Album Review: Clear As Day - Scotty McCreery

Let me just get straight to the point and say that I'm NOT a country music lover. I wasn't even a fan of Carrie Underwood until recently. But since I always keep an open mind when it comes to music in general and with a sudden surge of interesting - at least to me - crossover country acts in recent years with Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift and American Idol's very own Carrie Underwood, I surprisingly got into it.

And with Scotty McCreery's win in this season of American Idol, I was bound to give it a try for me to be as objective as possible in "reviewing" his debut album, Clear As Day. Of course, I'm well aware that my new appreciation and little knowledge for the genre wouldn't give me any cred for this review, but it is what it is.

Here's my track-by-track review: 

This lead-off track sets the mood for the remaining songs in the album. It's fun, catchy and one of the handful tracks that show a more contemporary sound for Scotty. His vocals add sharpness to the song and there's a sense of conviction to his delivery. Plus, the production of this is quite good. 8/10

Not really a big fan of the song just because of the schmaltzy lyrics, but Scotty really sold this like it's the best one out there. I felt his passion, his voice worked well with the tune and I like how he pushed his vocals towards the end. 6/10

At first, this song just didn't do anything for me. I thought the verses were weak and I found the transition a little awkward. But! After a few subsequent listen, I warmed up to it. His restrained delivery is quite impressive for his age and when the chorus hits, his voice just soared - something I didn't expect. The song in itself is beautiful and Scotty's interpretation makes it even better. 8/10

Sure, this is not the strongest track on the record, but I understand why they released this as his debut single. It's a swoon worthy song that's obviously for his target market. So while the melody lacks a recognizable hook, it's pretty enough to get by. Besides, how this acoustic ballad soared into a full on orchestra at the last minute seriously gave me goosebumps. 7/10

Wow. This song features a good country rock melody coupled with some meaty slide guitar and Scotty's ear catching vocals. His phrasing is astounding and I like how convincing he sounds in this track. Nice playful song. 8/10

Just from the first few chords, I'm sold that this is possibly one of the strongest songs in the album. His vocals are solid, it has that cool vibe to it, the instrumentation is great and the way he tackles the words are pretty fascinating. Yet again, another surprisingly good upbeat track from Scotty. This, to me, has a good potential to be a hit song for him. 9/10

You know what's interesting about this song? It has a good amount of throwback vibe to it, but still sounds incredibly modern. The lyrics are cute and shockingly age appropriate and again, his vocals are solid. Why didn't we get much of this side of Scotty during the show? 8/10

Sunny! Haha. Not a fan of traditional sounding country songs complete with mandolins, banjos, fiddles and whatnot, but this is VERY charming. His country vocal inflections are nice and his throwback style complemented the tune. Outstandingly refreshing. 9/10

A heartfelt narrative set to a well produced and structured music. This is a soft ballad side to McCreery that I really like. It's not incredibly flat, but also not overly dramatic. It has a good balance of emotion, which is outstanding. I guess, mother's will absolutely adore this track. Just saying. 8/10

Incredible phrasing. Catchy melody. Interesting lyrics. What's not to love with the song? It's a nice country ditty that complements his voice to great effect. I wouldn't say it's the strongest track, but still a fun track that's probably a good sing-along song. 7/10

This song sounds a little generic at first, but there's something appealing about it. Maybe because of the obvious connection Scotty has with the song. It sounds earnest and there's a deep sincerity to his interpretation. Above all the technicalities, this is a song where Scotty delivers a true passion-filled vocals I've come to expect. 9/10

I'm not so sure if I like this song or not. Yes, it sounds a little mature, which is kind of refreshing, but there's nothing about it that's incredibly remarkable. It has a good inspirational theme, but that's just about it for me. I don't know. 7/10


Scotty McCreery's debut album, Clear As Day, I think, is a pretty solid effort. It doesn't set out to be the best album ever made and it's not a record that has songs for people to over analyze. It's just an easy listening album about life, love and family - as simple as it may be. At the end of the day, everyone will find a song to which they can relate as this is country music and it tells the story of your life. That is all.

RATING: 7.8/10