Song Reviews
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It’s a love song and a history lesson, presented as an audio version of a classic Western movie.And it’s already rustled up a gold single for Ian Munsick and collaborator Cody Johnson.
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Now, in the spirit of an authentic American cowboy, Munsick goes it alone as he trots off to country radio with “Long Live Cowgirls,” a ballad that captures the unique mix of trail-rider lonesomeness and rodeo grit that inhabits his Wyoming-bred vocals. The Paramount+ Western series Yellowstone recently expanded into CBS’ prime-time lineup, and there’s good reason to think “Cowgirls” might similarly find its way from digital platforms into over-the-air audio.
“I’m really excited about it,” Munsick says. “People are fascinated with the West and the Western lifestyle and cowboys right now, so for me to come from where I come from and have the background that I have, and taking along ‘Cowgirls,’ in my opinion, it’s the return of Westerns in mainstream country music.”
“Cowgirls” is a remnant of pandemic isolation, created during a Zoom writing session in August or September 2020 with one of the three participants, Aby Gutierrez, working from the bedroom in Wisconsin where he wrote his first song as a teenager. The other member of the trio, Phil O’Donnell (“Back When I Knew It All,” “Doin’ What She Likes”), came prepared with the “Long Live Cowgirls” title. He doesn’t know where it came from — it had likely been living in his list of hooks for a couple of years — but he knew when the date popped up on the calendar that it was a good setting to introduce it.Munsick was emphatic about chasing that idea, and he started creating a mood for it by strumming a lazy pattern on guitar in 6/8 time.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh, no, not a waltz. You’ll never get anything on a waltz. You have to have arena rock’n’roll,’ ” recalls O’Donnell. “That just goes to show you how wrong our thinking can be.”
O’Donnell didn’t voice his reservations. Instead, he chipped in the opening lines: “She’s a gooseneck on a dually/A longneck at the bar.” To many listeners, that first image is likely a head-scratcher, but to anyone who grew up in or around modern cowboys, it’s an instant sign that the singer is authentically engrossed in the subject. O’Donnell’s daughters competed in rodeos, so he definitely knew the trailer-hitch lingo.
“I had a green dually Ford and then a Featherlite trailer, and I pulled those girls — Alabama, Georgia, around Middle Tennessee, Murfreesboro — you know? We went to a lot of a lot of barrel races,” he says. “The older cowgirls — and when I say ‘older,’ I mean the 18- and 20- and 30-year-old ones — they would have their own and be driving themselves. But I had [daughters] that weren’t old enough to drive yet, so I towed my girls around to a good many barrel races and rodeos.”
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They built the song on Western images — John Wayne, saddles, canyons and mustangs — sometimes used literally, sometimes as metaphors for a woman who’s both tough and desirable. The first verse portrays an individual cowgirl, though the chorus breaks into a recognition of covered wagons, embracing a historical sweep of the cowgirl as a societal role.
That lyrical shift is accompanied by an uptick in the melody, driven by Munsick to take advantage of a vulnerable spot in his tenor range.
“I always like to make sure the chorus musically elevates,” he says, “so for this tune in particular, it was a pretty obvious choice to go to the minor [chord] for the chorus to really make you feel that heaviness. And musically, it kind of goes lower melodically [at the end of the verse] for the lyrics to go higher. And that’s always just a cool trick that I like to incorporate.”
Hitting the “long live cowgirls” punchline was tricky. Gutierrez wanted to avoid rhyming “world” with “cowgirl,” finding it a little too predictable. An alternative was available in Western fashion. “Philbilly actually came up with ‘snaps on her pearls,’ and then we went the whole song without rhyming ‘girl’ and ‘world,’ which is probably the go-to rhyme in most songwriting,” says Gutierrez.
They did revisit it, though, in the second chorus. They had determined that “Cowgirls” didn’t need a bridge, but for a slight deviation, they wanted to insert an extra line into that last stanza to bring it to a lyrical peak. They came up with “She’s been there, and she’ll be here/’Til the end of the world.” It brought a weight to the song’s finale that exceeded the usual “world”/“girl” rhyme scheme. “The way we use it makes all the difference for me,” Gutierrez says.
He also pictured the cowgirl through a seasonal filter, characterizing her as “tough as December … Make you fall like September.”
“That’s some true cowboy poetry,” notes Munsick.
“I was happy that they dug that line when I threw it out there,” Gutierrez says. “Growing up in Wisconsin, knowing what it takes to get through winter, I feel like Wyoming’s a pretty similar place. Not only do you have all of these pressures from the world, like trying to pay bills and trying to keep everybody happy, there’s also six months out of the year where Mother Nature is coming for you as well.”
Munsick documented “Cowgirls” with a simple voice-and-guitar iPhone recording, which he presented to producer Jared Conrad (Randall King) ahead of a February 2021 tracking session with a full band. Fiddler Ross Holmes revamped a section of the chorus melody and turned it into a burning intro lick, but other parts were a little too much.
