Maddie & Tae is a country duo consisting of Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye from Nashville, Tennessee. On their debut album, Maddie & Tae convey important issues to youngsters everywhere through their new twist on country music.

Here’s my ranking of the top five songs on their new album, Start Here.

Your Side Of Town

It starts with a surfer-rock guitar riff and smoothly makes the transition to Maddie and Tae’s country-pop sound. Immediately, the spunk of Miranda Lambert’s Red Wagon and sheer bada%#ery of Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats come through, and this listener has to resist the urge to get up and dance because she’s listening to this with headphones in public. This empowering breakup song shows that the whole Ben & Jerry’s and Adele charade isn’t necessary.*

Girl In A Country Song

Girl in A Country Song, the group’s most popular song, was made famous by the meaningful lyrics and catchy beat. Here are some of the best lines:

“I hate the way this bikini top chafes. Do I really have to wear it all day? (Yeah, baby).”

FINALLY…a song points that out misogyny in the music industry.

“How in the world did it go so wrong? Like all we’re good for is looking good for you and your friends on the weekend…now we’re lucky if we even get to climb up in your truck, keep our mouth shut and ride along.”

Nice.

Shut Up And Fish

This song takes more of a classic approach to country music and some of The South’s core values: lovin’ and fishin’. It tells the story of two kids going out to fish together — because that is a common activity that people do — and this gal can’t fully enjoy the process of just basically sitting there and waiting for a bite because this guy keeps professing his love for her. And to that, she tells him to just “Shut Up And Fish”.

Fly

An empowering tune about someone shoplifting that teaches kids that they can do whatever they put their mind to. One of the statements in the preceding sentence is false. Guess which one it is.

But in all seriousness, Fly makes the listener feel as though she is capable of anything.

Smoke

It seems like an old-school Taylor Swift song with a little extra southern twang. I don’t mind it. And like most old-school Taylor Swift songs, Smoke is about getting over heartbreak.**

*To clarify, The Beachcomber fully supports Ben & Jerry’s and also thinks that is a completely valid way to cope with one’s troubles.

**The Beachcomber suggests to refer back to Your Side Of Town if you can relate to this sort of heartbreak.

You can buy the album on iTunes here.