You will hear Madison Hardy’s name in 2011.
Well I guess you’re hearing it now, but on the bigger stage you’ll be hearing more from Madison Hardy by the end of this year and it’ll probably be on your local radio station.
Madison is a brand new country artist. She’s brand new in the sense that she’s just starting to make herself known to the greater country music listening audience. Up until this point it looks like she’s been busy honing her craft as a songwriter and singer. She’s gone to school in Nashville and now she’s ready to move on into the world of country entertainment.
Madison actually contacted me herself suggested I check out her freshly released EP. I love hearing from artists and always try to check out their music. I set aside some time and have now listened to Madison’s first EP.
First impression: Wow.
Check out the songs and see what you think…
Madison Hardy EP
1. Better
The EP gets started off with a sassy song full of the attitude of a young woman. This is your first introduction to Madison’s powerful vocals. At first she reminded me of Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert. It’s that attitude with the crying electric guitars. Then after listening to the song again I was reminded of Wynonna. Those vocals triggered that emotion. I had a hard time narrowing down exactly what the song was about at first. I knew a woman was pissed with another woman and that was intriguing enough. After a few more listens I kind of figured it was about a woman that either still loves a man that’s been with another woman or she doesn’t want him anymore but kind of smiles with the fact that she’s still the one he wants. However the song is meant to be understood I think the melody and the attitude are the keys to the song. And Madison knows she’s better than the other chick of course.
2. Don’t Forget About Me
For the this track things get slowed down to a country ballad. This song is heartbreaking. The woman is thinking about a relationship that didn’t work out. She thought he wanted to settle down and do the family thing with her. Now she realizes he wasn’t that kind of guy. The woman isn’t bitter though. She’s sad, but she wants him to succeed in life and even find someone to love him for who he is and what he wants in life. This track is deep. There is emotion behind the vocals. There is passion behind the story. I think we have all had that kind of relationship that wasn’t meant to be. You want the person to be happy, but you still kind of want to be remembered as a part of their life.
Download Don’t Forget About Me
3. I’ve Raced That Train
With this track Madison comes in with some country pop, but I’m reluctant to call it pop-country. There are definitely country licks in this woman. This track is like a mix of Faith Hill and Martina McBride. I realize I’m really dropping the big name comparisons and I’m starting to think it’s hard to pin Madison down as anything but herself. She’s going to be her own artist. This track is powerful as well. The vocals are top notch. You can’t help but pay attention to Madison. These are the kind of tracks that stand out on radio. They make you take notice and they’re easy to get into and sing along with. In this song Madison plays the girl that’s getting over the guy. She’s finally done with everything that’s been going on. She’s ready to move past him even though he wants to get back together. She’s been down that road, raced that train. It’s a losing battle.
Download I’ve Raced That Train
4. All I Need Is You
Man…now this song starts out like a classic country song from the ’60s. It kind of reminded me a Julie Roberts track. Madison’s vocals come through on this track even better than the first. The music volume is lowered a bit on this one to really let Madison take center stage. The song is about the kind of man the narrator wants. She’s found him now and he’s exactly the things she’s been looking for. She wasn’t looking for money or any kind of item or collection of things. All she needs is the man he is and the love he gives her. A beautiful country love song.
Overall Feeling
As I said earlier – Wow.
Madison Hardy not only has a powerful set of pipes, but she can write a great country song. These tracks have what I think is the “it” quality – the ability to sound completely unique and fresh while still sounding familiar. That’s not easy to do, but Madison has done it with the songs on this EP.
If this is just a hint at what Madison Hardy has to offer the country music world I’m really excited about where country music is going in the future. These songs are great. I think we’ll be hearing Madison’s name for a long time.
