Country Music
Josh Turner’s song “Firecracker” demonstrates why he deserves more recognition as a star.
This is one of those songs that could easily be dismissed as a ditty, a simple little love song that stretches its titular metaphor until it almost breaks. What elevates it far above mediocrity is the infectious, flawless vocal performance from Josh Turner, who is emerging as the best pure country vocalist of his generation. I’d go as far as to call him a male Patty Loveless because of his ability to create a performance that is traditional without sounding derivative or dated.
His confidence as a singer is growing; check out the deep growl that prefaces the first verse. How wonderful that a man who seemed like a one-hit wonder at first is turning into his generation’s standard-bearer for traditional country music.