Sawyer Brown Albums (16)
'Mission Temple Fireworks Stand'
Release Date 8/23/2005
Tracks 12
Label Curb
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What The Critics Say
If the cover depicting Sawyer Brown as a bunch of tough yet well-groomed carnies wasn't an indication that their 2005 effort Mission Temple Fireworks Stand captures a rougher, rowdier version of the veteran country-pop band, the opening title cut confirms it. A galloping bluesy rocker, patterned on a gospel-tent singalong but sounding like pure Southern rock, it's a welcome change from the cautious crossover pop of 2002's Can You Hear Me Now and it's a good indication of what the overriding character of the album is. Throughout much of the rest of the album, Sawyer Brown favor loose, lean, humorous country-rockers, whether it's spiking Steven Curtis Chapman's "Tarzan and Jane" with "ooga-chakas" lifted from Jonathan King's take on B.J. Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling" or doing a spirited cover of the Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself." It's as if the group heard the raunchy sounds of Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson and decided the way to compete was going for straight-ahead Southern rock. Of course, this is Sawyer Brown, the group that first came to fame on Star Search, so they haven't abandoned their taste for big sentiment, and they have two of their most unbearably mawkish numbers to date here: "With You Daddy," a tale of a father dying from lung cancer, and its flip side, "One Little Heartbeat at a Time," a tale about a newborn baby. These are syrupy, drippy tunes, but they don't slow down the album too much, since most of the record moves along briskly -- the hooks are plentiful, the band sounds tight, and the production is uncluttered, making for their best record in over a decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sawyer Brown has never made any apologies for being a pop-oriented country-rock band, and throughout their career, they've often traded on the sounds and styles of the time to keep them sounding contemporary. Still, it's a little strange seeing frontman going post-Matchbox Twenty with his looks -- all adult-alternative pop, complete with short goatee and a photo in the liner notes where he looks startlingly like R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. These visuals are a slight clue to where the band is going with Can You Hear Me Now, their first album of new material in three years. Though there are some twangy guitars here and there, along with a few up-tempo shuffles, this is more a pop album than a country album, aimed at the audience that listens as much to adult-oriented mainstream pop (like Matchbox Twenty) and contemporary, post-Shania and Faith Hill country. Some might carp about this, but they're likely to be those who never listen to Sawyer Brown in the first place, since the band has always been a bit like this and they've always done this pretty well, and Can You Hear Me is no exception. This does adopt contemporary mores, but in a professional, engaging way, and while not all of the ten songs are strong, there are certainly more hits than misses. It's a solid effort, not just for Sawyer Brown, but as contemporary crossover country-pop albums go. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Hallelujah He Is Born'
Release Date 8/19/1997
Tracks 12
Label Atlantic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Most country acts choose to temper holiday sentimentality with a little religion. Sawyer Brown takes a different approach. As its title telegraphs, Hallelujah He Is Born is a distinctly religious Christmas album -- only a handful of songs aren't explicitly religious, and even they have a religious underpinning. That is the saving grace of the album, the one element that makes Hallelujah He Is Born stand out from the pack. The album still has the slick country-pop atmosphere that marks not only Sawyer Brown's work, but contemporary country in general -- but its religious conviction makes it one of the more original (and, actually, better) country-pop Christmas records of recent years. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sawyer Brown's records are frequently hampered by undistinguished material, which is what makes the live album Six Days on the Road such a treat. By featuring the cream of the band's repertoire and capturing the group in its natural live setting, the album is more exciting and engaging than the majority of Sawyer Brown's releases, making it a live album that's not just for the dedicated -- it's for all of their fans. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
'This Thing Called Wantin' and Havin' It All'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 10
Label Curb
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
By Cafe on the Corner, the members of Sawyer Brown had essentially (i.e., for recording purposes at least) given up on being rock 'n' rollers and revealed themselves to be a pretty decent country band. "Cafe on the Corner" paints a graphic picture of small-town desolation, but these guys are smart enough to avoid preaching: most of the album reflects the marvels of love. The rock & roll sneaks back in on the last two cuts, but by then it's too late to matter. A album filled with good songs, it also includes a great one (Mac McAnally's "All These Years"). ~ Brian Mansfield, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The band's robust work ethic makes it into these songs about simple life and small-town values, and Mark Miller controls a tendency to over-sing them, maybe because he believes them. Miller's heart is still filled with cliches like "Burning Bridges (On a Rocky Road)," but the sleaze in his voice is convincing on "Ruby Red Shoes," which has to be a song of lust for Judy Garland. ~ Brian Mansfield, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
More songs about girls and cars -- or, better yet, girls in cars. "The Walk" did so well as a single, the group included it on the next album, too. ~ Brian Mansfield, All Music Guide