“With the lyrics, it really felt like cinematic cowboys sitting around a campfire, in the middle of a field singing a song,” Conrad says. “So I came back in and muted the drums and electric guitars.”
Conrad overdubbed a banjo and nylon-string guitar, labeling the results the “campfire version.” And he used Foley sound effects to include the crackle of burning logs and the howl of a distant coyote. He actually expected Munsick would have those sounds removed, but they provided some continuity with his debut album, Coyote Cry, so they left them in. Meanwhile, the unconventional structure — verse, chorus, verse, chorus, done — influenced the song’s arrangement.
“In a traditional song, when you’re focusing on the dynamic build, it’s usually biggest at maybe the solo and/or bridge section, and then the very biggest is the third chorus,” Conrad notes. “With this song, obviously, I had to kind of reapproach that. The last chorus is still the biggest section. It’s just kind of more of a gradual ramp the whole way through.”
Munsick toured with Johnson, who ended up singing on the version that appeared on Munsick’s sophomore album, White Buffalo, released April 7. Once “Cowgirls” went gold, Warner Music Nashville targeted it for terrestrial radio, though it conflicted with Johnson’s own plans for a single and they resurrected the solo version. Munsick resang a couple of sections to better reflect how he was performing it live, and some of Johnson’s harmony parts remained uncredited in the background. WMN released it to radio via PlayMPE on Oct. 9.
“I’m actually glad that we waited as long as we did,” says Munsick. “It’s allowed it to reach an audience organically, that I think, if we would have taken it to radio out of the gate, it wouldn’t have had the time to find its audience. I think having that audience already behind it kind of proves to the mainstream that this song already is a hit.”
This week’s crop of new music includes established artists and newcomers alike. Carolyn Dawn Johnson returns with a churning, empowering new track, while newcomer sibling trio The Castellows offer a twangy, lighthearted debut single. Hannah Dasher issues a brash redneck anthem, while Cody Jinks celebrates the free spirits and Riley Green brings a tender ode.
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Catie Offerman, “OK Cowboy”
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Texan Offerman revels in smooth, classic country sounds on her latest, which she wrote with Joe Clemmons, Matt Dragstrem and Adam James, with production from Dann Huff. Here, Offerman’s voice — honeyed, slightly husky and always commanding — makes it clear that barroom infatuations don’t automatically equate to long-lasting romance: After all, as she sings, she “ain’t a stranger to a dust cloud heartbreak song.” Swirling fiddle and guitars converge to make this fan-favorite track a hit contender.
Hannah Dasher, The Other Damn Half
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Singer-songwriter Dasher has gained a solid following on TikTok due to her music/cooking series “Stand by Your Pan,” but her music deserves greater recognition than it’s garnered. While her retro aesthetic and effervescent personality have drawn more than a few Dolly comparisons, the material on her latest project leans more toward Gretchen Wilson’s tell-it-like-it-is compositions. The songs on Dasher’s new project range from brash “Redneck A**” to the witty “Crying all the Way to the Bank” and the tender, faith-filled “Ugly Houses.”
Throughout, the album is soaked in glossy country twang and offers a perfect foil for her rough-hewn, expressive vocal, as she sings of hard-fought faith, hopeful romance and standing your ground all with the same fervor. She also wraps in her own version of “Go to Bed Early,” a song she cowrote that was recorded by Brad Paisley on his Love and War project, another nod to her underrated songwriting talents.
Cody Jinks, “Outlaws and Mustangs”
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Since he debut project in the early 2000s, “Must Be the Whiskey” hitmaker Cody Jinks has done things his own way and has found success on his own terms in the process. Following his 2021 album Mercy, Jinks’ new song glories in the enlightenment-seeking rebel journeys of the free spirits. A glimmering gospel choir ushers the song to its closing zenith moments.
“You ain’t leaving me worried … The thing about outlaws and mustangs is they always come home,” he sings on this track he wrote with Thomas James McFarland (Tennessee Jet), offering a vote of confidence to a lover deadset on chasing their own dreams–and letting them know he innately understands that same drive.
Riley Green, “My Last Rodeo”
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Green broke through with his wistful 2019 hit “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” and he returns to similar ground on this tender outing, which also serves as the title track from his newly-released, dozen-song album Ain’t My Last Rodeo. The song is a solo write from Green, one that details an older gentleman’s last moments before dying — though he views it as another step on a long journey. Green’s warm vocal is stately here, bolstered by swirls of delicate instrumentation.
The Castellows, “No. 7 Road”
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This sibling trio from Georgia recently signed with Warner Music Nashville, and is also repped by Make Wake Artists and WME. Sisters Ellie (acoustic guitar), Powell (banjo) and Lily (lead vocals) make their debut with “No. 7 Road,” a jangly uptempo number filled with charming twang that offers gratitude for their rural roots. A melodic outing is a promising start from this newcomer group.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson, “Road Blocks”
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A singer-songwriter known for not only for her own 2000s hits such as “I Don’t Want You To Go,” as well as a writer on Chely Wright’s 1999 hit “Single White Female,” Johnson returns with her first new music since 2020’s “Light Changes Everything.” With “Road Blocks,” she brings a sultry, hard-charging empowerment anthem that elevates sheer tenacity, maintaining that setbacks don’t have to be permanent. The song is a preview for her new album, There She Is, out in 2024.
