I’m generally dismissive of modern country music as I have more of a purist love for the style than the vast majority of its current practitioner’s disdain. However, I can say that I have heard scattered tracks from young performers in the genre that show there’s plenty of vim and vigor in its ranks. You just have to search for it.
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Xolex stands out for a handful of reasons. There are superficial reasons such as her drop-dead looks. There are a handful of deeper reasons for her distinctiveness, her choice of material, her capable mix of rock and country, and the presence and charisma Xolex exudes through her performance. “Sure Know How to Pick ‘Em” exhibits those traits and shows she has ample room for continued growth.
Another reason is that her voice is so well-suited for this type of sound. She does not have a multi-octave range. Instead, she has a strong voice that fills this song with immediate and undeniable presence. Much like a camera loves some film and television stars compelling us to look on with agog wonder, we can’t help but listen to Xolex when she sings. She conveys humor, defiance, attitude, and resignation throughout the performance. The best singers do not always possess a wide range. It’s what they do with the gifts they have that makes them great.
What Xolex does is command your attention. Likewise, the arrangement demands that you stick with each note of the way. The perky and strutting guitar provides Xolex with a capable musical duet partner and particularly dazzles when it takes the spotlight for a solo late in the song. I love how the lead guitar builds to a dizzying height and hits its marks with feeling and precision.
Robust production is another feather in the track’s cap. The balance between the instrumentation and Xolex’s voice helps the track achieve a hard-hitting status. It never bludgeons listeners into submission. Instead, it’s hard-hitting while remaining airy and light on its musical feet. I’m especially drawn to the warm and muscular guitar sound – it strengthens the instrument’s position as a worthy dance partner for Xolex’s lead vocals.
The song has the right length as well. It is a perfect duration for modern country radio. She fine-tunes everything to make the song work, and it pulses with energy from the outset. Little touches during the cut, such as the handclaps during the song’s pre-chorus, are especially effective in giving the song a spontaneous and livelier tilt.
It’s one hell of a way to announce her presence on the scene. Xolex hits this one out of the park, and it sounds like she has plenty more in store for the future. “Sure Know How to Pick ‘Em” doesn’t suffer fools gladly and puts itself across in a way that forces you to take her seriously as a top-flight talent from this point forward.
Mindy McCall