Thursday, October 14, 2010

Blake Shelton, "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking"

This is a side of Blake Shelton that we have not seen in a while.  He has lately spent most of his time on hillbilly hellraising anthems, with some attempts being more successful than others.  But his current effort is a stripped-down ballad that expresses a man's desire to get to know a woman better, and the result is a remarkable success.

Does she break things when she gets mad?  Does she eat a box of chocolates when she's feeling bad?  Does she call up mama when all else fails?  Sure, she's good-looking, but Blake wants to know the person behind that pretty face.  The song's melody, combined with the soft and laid-back arrangment, seems to mirror the wonder and curiousity that Blake's heartfelt vocal draws out of the lyrics.

The only problem with "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" is that it spends a little too much time on relatively inane details such as "Do you... slide down the hallway in your socks."  It would be preferable to hear Blake delve deeper into this woman's thoughts, feelings and personality, as opposed to such simple quirks.

Nevertheless, the intent behind the lyrics is still evident.  It is still clear that such questions are motivated by genuine love.  The execution may not be 100% perfect, but that doesn't stop "Who Are You" from being one of the sexiest, most deeply romantic songs that Blake has ever given us.

BLAKE'S SCORE:  8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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