Sierra Ferrell, “Fox Hunt”
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Ferrell follows her recent string of collaborations with Diplo, Margo Price and Zach Bryan with this cinematic solo outing, a first taste of an upcoming album. Here, Ferrell’s distinct, wisened twang and blistering fiddle work embody the frantic pace and hunger-fueled impulse to steer a fox hunt fast and intensely — capturing a time when a failed hunt meant forfeiting the next meal. The instrumentation and Ferrell’s voice display a masterful musicianship that can veer on the edge of untamed, while maintaining exquisite control.
Charley Crockett, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
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Americana Music Awards winner Charley Crockett teamed with T-Bone Burnett to craft this song two years ago, inspired by the 1920s killings of at least 60 members of the wealthy Osage nation in Oklahoma, after oil was discovered on the tribal lands; the land was inherited or deeded to their guardians, local white businessmen, while the Bureau of Investigations found that the murders were led by William Hale in order to steal the Osage nation’s oil riches. The story is also currently covered in the Scorsese film of the same name, as well as the 2017 David Grann book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.
It takes a roughened, commanding voice to match the harrowing tale depicted here, and Crockett has that in spades. Cushioned by cinematic, Western sonics, the song succinctly and hauntingly lays forth the story’s hazy details in classic country murder ballad fashion.
This week welcomes new country albums from Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire, as well as a new duet from Noah Kahan and Kacey Musgraves, and new music from Kelleigh Bannen, Harper O’Neill and bluegrassers Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out.
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Reba McEntire, “Seven Minutes in Heaven”
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Country Music Hall of Famer McEntire returns with this new track, from her acoustic album Not That Fancy. Like the rest of the album, “Seven Minutes in Heaven” places the focus on McEntire, who still possesses one of the most distinctive voices in country music. Though she’s known for her vocal power and ability to wrap a single word with a multi-syllable trill, here McEntire tenderly bares her emotions, imagining how she would spend “seven minutes in heaven” — not catching up with music cornerstones such as Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley, or even posing questions to a higher power — but rather, spending time with a loved one who has passed on.
The album, which was released on Oct. 6, serves as a companion project to her lifestyle book Not that Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots.
Darius Rucker, “Never Been Over”
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In 2008, Rucker released “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” as a couple welcomes a young child and looks at how fleeting the years ahead will be. “Never Been Over,” from his new album Carolyn’s Boy (named after Rucker’s late mother), flips the perspective, looking back on a couple’s love nearly two decades later, chronicling years of emotional zeniths and low points, a duration spent raising kids and building a life together one day at a time.
“We’ve been holdin’ onto love so long/ That we don’t know how to run,” he sings expertly on this track — written by Rucker with Lee Thomas Miller and Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne, and bolstered by discreet, serene pedal steel and mandolin.
Noah Kahan & Kacey Musgraves, “She Calls Me Back”
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Kahan and Musgraves each separately paired up with Zach Bryan on songs from his previous projects –now they are teaming up together on a refreshed version of “She Calls Me Back,” originally from his 2022 hit album Stick Season. Kahan’s ragged vocal contrasts with this immensely danceable groove, as he’s wrought with tension over his lingering obsession with an estranged lover.
With her 2018 song “High Horse,” Musgraves proved her hypnotic voice paired with a dancefloor-ready beat made for a heady mix. Here, there’s a similar feel, as Musgraves’ kaleidoscopic voice cooly floats above the propulsive rhythm. The back half of the song is interwoven with new lyrics, with Musgraves responding to his pondering with a nonchalant, forthright answer: “I’m running out of tears to cry/ They’re gone before they hit my cheeks/ Maybe it’s the air out here, or maybe something’s changed in me.” Their voices intermingle wondrously.
Kelleigh Bannen, “I Know Better Now”
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Bannen is well-known for her “Today’s Country” show on Apple Music, but she’s been creating music for well over a decade. “I Know Better Now” marks her first new music in nearly four years, with Logan Wall being the sole writer on the song. “I Know Better Now” is rife with wisdom gained from years of hopes, dreams, and crushing disappointments, as she sings of growing up and learning that “life’s a string of things you gotta let go.” She holds fast to the soul-lifting aspects of music and deep breaths, and notes that “You lean a lot harder onto faith when your luck runs out.”
Piano, strings and Bannen’s voice are each rich and distinct, with the song’s uncluttered production highlighting the elegant interplay between the group of instruments.
