A biased review: Bucky Covington's new single, "I Wanna Be That Feeling" (at iTunes now!)

Thanks to Rachel for kindly sharing this terrific photo of Bucky Covington on stage in Kansas City. Click the image to visit Bucky's official website.

Today marks the debut of Bucky Covington's first new single in quite a while, and if you haven't yet bought it for yourself, hit iTunes right now and come on back! Here's an excerpt from the official press release:

“I Wanna Be That Feeling,” written by Jimmy Yeary and Ben Hayslip, is a tempo love track that explores the excitement of young love. The highly anticipated song, which is Bucky’s first musical offering in nearly two years, is being made available for digital download by his fans in advance of its upcoming release to country radio.

Bucky recently filmed the music video for the song from Nashville’s abandoned Tennessee State Prison. The clip will be released to video outlets in the new year. The North Carolina singer is busy in the studio writing and recording new music for his long-awaited sophomore album, due in 2012.

As y'all might have guessed, we're just a little bit...erm, biased here at Buckymania. After all, "I Wanna Be That Feeling" spotlights that same distinctive, gritty, soulful Southern voice that inspired this blog back in '06 when Bucky was an unknown, unsigned Idol semifinalist. But even without factoring in my years-in-the-making admiration for Bucky's vocal style (and admiration for how his talents have deepened and grown richer over those same years), I'm gonna go ahead and call "I Wanna Be That Feeling" a likely hit, for reasons that might be more subtle than they first appear.

For one thing, the song's theme and lyrics take full advantage of Bucky's unusual, appealing youthful-yet-experienced gravelly tone in much the same way that his first big hit, "A Different World" (and the should-have-been hit "A Father's Love") did so well. A number of the reviews of Bucky's first album noted that a nostalgic thread ran through many of the songs; this new song deftly appeals to the listener's romantic nostalgia, then brings those feelings into the present and the future, with the singer declaring his intentions to be part of it all...

You’re cruising through that parking lot
With a couple friends hanging out the top
And you remember how it felt being young, wild, crazy
Baby

I wanna be that feeling
I wanna be that wind blowing through your hair
When life was like your favorite song
And those summer days went on and on
And it felt like you could do no wrong
I wanna be that feeling

Speaking of "wind blowin' through your hair", here's Bucky Covington, Rocky Covington, and a summer breeze in Palmdale; thanks again to a talented anonymous photographer for the photo.

Yep, we've all been there, or we'll be there eventually. Whether you're young enough that "cruising through the parking lot" was last week's entertainment, or you're grown-up enough to look back on those times with a smile, you can relate--and "relatability" is the key.

At the start of his career, right after his time on Idol, Bucky answered the question "What is it about country music that touches you, that makes you want to sing it?" thus: "Well, it lets you tell stories about stuff you can relate to, or [you've] been through. It just tells a story, you know..." Bucky Covington just happens to have one of the best storytelling voices in current country music, and it's going to be a pleasure to hear that voice telling this seductive, romantic story on the radio very soon. Welcome back, Bucky!