Sorry LoCash, but it does get better than this song. A lot better.
LoCash rode the Bro-Country wave to success a few years ago, positioning themselves as an off-brand Florida Georgia Line with generic, uninteresting hits like “I Love This Life” and “I Know Somebody.” As the wave receded, however, the pair struggled to adapt to the new landscape, and their last single “Ring On Every Finger” limped its way to a disappointing #16 peak on Billboard’s airplay chart. Now, as a mob of male duos vie to claim FGL’s vacant throne (Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Walker McGuire, etc.), LoCash is doubling down on their old Bro sound with ” Don’t Get Better Than That,” which, in ten words or less, is just “I Love This Life, Part 2.” It’s a move that reeks of desperation, and even amidst the frustrating mediocrity of its competition, this song stands out as particularly awful.
For as sparse as the production is here, it’s amazing just how artificial this song sounds. Melody duties are mostly handled by an electrified acoustic guitar, and the track is backed by a synthetic bass and prominent hand-clap drum machine line. The choruses add some electric guitars and “oh-oh” background vocals, and a real drum set eventually jumps in to aid the drum machine, and while these additions give the mix a bit of spacious atmosphere, they aren’t enough for the song to shake that artificial feel. Likewise, while the bright instrument tones and fast pace give a track a lot of positive energy, it’s just energy for energy’s sake, as the whole thing just feels empty and vacuous when paired with the lazy lyrics (we’ll get to those). This song is the new poster child for empty sonic calories, wasting its positivity through its lack of purpose.
I have no idea who handles the lead vocals here (Chris Lucas is generally billed as the lead singer, but he and Preston Burst sound indistinguishable to me), and honestly, it doesn’t matter: There’s nothing even remotely unique or compelling about the duo, and the song would sound the exact same if it were performed by a replacement-level Bro-Country singer (in fact, it might sound better). The track barely tests the singer’s range or flow, the pair’s harmonies are run-of-the-mill and unimpressive, and neither singer has the charisma to elevate the song beyond ‘bros singing a superfluous party song,’ even when the lyrics leave them an opening or two. In short, this performance is forgettable at best, and it’s best for all involved if we forget it.
And then we get to the lazy laundry list that passes for the song’s lyrics… If you’ve heard “I Love This Life,” you already know what’s here: A list of the most unimaginative imagery ever (drinking, driving, floating on a river, Friday night, Sunday morning, name-dropping random bands), and the proclamation that it “don’t get better than that.” Seriously, did the writers put any effort into this song at all? It’s like they all got together and said “Hey, uh, that loving life did really well for us, so…yeah, let’s do that again.” To be fair, there are a few moments of deeper meaning hidden here (for example, “ever heard the words ‘I love you, daddy'”), but they’re left to drown in a sea of country clichés. Quite frankly, there is no reason for the song to even exist, outside of being a last-ditch attempt to prop up the career of an unremarkable country duo.
In short, “Don’t Get Better Than That” is a reheated, uninteresting, and generally pointless excuse for a country song. It’s a giant leap backwards even from “Ring On Every Finger,” and provides more incentive for the genre to end LoCash’s career than to prolong it. If this is the best the duo can come up with for a swing-for-the-fences, keep-us-on-the-radio track, Nashville needs to boot them out of town and change the locks.
Rating: 3/10. Avoid this junk.
Kyle's Korner 