You Hold Your Head up to the Sky; You Say What Kind of Blue Are You

It is hard to predict radio hits anymore aside from your token bland rap dance tracks out there. But Pony (It’s OK) by Erin McCarley can easily replace Sara Bareilles as Love Song starts getting retired from playlists after a year and a half run. It is just as bouncy with the underlying sarcasm to break up the monotony of other female singer-songwriters who have been recreating Fiona Apple for the past decade.

That bouncy vibe continues on Sticky-Sweet, but with more a cabaret feel and it is refreshing to hear a song about candy that isn’t filled with obvious innuendo. Blue Suitcase sounds like something from a time long ago. The title track is a quirky ditty that fills out during the chorus. While Gotta Figure This Out and its soaring guitars sounds like a soundtrack for Friday Night Lights.

There are some the singer-songwriters clichés on Love, Save the Empty. Lovesick Mistake is just your run of the mill ballad meant for montage sequences on crappy television shows. Pitter-Pat is a slightly better ballad which borders on a lullaby. But bonus points for the bongos on Bobblehead.

A solid debut Love, Save the Empty is, but the sophomore record is the true test that tells if McCarley falls into obscurity, bound to easy listening radio staple, or someone with staying power. But for now, as Bareilles so pleasantly put it, there’ll be girls across the nation that will eat this up.

Song to Download - If you downloaded Pony (It’s OK) for free when I suggested, then go with Blue Suitcase

Love, Save the Empty gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.