ROB MAYES

                                                                     & LAUREN MASCITTI

                                                              "Without You" 

                                                               HogCity

Though many will recognize Rob Mayes from movies such as John Dies at the End and The American Mall, as well as his TV appearances on hit shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Medium, Cold Case, and Bones, underneath the bright lights of Hollywood, he’s been carving out quite the music path in the glow of the neon lights of Nashville.

His newest release, “Without You,” is the perfect combination of both facets of his entertainment avenues as it’s the song that his UP Faith & Family Network movie Just Jake is based around.

The pocket of the melodic, mid-tempo groove builds along an ultra-modern feel that attractively catches your ear as Mayes pours heartfelt emotion into lyrics that see him gripping the realization that without her by his side, what he’s been chasing after doesn’t matter quite as much as he thought it would.

Lamenting through the opening lines that he left a girl behind in his hometown while running after trophies for his shelf, he expertly then shifts his vocal into a gravel kissed tone to encompass his now mature, perspective while singing directly to her,  “Lord knows I’m only half the man without you”; a sentiment that’s reiterated in the chorus through the line, “Everything means nothing without you.”

In somewhat of a call and answer type response, rising country sensation Lauren Mascitti places her incredible voice into the second verse, admitting that she only let him go so that she wouldn’t hold him back from his dreams, while then confessing that she always hoped he’d miss what they had and that “I don’t know who I am without you.”

Where love songs that are full of emotion are a staple of country music’s rich history, there are signature moments wrapped within the heart of this one that makes it stand out.

While each vocal is perfectly laced with emotions from their own unique perspectives, when Lauren and Rob bring their voices together in the chorus, there’s a natural harmony that radiates from your speakers to add an incredible depth to the power punch of the lyrics.

The songwriting is crisp and hits straight to the point, poignantly delivering a cleverly written line that sticks to your memory long after the final note is played; “Cause you can’t spell us without you.”

As Rob Mayes and Laure Mascitti continue to forge their own paths in country music – Lauren on the back of her breakout smash “God Made A Woman” and Rob on the heels of “Don’t Give Up On Me” – “Without You” not only allows their individually the room to properly shine, but it delivers an intriguing blended showcase that strikes you right in your feels while tugging on your heartstrings, making this a surefire song that will be atop several wedding playlists.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

• Prev
• Next