abandon the "Country" label.) He even contemplated quitting writing when he recalled some advice from an old friend who said, "This town will either make you bitter or it will make you better." Jeremy decided to move himself to the second category and refocused on his writing. The result is his second CD, Leap (and the net will appear.) "She Doesn't Sing," from that album is a great Country song (not alt, anti, or any other adjective - just Country!) In the song Jeremy contemplates the tell tale signs that his woman is leaving, "She ain't trying to hide it, but I think she might've finally said waht she couldn't say." With melodic guitar work and subtle flourishes of mandolin that shine like blue sky through the clouds, this is a dead-on Country break up song. And even if "She Doesn't Sing," after listening to this song, you will.
And as a special bonus, here's a video for "Wagon Wheel," from his first album. Enjoy and long live Country!