Harper O’Neill, “Dark Bar Daisy”
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“I’ve always bloomed a little later/ Closer to closing time,” Texas native O’Neill sings, offering an ode to midnight barflys. The track is led by her wisened vocal, which expertly bends notes and imbues the lyrics with the husky realism of someone who has lived, loved, lost and seen a few things. Sultry, horn-driven production, courtesy of Jake Gear, further elevates the song. O’Neill wrote “Dive Bar Daisy” with frequent collaborator Meg McRee (they also wrote O’Neill’s breakthrough 2022 song “Somebody”). Here, they craft what feels like a sparkling homage to fellow Texan Miranda Lambert’s fan-favorite “Dark Bars.” The song serves as the title track to her new project Dark Bar Daisy, released Oct. 6, which also houses previous releases like “Guilty” and “Somebody.”
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, “Heading East to West Virginia”
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This seven-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) vocal group of the year winning ensemble returns with its first new music since 2015’s It’s About Tyme, with a pair of new tracks, including this sprightly love song. The band is as sharp as ever, while three-time IBMA male vocalist winner Moore’s octave-leaping voice remains nimble and crystalline.
Banjo player Keith McKinnon, fiddler Nathan Aldridge, bass player Kevin McKinnon and mandolin player Wayne Benson capture the heart-quickening anticipation of reuniting with a lover, as Moore sings of making the trek from Texas to West Virginia, braving stormy weather as soon as he gets the call for reuniting with his lover.
Colbie Caillat, “Meant for Me”
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Nearly two decades after breaking through with her 2007 debut single “Bubbly,” this California native (and now longtime Nashville resident) makes her official foray into country music. In this song from Caillat’s debut country solo album, Along the Way, she ponders the edifying moments from both love and loss–acknowledging that some relationships are meant to be temporary. “Meant For Me” was written by Caillat with AJ Pruis and Liz Rose and here, her voice is richer, more mature, but still with her signature, even-tempered rendering. Throughout the album, Caillat delves into appreciating the positives brought by a long-term relationship, even as it dissolves, gleaning lessons from the memories, the ache, the understanding and the moving forward.
John Morgan, “Remember Us”
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Morgan has already established his bonafides in the songwriting realm, thanks to more than a dozen songs recorded by Jason Aldean — including the Carrie Underwood duet, “If I Didn’t Love You.” On the title track to his new EP, Morgan sings from a wistful, bittersweet position, recognizing that an ample amount of whiskey has unlocked his willingness to work through the more halcyon moments shared with an ex-lover. Sonically, the track hews close to Aldean’s polished country-rock sound, though Morgan’s vocal brings a patina that leans toward tender more than swagger.
A pair of collabs, from Wynonna Judd and Trisha Yearwood, and a collab between Flatland Cavalry with Kaitlin Butts, lead this week’s batch of new releases. Additionally, country group Sawyer Brown returns with a high-octane new song and new documentary, while Brittney Spencer pays homage to her musical heroes and CCM artist Anne Wilson continues her foray into country music.
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Wynonna Judd and Trisha Yearwood, “Cry Myself to Sleep”
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Two of country music’s most towering female vocalists—Yearwood and Judd—join forces to push this nearly four-decade-old song to loftier heights. In the mid-1980s, Wynonna and her mother Naomi originally recorded the Paul Kennerley-written song for The Judds’ 1986 album Rockin’ with the Rhythm. But here, sisters in song Wynonna and Yearwood trade angsty phrases, with Yearwood bringing one of her most blues-soaked vocals to date, matching with Wy’s snarling growl. The song will be included on A Tribute to the Judds, out Oct. 27 on BMG in honor of The Judds’ 40th anniversary.
Flatland Cavalry with Kaitlin Butts, “Mornings With You”
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Flatland Cavalry’s bandleader and chief songcrafter Cleto Cordero’s wife, ace singer-songwriter Butts, has been a frequent collaborator on the band’s previous albums. Their harmonies purvey a particularly conversational appeal on this warm, easygoing track about briefly leaving the grind of road life behind for contented morning moments with a lover. Cordero wrote the song with Nick Walsh and “The Blade” hitmaker Ashley Monroe.
“Mornings With You” will be included on Flatland Cavalry’s upcoming Oct. 27 album Wandering Star, which will mark the band’s first deal with Interscope.
Brittney Spencer, “Bigger Than the Song”
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In 2020, Spencer caught the attention of music lovers with her sterling rendition of The Highwomen’s “Crowded Table.” Since then, she’s release the EP Compassion, performed on the CMA Awards alongside Mickey Guyton and Madeline Edwards, and earned awards nominations from the Americana Music Association and from CMT.
On her latest, Spencer, a cooly assertive-yet-nimble vocalist, offers a thunderbolt of musical recognition for her sheroes on this masterly tuneful track, namechecking a platoon of artists whose music has left an indelible imprint — including Reba McEntire, Alanis Morrisette, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Beyonce.
Spencer wrote the song with Jennifer Wayne and Tofer Brown. “Bigger Than the Song” previews Spencer’s upcoming debut album My Stupid Life, which will be released Jan. 19 on Elektra.
