Collaborations continue to abound in this week’s batch of new country releases, with Country Music Hall of Fame member Dolly Parton teaming with ex-Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, while Luke Combs joins with Charlie Worsham and Old Dominion pairs with Megan Moroney on a new release. Meanwhile, Rhiannon Giddens offers a sterling new release, while bluegrassers Andrew Crawford and Brandi Colt offer a dark tale of one woman’s journey of adventures and misfortunes.
Dolly Parton feat. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, “Let It Be”
Here, Dolly Parton teams up with McCartney and Starr on this song from her upcoming album Rockstar, which pairs Parton with numerous rock and pop artists to record classic rock tracks. The project is out in November. Parton’s glorious soprano is powerful here as she takes on the Beatles’ themes of hope from their 1970 Billboard Hot 100-topper, her voice weaving the serene melody with a dedicated believability without sounding trite. The trio’s harmonies are magnetic, aided by the thick arrangements of McCartney’s stately piano playing, searing guitar from Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood on drums.
Old Dominion with Megan Moroney, “Can’t Break Up Now”
Old Dominion teams with “I’m Not Pretty” singer-songwriter Moroney on this sultry realization that though two lovers are hitting a rough patch in their relationship, they’ve invested too much into the relationship — and are too embedded into each other’s lives — to shatter what they’ve built. He knows the exact kind of coffee she likes, they share the same friends and even his dog now likes her better. Sonically, the track is classic Old Dominion with its well-constructed lyrics and semi-pop sheen. Lead singer Matthew Ramsey’s voice is well-paired with Moroney’s honey-hued vocals. The song is from Old Dominion’s upcoming Memory Lane album.
Rhiannon Giddens, “Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad”
Written by Giddens and Dirk Powell, “Too Little, Too Late, Too Bad” offers an empowered dismissal to a lover who has signaled their disloyalty through “too many lies/ too many alibis.” Plucky percussion, moody bass, horns and soulful harmonies layer behind Gidden’s unflappable vocals, drawing on classic soul and R&B. This song is included on Giddens’ Aug. 18-released, genre-traversing album You’re the One, in which Giddens wraps her mighty voice around a range of styles, including country, R&B, blues and jazz.
Charlie Worsham with Luke Combs, “How I Learned How to Pray”
Singer-songwriter-session musician Worsham teams with reigning CMA entertainer of the year Combs for this song, which centers around learning to call on a higher power not through rote Sunday school learning or church sermons, but during the nadir of his life (wrecking his car and losing his freedom), though also the serendipitous moments (meeting a potential lover). Combs’ hearty, raspy vocal is nicely paired with Worsham’s relaxed, euphonious singing. Worsham wrote the song with Jeremy Spillman and Ryan Tyndell, and the song will be included on his upcoming album Compadres, out Oct. 13.
Andrew Crawford and Brandi Colt, “Wabash River”
Back in 2021, Crawford issued his debut bluegrass album, but over the past year, this husband-and-wife duo have been steadily releasing a slate of bluegrass songs together. On their latest, they delve into a story of a young girl who grew up in high society, only to fall in love with a young man from the poorer side of town. Razor-sharp fiddle, spright mandolin and Crawford’s on-the-spot harmonies bolster Colt’s crystalline lead vocals, which grow moody as the story unfolds, with the song’s two lovers ultimately leaving behind nothing more than a note and muddy footprints along the banks of the Wabash River.
