March 28, 2010

Brantley Gilbert’s sophomore CD Halfway to Heaven definitely has a harder edge than 2008’s Modern Day Prodigal Son, and the current single, “Kick it in the Sticks” is a rowdy, redneck, loud and proud backwoods party anthem.
It’s heavy on the reverb and feedback and a little light on the melody, but is perfect to blast on the car stereo when you’re driving a little too fast and having fun. Another surprise is “Take It Outside,” which is as in-your-face as the bar brawl it glorifies.

He’s definitely getting his Skynyrd on with some of these songs but don’t think this CD is just another set of mindless, pointless country rocks tunes. Brantley is a powerful songwriter who paints amazingly vivid pictures with words and music.

“Hell on Wheels,” the opening track, kicks the CD into high gear from the very first note with its tale of moonshiners and life on the other side of the law. Someone at NASCAR needs to hear this song – it’s thrilling to listen to and would fit perfectly with a highlights reel. With its thundering guitars and drums, you feel like you’re flying down those back roads, one step ahead of the revenuers. I dare you to hear this and drive the speed limit. OK, maybe that’s not necessarily a good thing, from a safety perspective, but it’s fun! And it shows just how affecting the song is.

And that’s what really makes Halfway to Heaven a great CD. The words and music just get to you. At its heart, it’s a collection of songs about life and love and redemption that get your heart racing, your blood pumping and might even make you cry.

Country Music News Today Review

In recent years, Georgia has been a hot bed for country artists, turning out Sugarland, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean, to name a few. Brantley Gilbert, a native of Jefferson, Georgia, is the latest artist out of the Peach State to set his sites on country music stardom. With the release of his second album, Halfway to Heaven, Gilbert has proven that he has what it takes to become a household name.

Halfway to Heaven kicks off with the outlaw anthem “Hell On Wheels.” About running moonshine, fast cars, and evading the cops, “Hell On Wheels” plays out like a modern-day Dukes of Hazzard car chase, except Gilbert is behind the wheel, singing Move it over Bo Duke. “Hell On Wheels” is followed up with another song about throwing rules to the wind, “Bendin' The Rules & Breakin' The Law.”

The album's first single, “Kick It In The Sticks,” is a welcome to the country song that tells a city slicker how country folks have a good time. The song has a driving hard rock edge and is made to blast from your vehicle with the windows rolled down. “Country Must Be Country Wide,” co-written by Gilbert, Mike Dekle, a songwriter based out of Athens, Georgia with hits like “Don't Love Make A Diamond Shine,” and “Size Matters” to his credit, and Colt Ford, another Georgia native making waves in country music, is all about the realization that 'country' is not just contained to the south with the proclamation that It ain't where, it's how you live.

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By Terence Connor-blvd Magazine

When I joined the staff at blvd. magazine, I never thought my first assignment would be an opportunity to hang out on set of a legitimatemusic video shoot and interview the star of it all. The boss said it was for a local country musician making the rounds to national stardom and his name was Brantley Gilbert.  The name didn’t ring any bells, but the thought of mingling with a video crew, hanging out with music execs and watching how a music video comes together seemed like a great way to spend a Saturday.

The morning of the shoot I woke up considerably early to prepare for the day. I listened to Gilbert’s first album, A Modern Day Prodigal Son, while I dressed—a blazer, jeans and casual ankle boots. The sky was grey and rain was falling, but I thought the outfit of choice was still appropriate.

Read the whole article and watch the interview video HERE.

Release Date: March 2010
Music Label: Average Joes
The Skinny: In the time since his last album, Modern Day Prodigal Son, until now, Gilbert has moved more from a Jason Aldean sound to a more southern rock influenced Lynyrd Skynyrd sound. With themes of bad boy behavior, this sophomore album finds Gilbert cementing his personality on the still-safe-for-soccer-moms outlaw movement aka Eric Church. "Saving Amy" is one of our favorite tracks of the year- a tune written from a ghost's perspective. 
Sounds Like: Shooter Jennings
Standout Tracks: "Saving Amy”, “My Kind Of Crazy”, “Kick It In The Sticks”