Anne Wilson, “Rain in the Rearview”
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Though Wilson broke through in Contemporary Christian Music circles with songs like “My Jesus” and “Sunday Sermons,” her Kentucky twang and country-leaning songcraft sensibilities were apparent from her debut album (which featured Lady A’s Hillary Scott on one track). She’s since made her Opry debut, recorded with Josh Turner and performed alongside Jordan Davis during the recent ACM Honors. Now, she aims to expand beyond the CCM genre, fusing the two genres on her three-track project The Beginning, and releasing “Strong” to Christian radio, while releasing “Rain in the Rearview” to country radio.
She wrote “Rain in the Rearview” with Zach Kale, The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and CCM star Matthew West (also a co-writer on “My Jesus”). She nods to Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” on this moody track, as she sings of accelerating through pain and disappointment, her rootsy and soulful voice bolstered by spirals of acoustic guitar, while an acoustic coda showcases Wilson’s ceiling-scraping vocal capabilities — though here, she employs that power judiciously, keeping the focus on the message rather than the messenger.
Sawyer Brown, “Under This Ole Hat”
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As the appetite for revivalism for ‘80s and ‘90s country music stays high, Sawyer Brown nods to their own four-decade here, defined by high-octane performances and highly-engaging songs such as “The Dirt Road” and “Some Girls Do,” not only with new documentary Get Me to the Stage, but their latest song “Under This Ole Hat.”
The group proves they’ve still got plenty of swagger on this flat-out rockin’ track that sounds as if it would have nestled in perfectly on the group’s classic early albums. The rhythm charges with precision, and lead singer Mark Miller’s voice still sounds as energetic and charismatic as ever as sings of “40 years of road-dogging,” and ”breaking out of Nashville chasing a sound,” while namechecking Charley Pride, James Brown and the Charlie Daniels Band, and at times nodding melodically to “Some Girls Do.” The song will be included on the group’s Blake Shelton-produced new album, slated for 2024.
Veronique Medrano, MexiAmericana
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Brownsville, Texas native Medrano exalts the influence, roots and heritage of Latin music and culture within country music throughout her new album, MexiAmericana, which she crafted in Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Almost a decade ago, Medrano issued her debut album Encantadora, and has garnered several Tejano Music Awards nominations. Medrano’s 11-song album offers a range of styles, deftly melding country, airy pop, Tejano, conjunto and more. She nods to Latin country trailblazers, including Freddy Fender with “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” reimagining the song with an accelerated tempo and searing accordion. She offers a bilingual version of the Roy Orbison classic “Crying,” but also the irresistible Tejano dance grooves of “Pam Pam Pam” and the biting rock of “Que Suerte Tienes.” The smooth, plaintive pop of “Get to Heaven” resides alongside the blistering “Que Hueva,” a retort to the recent strike-down of Roe v. Wade. In the process, Medrano has meticulously crafted an essential album in the towering canon of Latino-country projects.
Meghan Patrick, “The Boy Who Cried Drunk” (Demo)
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Patrick sends off a warning shot against domestic violence, cataloging a litany of red flags in this dark, gripping song. Here, she’s the wise best friend delving into her own experience and pain, spilling truth about the temporary highs and toxic lows of getting involved with an abuser who blames his ways on alcohol. The track’s polished but never overdone production places the focus on Patrick’s warm yet world-weary vocal, and on this essential message. Patrick wrote “The Boy Who Cried Drunk” with Billy Dawson and Jacob Hackworth.
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, “Coming Down the Line”
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With their 2022 debut album, The Future of the Past, this group of mostly 20-somethings quickly established their penchant and skill for performing — and in the process, helping pass down — traditional-minded bluegrass.
The latest iteration of the band includes newcomers Geary Allen, who wrote “Comin’ Down the Line,” as well as bassist/vocalist Anissa Burnett, who both join founding members Aynsley Porchak, Lincoln Hensley and Tim Laughlin.
This group releases the first look at their upcoming second album with a song that further conveys The Tennessee Bluegrass Band as keen bluegrass practitioners, while expanding the genre’s canon of train songs, with twin fiddles mimicking the sound of a train horn, followed by fleet-fingered picking and syrupy-smooth harmonies.
In this week’s best new country roundup, Megan Moroney and Mackenzie Carpenter combine their musical talents, trio Lady A returns with a heartfelt new ballad, while Emily Ann Roberts teams with Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs for a sterling track from her new project.
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Megan Moroney feat. Mackenzie Carpenter, “Nothin’ Crazy”
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These two strong female singer-songwriters mesh their talents on this quirky tale of a woman enamored with a new lover. While she tells her potential suitor that she’s playing it cool, little does he know that she’s secretly got a Pinterest board filled with wedding ideas. She’s imagining him popping the question and she’s already picking out baby names — ya know, nothing too out there.
Moroney’s debut album Lucky is filled with clever turns of phrases and well thought-out songcraft, and the trio of new songs she adds to her deluxe version of the album (including this one) further her reputation as one of country music’s fastest-growing new artists.
