13. January 2025
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Media Review

Tim Dugger – Stars Over Alabama

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Tim Dugger - Stars Over Alabama

Tim Dugger - Stars Over Alabama
4.5

Rating

 4.5/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Nice storytelling
  • Good range from mainstream tracks to very personal experiences

Even though Tim Dugger has quite some experience in the country music business already, Stars Over Alabama is his debut album. He released it on 4th October 2024. I ran into it, scanning the new releases of that week. Here are my thoughts about the album.

 

Tim Dugger – About The Artist

Tim Dugger is a country music artist from Alabama.He grew up with NASCAR Racing, where he became friend with driver and team owner Richard Childress. That gave him a couple of gigs during the car racing events. Nonetheless, it took him until 2015 until he released his debut EP Beer On A Boat. The title track had been his most successful song until then. However, times changed some five years later, when he released another EP, Signs of A Good Time. Especially the song You’re Gonna Love Me draw quite a lot of attention.

 

Tim Dugger – Stars Over Alabama – Track by Track

The thirteen song album lasts 43 minutes.

1. Lived Long Enough

Half of the song on Stars Over Alabama have already been released before the album. The first three songs are part of this already known set. Lived Long Enough is still working out well. A typical mainstream country track with good melodies and a chorus which is staying in your mind. A really nice and good listen.

2. Buy A Bar

Buy A Bar was one of the most successful songs of the Stars Over Alabama campaign. I like the groovy signature of this song, which still has a special touch. Again, the song comes with a lovely hook and strong country music vibes with a slight country-rock flavor.

3. Mary Wanna?

The banjo-style lead melody and the harmonica lead to a rather traditional listen with Mary Wanna?. The song more and more develops into an interesting story with a good plot.

4. Down

Down opens a set of four so-far unknown tracks. This fourth one is a typical airplay song, it even comes with the “right” duration of 2:40 minutes. The backing instruments lead to a special touch and even remind a bit of bluegrass melodies.

5. Named You Music

The song is definitely not a ballad, but a beautiful love song. Should have named you music, ’cause you’re always on my mind – the song is majorly built around its core phrase. Tim Dugger does this song with with so many emotions, with so much love. And the product is even having party and dance potential during a live show. Great one.

6. Stars Over Alabama

I’m still a bit of blown away from Named You Music, so that it takes me a while to appreciate the title track of the album. That’s a shame (and definitely a reason to blame me…). The song about Dugger’s home state is a beautiful praise with a nostalgic touch, traveling back into his younger age memories. Another really good one.

7. Do It Like Hank

The first moments of Do It Like Hank feel rather dark. However, the song more and more  develops to a great country rocker, which is not only driven by the guitar and the bass, but also has a fine fiddle melody on top of the rock tunes. Yeah, we got a drink, yeah, we got a party – we gonna do it like Hank – this song is perfectly made for this purpose.

8. Man Upstairs

It feels like a massive step from the rocking party track Do It Like Hank to the eighth song of Songs Over Alabama. Man Upstairs is a lovely country ballad, which becomes more present and energetic in its second part. Tim Dugger masters this step – and this moment – very well.

9. Heart Of A Small Town

Heart Of A Small Town has been the most successful song on Spotify out of all single releases. The song does touch the typical Small Town USA cliche, and also does impress with its melody and the stomping drums. I personally, however, feel that this album has even brighter gems than this song.

10. Like A Mama

In this final part of Stars Over Alabama, the relation to a mother and motherhood in general pops up twice. I just don’t know whether I can fully relate to Life is like a mama after Death is like Jesus. But, to be honest, I am not at all a family person. Even though he adds you only have one thereafter. That’s quite undeniable.

11. God’s Got Me

The two Mama songs are interrupted by this religious reference. A strong flavor of Christian country music is flying over Stars Over Alabama. I don’t care, I love Jenn Bostic and her music as well. And the song is really nice.

12. Mama Tried

Mama, part 2. The mysterious, slightly dark beginning of Mama Tried does not really feel like this would become a praise of Tim Dugger’s parents. But the song does get the right turn. The song has a dark touch, definitely. Excerpts like And I turned 21 in prison and Mama tried to raise me better tell that the story of Tim Dugger has not always been the most fortunate one.

13. Time Off

The stories of about the Stars Over Alabama close with a beautiful piano ballad. Another very emotional performance by the the US-American artist, who by that manages to have an amazing feel at the end of his release.

 

Tim Dugger – Stars Over Alabama – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Tim Dugger – Stars Over Alabama – My View

When I started to have a deeper listen into Stars Over Alabama, I initially had a bit of a bad feeling about the album. It starts rather mainstream-alike. However, Tim Dugger manages to tell some really lovely personal stories. This leads to a more complex listen – and also lifts this release over the limit for a Top Pick!-rated review.

Favorite Song: Named You Music

 

October Country Music Top Pick Reviews

Here are all October-released Media Reviews of country music leading to a Top Pick! rating:

 

Jenn Bostic on Flyctory.com

Here are all postings related to the US-American Christian music / country artist Jenn Bostic:

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