Concrete (Sunny Sweeney album)

Concrete
Studio album by
Sunny Sweeney
ReleasedAugust 23, 2011 (2011-08-23)
GenreCountry
Length34:09
LabelRepublic Nashville
ProducerBrett Beavers
Sunny Sweeney chronology
Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame
(2007) 		Concrete
(2011) 		Provoked
(2014)
Singles from Concrete
  1. "From a Table Away"
    Released: June 28, 2010
  2. "Staying's Worse Than Leaving"
    Released: May 2, 2011
  3. "Drink Myself Single"
    Released: October 3, 2011
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
American Songwriter[3]
The Austin Chronicle[4]
The A.V. ClubB+[5]
Roughstock[6]
Slant Magazine[7]

Concrete is the second studio album by American country music singer Sunny Sweeney. It was released on August 23, 2011 via Republic Nashville. The album includes the singles "From a Table Away", "Staying's Worse Than Leaving" and "Drink Myself Single", all of which have charted within the top 40 of Hot Country Songs.

Reception

Commercial

The album debuted at number 21 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart upon its release. As of the chart dated September 24, 2011, the album has sold 26,418 copies in the US.[8]

Critical

Concrete garnered positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 71 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 6 reviews.[1]

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, calling it "traditional-minded yet thoroughly modern".[6] AllMusic's Thom Jurek prasied Sweeney's improved songwriting and performance for showcasing her "gifts as a fine lyricist and [a] top flight vocalist with enough restless country soul" throughout the record, concluding that: "Concrete is modern and polished, yet makes no attempt to disguise the influence of the Texas country tradition in its heartfelt performances."[2] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine praised the album for being "full of smart, sharply observed songwriting and winning performances", all while utilizing a "slick and contemporary" soundscape that maintains the "pure twang and fiddle" of traditional country music", concluding that: "Sweeney just gets the economy of country songwriting and the presence that the best country singers possess, and that innate understanding makes Concrete a tremendous, heady record."[7] Blake Boldt of American Songwriter called it "a winning mix of traditional and contemporary: her arrangements are often performed with pedal steel and electric guitar, and the age-old problems of infidelity and heavy drinking are represented with modern twists."[3] Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club wrote: "A far slicker and poppier effort than her 2007 debut Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, Concrete doesn't water down Sweeney's toughness or the edginess of her feisty, nasally twang."[5]

Country Standard Time critic Karlie Justus noted how the record "combines the authenticity of Sweeney's obvious love of classic country with a current, mainstream edge", concluding that: "Sweeney has crafted a rollicking collection of songs that marry an elusive blend of country's beloved roots with a new sound unique to right here, right now."[9] Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly gave note of Sweeney having similar "tough-chick twang" to Miranda Lambert, saying she is able to "convey heartfelt and complex emotions with one clever turn of a phrase". Phillips concluded that: "She might have a slow burn towards stardom, but if Music City can handle one more tough-and-tender female country singer, Sunny can surely shine in that slot."[10] Conversely, Doug Freeman of The Austin Chronicle was critical of the album's "predictable and trite" musicianship and Sweeney sounding unconvincing throughout the tracks, saying "Concrete is gritty but so watered down by contemporary Nashville arrangements that nothing sticks."[4]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Drink Myself Single"
2:59
2."From a Table Away"
3:36
3."Staying's Worse Than Leaving"
3:24
4."The Old Me"
4:04
5."Amy"
  • Sweeney
  • Brennen Leigh
2:42
6."Worn Out Heart"
3:00
7."Mean as You"
3:00
8."It Wrecks Me"
  • Sweeney
  • Clementi
4:08
9."Helluva Heart"
  • Sweeney
  • Deanna Bryant
  • Heather Little
3:09
10."Fall for Me"
4:07
Total length:34:09

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[11]

Chart performance

Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[12] 21
US Billboard Top Country Albums[12] 7

References

  1. ^ a b "Concrete by Sunny Sweeney". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Concrete - Sunny Sweeney". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Boldt, Blake (August 17, 2011). "Sunny Sweeney - Concrete". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on July 2, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Freeman, Doug (September 30, 2011). "Texas Platters". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Hyden, Steven (September 6, 2011). "Sunny Sweeney: Concrete". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (August 18, 2011). "Sunny Sweeney - Concrete". Roughstock. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  7. ^ a b Keefe, Jonathan (August 21, 2011). "Review: Sunny Sweeney, Concrete". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  8. ^ "The Country Boys Continue to Dominate the Charts". Roughstock. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  9. ^ Justus, Karlie. "Sunny Sweeney - Concrete". Country Standard Time. Archived from the original on November 22, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  10. ^ Phillips, Jessica (October 5, 2011). "Concrete by Sunny Sweeney". Country Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  11. ^ "Concrete - Sunny Sweeney | Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Chart listing for Concrete". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
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