Sam Barber, “Til I Return”
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Barber’s emotionally tactile brand of music has steadily been garnering attention, thanks to songs including “Straight and Narrow.” “I’d be an awful company man/ He’s gettin’ rich while I get callused hands,” Barber sings on his new melancholy, fiddle-spiked track, oscillating between eviscerating greedy corporations and championing wanderlust and blue-collar work. Still, the song leans more toward personal than political, and is included on Barber’s debut EP, Million Eyes.
Lady A, “Love You Back”
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This mandolin-inflected ballad oozes regret and wistfulness as they work to eschew the past, realizing the detrimental impact focusing on the best memories of a long-dissolved relationship has on the present. The honey-voiced Scott and soulful singer Kelley trade off lead vocals, infusing the song with the hope of creating a new set of memories. “Love You Back” was written by James McNair, Lindsay Rimes and Emily Weisband.
Emily Ann Roberts, “Still Searching”
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The teardrop twang in Tennessee native Roberts’s plangent voice is reminiscent of Lee Ann Womack on this elegantly brooding track about searching for love. This gorgeous ballad brims with aching fiddle and is slathered in steel guitar, while her collaborators — Country Music Hall of Fame members Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs — are no slouches, either. The song is found on Roberts’s new project, Can’t Hide Country, which offers an amalgam of retro-country, bluegrass and folk leanings and contemporary songwriting.
Wyatt Flores, “West of Tulsa”
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Oklahoma native Flores is one in a surge of new artists making unvarnished singer-songwriter fare, counter-culture to the polished, pop-informed country music mainstream.
“Maybe she’s just here because I sang some f–king song,” Flores sings, his grainy and soulful voice conveying the highs, lows and insecurities of chasing love on the road. He wrote this gem with Nashville mainstay writers Billy Montana and Chris Gelbuda.
Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Colbie Caillat with Sheryl Crow, and more turn up stellar new releases this week. Tyler Hubbard aims to make his duo of chart hits into a trio, while bluegrass whizkid Wyatt Ellis and gravel-voiced J.R. Carroll continue forging their signature styles. See those and more Billboard country picks below.
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Tyler Childers, “Phone Calls and Emails”
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With albums like his breakthrough Purgatory and successors Country Squire and Long Violent History, Childers’s mix of country, folk and bluegrass elements has inspired a rise in counter-programming to mainstream country’s usual pop and hip-hop fusions. He continues that with latest album, Rustin’ in the Rain. At only seven tracks, Rustin’ in the Rain is succinct yet solid, melding originals with renditions of the Kris Kristofferson-written “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time.” Among the standouts in those originals is this solo write from Childers, whose vigorous vocal conveys the hurt and confusion when a loved one stops responding to his correspondences. “It’s so unnerving to get no reply,” he sings in a desperate attempt to gain closure. Piano and mournful steel capture the song’s arc from clinging to the last remnants of hopefulness, but giving way to angst and despair.
Chris Stapleton, “Think I’m in Love With You”
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Stapleton gets funky on this solo write, slightly quickening the pace, his signature guttural, husky voice working within the evergreen topic of love, registering romantic grit and ‘70s soul. Sonically, it’s a further confirmation of Stapleton’s genre-traversing capabilities, following his previous outing, “White Horse.” “Think I’m in Love With You” is the latest preview of Stapleton’s upcoming album Higher, out Nov. 10.
J.R. Carroll, “Diamondhead”
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Oklahoma native Carroll issued his debut project in 2020, ad followed with 2022’s Raging in the Dark and his OurVinyl Sessions EP which released earlier this year. Those projects largely put the spotlight on his gospel-inflected voice and acoustic-based songwriting. Carroll has been on the road playing keyboards for Zach Bryan, but on this chugging, percussion-fueled romp, he offers a potent reminder of his own songwriting and vocal prowess. Here, he sings of a woman whose romantic allure beckons him on a wild day spent near the river, with hours of booze and cigarettes, and dancing to Turnpike Troubadours tunes on the jukebox. “Ain’t much that I can do/ Can’t bear to see it stop,” he deadpans, with a voice filled with urgency and surrender.
Colbie Caillat feat. Sheryl Crow, “I’ll Be Here”
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These two laid-back vocalists team up in a mighty way for this rootsy, yet calmly uplifting anthem, which revamps “Never Gonna Let You Down,” a song featured on Caillat’s 2014 album Gypsy Heart. Caillat wrote this song 13 years ago, with Brett James, Jason Reeves and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, but the sunny production and timeless message here feel fresh and polished, while their intertwining harmonies feel familial. “I’ll Be Here” is included on Caillat’s upcoming country album, Along the Way, out Oct. 6.
Tyler Hubbard, “Back Then Right Now”
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Hubbard issues his third solo career single, following his No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit “5 Foot 9” and the No. 2-peaking follow-up “Dancin’ in the Country.” He follows those two gratitude-filled, light-hearted tracks with a similarly-styled up-tempo track, a nostalgic ode that finds the singer reminiscing on youthful days, before various town developments put up big-box stores over old fishing spots and blacktop over gravel roads — times when “you took a pic and you didn’t have to post it.” This sounds like another solid, radio-ready single.
