Scotty McCreery, ‘Out of Summertime’ – Song Review

Scotty McCreery's debut single has just just been released, but another song has already been leaked to his fans via YouTube. 'Out of Summertime' is rumored to be the other song McCreery recorded for his coronation song, with 'I Love You This Big' eventually chosen for the finale, as well as his first single. It was a wise decision, as 'Out of Summertime' isn't as effective.

The uptempo "what if" love song reminds one of Keith Urban's 'Til Summer Comes Around,' complete with a Ferris wheel reference. McCreery sounds sincere in his delivery, and it's a perfectly acceptable story for him to tell. "That there stage on a little dirt track / She was second row, her hair pulled back / We were young and free / Oh, she could have been mine / But we ran out of summertime," he sings during the first verse.

Much of the chorus is spent in McCreery's higher vocal register, which isn't exactly his wheel house. At times, he sounds as if he's straining, trying to push the lyrics out rather than have them flow naturally. "Of all the things I let get away / She's the one that keeps me awake at night / Now I've never seen days go by so fast / A little more sand falling through the glass / She was hot as July and sweet as sunshine / Oh she could have been mine / But we ran out of summertime."

While a comparison to Taylor Swift may drive his fans crazy, the song feels like one she'd have chosen at 17-years-old. That comparison is meant as a compliment, as the two share an audience of both young and old country fans. However, McCreery hasn't quite mastered her ability to conjure up a haunting heartbreak. The third verse doesn't sound like one he's lived:

"If the days would have only stayed that long / And those autumn leaves didn't have to fall / Oh we'd have fell in love / Cause what we felt in that Ferris wheel was just too right and just to real / Just not long enough / Oh she could have been mine / But we ran out of summertime."

Numerous blogs and Scotty McCreery fan sites are calling 'Out of Summertime' his next single, but it's doubtful that decision has been made. Realistically, his first single won't wrap up its run on the charts until this fall or early winter. That'd be a lousy time to release a song about summertime.

Listen to Scotty McCreery, 'Out of Summertime'