Other than Carrie Underwood, no artist this decade has even flirted with the numbers put up on the board by the Chicks, Garth, Shania, and Faith.

The Rascal Flatts numbers only look sort of impressive because of the lack of real competition.

The Dixie Chicks are the most successful country band since Alabama.

& amp amp amp amp lt A HREF=” amp amp amp amp amp amp MarketPlace=US& amp amp amp amp amp ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fcountunive-20%2F8014%2F3e85be3b-1ad4-4086-b2ce-4b74ecbfae86& amp amp amp amp amp Operation=NoScript” mce_HREF=” amp amp amp amp amp amp amp MarketPlace=US& amp amp amp amp amp amp ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fcountunive-20%2F8014%2F3e85be3b-1ad4-4086-b2ce-4b74ecbfae86& amp amp amp amp amp amp Operation=NoScript”& amp amp amp amp gt Widgets& amp amp amp amp lt /A& amp amp amp amp gt Can we maybe just make room for both of them and boot out…some other vocal group? I’ve always liked Little Big Town, so I hope that doesn’t happen, but I can’t deny that this is pretty enjoyable stuff, too. The final product is a lush sonic party which might not have sounded out of place on the FernGully soundtrack – all that’s missing is a few well-timed “na na na”s.Īnyway, given the difficulty that Little Big Town seem to have faced in getting their new output played at radio – including their own feel-good single, “Good Lord Willing” – one wonders whether Gloriana could be well-poised to displace them on the charts. The lyrics about teenage romance are predictably lame, but the production is fresh and the pre-chorus builds so perfectly that you can practically feel it give you a hormone surge, which I guess is probably the point (I mean, they are opening for Taylor Swift). That rant aside, I have to admit that this is some pretty serious ear candy. Do I need to point out the obvious? A two-guy, two-girl harmony group who play rustically instrumented music that sounds heavily influenced by late 70’s/early 80’s pop-rock? I mean, I’m sorry, but is it this easy to rip off another act’s entire spiel without anyone at your label noticing or caring? It’s not like Little Big Town have a patent on their sound or something, but …come on, kids.

Gloriana wild at heart