Wyatt Ellis feat. Jake Workman, “Get Lost”
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Wunderkind mandolin player Ellis, who has performed alongside music luminaries including Sierra Hull, Sam Bush and Bobby Osborne, continues his penchant for traditional-leaning bluegrass on this song he wrote with multi-instrumentalist Jake Workman, when Ellis was 12.
Together with Ellis and Workman on sprightly mandolin and guitar, this track offers up a loose jam-band feel, meshing fiddle from legendary instrumentalist Michael Cleveland, as well as bass from Mike Bub and banjo from producer Justin Moses. “Get Lost” is the second release from Ellis’ upcoming album, set to be released on Knee-High Records.
Ashley Anne, “She Ain’t Texas”
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Virginia native Ashley Anne is known for the track “Dear Dolly,” which was released earlier this year. But on her latest, she laments that an ex-lover has moved on — but this perspicacious lady also knows his new love lacks country bonafides. “if she ain’t country and she ain’t your cup of sweet tea,” Anne maintains she has something better to offer, singing with a honey-dipped-in-whiskey voice over a swirl of country and blues.
Alex Hall, “Her to Here”
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Singer-songwriter-guitarist Hall issued his debut EP, the star-studded Six Strings, in 2021, and is gearing up to follow it with his latest album, Side Effects of the Heart, out Sept. 15.
“Her to Here” previews the new album, as Hall sings of a lover who calls his bluff and leaves him in the dust. He copes by ruminates on the choices he made and should have made. “Her to Here” reads more polished than some of his earlier work, while this Hall/Todd Clark/Travis Wood co-write offers an evocative depiction of romantic loss.
In this week’s batch of new country music, bluegrass luminaries Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle team up for a sterling collaboration, while Brian Kelley, Carter Faith, Larry Fleet, Jobi Riccio, and more also offer new tunes.
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Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, “Listen to the Radio”
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Two of bluegrass music’s greatest forces team up on this tender cover of a Nanci Griffith classic. Tuttle takes the lead here, her sweet vocals capturing hints of Griffith’s vocal stylings, with Strings offering plaintive harmonies as they sing of a young girl who chases the strains of Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard flowing from her radio. Shimmering, virtuosic mandolin and guitar wrap around this dreamy outing. Both Strings and Tuttle (the latter with her Golden Highway band) are nominated for International Bluegrass Music Association’s top honors this year.
Brian Kelley, “Dirt Cheap”
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Written by Andy Sheridan, Seth Ennis and Wyatt McCubbin, with production by Dann Huff, Kelley’s latest solo effort finds him veering toward a vocal with heavier twang, backed by plenty of banjo and steel guitar.
On “Dirt Cheap,” he contemplates trading the hustle of city life for more time spent on a porch swing or by the pond, in a rural community and celebrating life with those he loves. Though lyrically, the song falls squarely in line with a plethora of other songs on country radio that celebrate rural living, this song marks a welcome change from his hip-hop-flecked FGL days, but Kelley’s vocal feels more relaxed and right at home on this radio-friendly track.
Tyler Braden, “Friends”
Braden follows his breakthrough songs — including “Try Losing One” and “Little Red Wine” — with “Friends,” written by Brent Anderson, Randy Montana and Lynn Hutton. The song finds Braden unfurling his true hurt and skepticism when an ex-lover wants to continue being friends, and act as though their deeper relationship never happened. Braden’s dusty, acid-fueled rendering conveys all the sarcasm, pain and bewilderment of the song’s essence, furthered heightened by rock-propelled production.
Carter Faith, “Carolina Burns”
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“I still wear a grudge like a f–ked up crown,” Faith sings, offering a sharp-witted elegy for a past relationship — one still seared into her memory, even as her ex-lover has long since left the emotional ashes behind. Faith wrote this track with Lauren Hungate and Tofer Brown, with Brown also handling the song’s dreamy, soft-focus production. Faith’s lilting, summery vocals soothe her bone-deep observations, in a convergence of country, pop and Americana elements that’s uniquely her own.
Larry Fleet, Earned It EP
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Fleet issues his third studio project, with 21 tracks of smooth, ’80s and ’90s country-influenced songs that touch on spirituality, loss, love, barrooms, youthful revelries and hard-earned wisdom and gratitude. He takes saw-dusted romantic chances in “There’s a Waylon,” laces a fiddle-and-piano jam-band vibe around late-night vibes in “Taking the Long Way,” and recalls midnights spent covertly soaking in soul-saving classic rock in “Devil Music.” Fleet is a writer on nearly every track on the project, further cementing his imposing talents as both songcrafter and vocalist, with a style that delves into blues, rock and retro-country with ease.
Jobi Riccio, “Sweet”
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Riccio, the winner of the 2023 John Prine Songwriter Fellowship at Newport Folk, releases a new album, Whiplash, this month via Yep Roc Records. On “Sweet,” Riccio dabbles with a “Sweet Home Alabama” groove, but vocally inhabits an insouciance towards changing personality traits or personal preferences to please a lover — or anyone else, for that matter.
