Single Review: “That’s How It Still Oughta Be” by Trent Tomlinson

After a long wait, Trent Tomlinson returns to country radio not with another “Drunker Than Me”, but a song more reminiscent of “One Wing In The Fire”. Rather surprising considering the rough and tough image he puts off. That being said his intention for his newest song are nothing new. In fact it would be far from a stretch to call it a re-write of Bucky Covington’s debut single “A Different World”.

With that in mind, Trent has some things to his favor. The acoustic feel is quite pleasant and the concept is more generalized to an attempt from Trent to rekindle some values and morals in a world plagued by violence and fear within the past ten years. Sadly enough though there is more against this song than in its favor. For one, the writing: what Trent and his co-writers Jim Collins and Tom Shapiro try to do is recall some of the better qualities of past American life, however the word use and the mood of the song doesn’t present the positive message they were looking for but creates more of a feeling of depression and hatred for today’s world that doesn’t help much at all. The production, although satisfyingly dumbed down, is a little shotty once you get past the pleasant sound of an acoustic guitar.

The biggest issue of all however is the same problem that purged Bucky of perfection with his debut hit. Trent is only in his 30’s, he was born in 1975, and would have only begun to understand the world around him 5 or 6 years later in the 80’s. That being said the lyric portrays a man who went through a more post 80’s era, perfected during the Vietnam War era of the 60’s and late 50’s. This song would have been more effective as a recollection towards his parents world or longing for the peace of his parents’ days, however coming from the singer himself this song sounds much more fitting for a singer of more personal experience and history on their side.

Grade: C