Country duo Maddie & Tae release debut album Start Here.
Maddie and Tae are more than just two girls in a country song.
Madison “Maddie” Marlow and Taylor “Tae” Dye, better known as Maddie & Tae, released their debut album Start Here. The duo took part in writing every song, including the radio hits “Girl in a Country Song” and “Fly.” The 11-track album sets out looking for adventure, love and how to cope with heartbreak.
The journey begins with “Waitin' on a Plane,” a soft, dream-like song exploring how it feels to run away and chase dreams. The duo sets its sights on a brand new life, which in a way tells listeners to hold on for the ride and see what the rest of the album has in store. It’s a good starting point.
In “Girl in a Country Song,” Maddie and Tae make a bold, sassy statement about country music and the depiction and stereotypes of women in songs. With references to dozens of other country hits, such as Billy Currington’s “Hey Girl” and Florida Georgia Line's “Get Your Shine On,” the duo expressed its irritability with being treated like a girl in a country song. The performers make the statement of how country girls are more than just girls with blonde hair and painted on cut-off jeans. And rather than simply criticizing country music today, Maddie and Tae point out “Conway and George Strait never did it this way back in the old days.”
Maddie & Tae continue on its zero-tolerance policy for men who can’t respect women in “Shut Up and Fish.” The upbeat tune tells a story of a disastrous date. While the girl in the song just wants to fish, the boy’s only focus is kissing and getting closer. After begging the boy to “Shut Up and Fish,” he continues to persist and ends up in the lake.
The song has a similar sound and storytelling quality as if from the early 2000s.
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Later, the duo sings the ultimate break up song that skips over the hurt and heartbreak and goes directly to anger. “Your Side of Town” sets up a clear divide following a broken relationship and warns the boy to stay away. In a sharp jab, the duo sings, “There’s a no-trespass sign on the county line, and it reads your name.”
The tune has a similar sound to Little Big Town and incorporates moments of skillful fiddling. It’s a refreshing twist on a break up since Maddie & Tae typically sing without any regrets or wishful thinking.
The song puts a clever twist on the iconic line, “There is no place like home,” from the Wizard of Oz. After a laundry list of beautiful places in the United States, the performers sing that they want to click their shoes because “there is no place like you.” Its uplifting tune captures the feeling of longing and loving.
Unlike many albums that lull away or become repetitive toward the end, Start Here hits a high note on the final two songs.
“After the Storm Blows Through” is a touching song about love and understanding, but not necessarily romantic love. The story depicts being on the same side as love and being “stuck together, no matter what the weather.”
Regardless what hard time the duo is singing about, the two make a point to say they’re willing to walk alongside their loved ones or give them space. But when the sun shines again, they promise to still be there after the storm blows through.
The album comes full circle with the “Downside of Growing Up.” While Maddie & Tae started the first track with the urge to chase dreams, they take into account the cost of chasing dreams, which includes leaving home for the first time and going through a serious breakup.
The album ends with a soft melody and breaks into silence, which leaves the listener wondering about chasing dreams, reflecting on the hardships of growing up and thinking about what is truly means to be a girl in a country song.
Rating 4/5
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