Bryan Martin, “We Ride”
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Martin’s “We Ride,” which he wrote with Vernon Brown (with production from Nick Gibbens), currently resides just outside the top 40 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and is included on Martin’s 2023 album Poets and Old Souls. Here, his grizzly vocal soars over lyrics that pair perspective on everyday struggles on lines including “Hard to make a living while the gas is so high,” with a rock-seared, ramblin’-man sense of defiance and honesty — all elements that are finding popularity within the ever-expanding country music genre, in songs from artists including HARDY, Jelly Roll and Oliver Anthony.
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.
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Dolly Parton feat. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, “Let It Be”
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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”
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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”
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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”
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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”
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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.
In this week’s new crop of musical contenders, Jelly Roll teams with Apple Music to give an older demo track new life. Meanwhile, Tyler Childers and Silas House team to release a stirring music video (and new song from Childers) that highlights unyielding love.
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Jelly Roll, “Dragging These Roots”
Over his past rap and country projects, Jelly Roll has only grown more adept at crafting and vocally unfurling songs with dynamic melodies and dramatic rock fluency, as on his latest, “Need a Favor.”
Here, he takes a song written by Jesse Frasure, Josh Thompson and Ben Hayslip, about never being fully capable nor inclined to shuffle off one’s native outset, and fuels it with his growling, agile vocals. Jelly Roll teamed with Apple Music to record this previously unreleased track as part of Apple Music’s Lost & Found project.
Tyler Childers, “In Your Love”
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This stirring song, written by Childers with Gino Seale, is accompanied by a gripping, tender and essential music video (with the video treatment written by journalist/novelist Silas House). The clip highlights the love story of two men, Jasper and Matthew, who escape work in the coal mines in 1950s Appalachia — and the violence and discrimination of their co-workers — to build their life together on a farm deep in the country.
The beautifully-shot video depicts the love, passion, joy and sorrows the couple experiences– from having dinner with friends to enjoying a concert– but also the discrimination and fear that threads through their time together. “In Your Love” offers a rich look at the complete arc of the couple’s relationship, and a romance that lingers long after Matthew passes away from black lung, due to his work in the coal mines.
The song is the first glimpse into Childers’ upcoming album Rustin’ in the Rain.
The Oak Ridge Boys and Alabama, “Jesus and John Wayne”
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For the first time, these two Country Music Hall of Fame-inducted groups (the Oaks in 2015; Alabama in 2005) team up for a vocal collaboration that pays tribute to gospel songwriting duo, Bill and Gloria Gaither. The song, previously recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band, was written by Bill and Gloria as well as Benjamin Gaither and Kim Williams, and pays tribute to the influence of both a hard-driving, uncompromising father and a soft-hearted mother. Sonically, this fiddle-drenched track is reminiscent of Alabama’s 1980s country sounds, though the lyrics fail to rise above country/gospel tropes. However, the song reaches its zenith when the music momentarily quiets, leaving the two iconic vocal groups to blend their signature harmonies.
Parker Ryan, “First on My List”
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This Texas native issued his debut project, Talbert Street, Pt. 1, in 2020, followed by Pt. 2, and a eponymous project. His recently released three-song project includes “First on My List,” an amalgam of airy folk, country and bluesy-rock tones. Here, over a swirl of hypnotic acoustic guitar, he sings of spending his days piling up miles, money and vacation time in pursuit of dreams. “Maybe part of me wishes you would fix up all my feelings/ Help me with my healing,” he contemplates, before doubling down on where his commitment lies. A chorus of voices joins as the song ascends to its close, as he reconfirms that the relationship remains his priority.
Carter Faith, ‘Cowboy Forever”
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Singer-songwriter Faith previously issued her debut EP Let Love Be Love. On her latest, Spanish guitar flourishes, a cinematic Western vibe and Faith’s unique, sultry twang meld to convey this tale of a young woman who falls for a headstrong, restless cowboy. “I was dreaming of his cattle ranch/ His grandmother’s diamond on my left hand,” she muses, later calling herself a “lovesick fool.” Masterful use of Faith’s airy falsetto lends to the song’s freewheeling-yet-wounded mystique. Faith wrote this song with Lauren Hungate and Tofer Brown.
Mitchell Tenpenny, “Bigger Mistakes”
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“At the End of a Bar” hitmaker Tenpenny adds to post-breakup misery in this pop-punk-tinged track, telling his ex-lover, “I’ve made bigger mistakes than you.” On the surface, it’s a searing insult, but embedded in the lyrics is his realization that a breakup isn’t the end of the world. He reserves those weightier, more haunting self-recriminations for failing to have a drink with his good friend (and fellow country singer), the late Joe Diffie, before Diffie’s passing in 2020, or failing to put a ring on the finger of a different ex, whom he calls “the one who got away,” years ago. Tenpenny’s gravelly voice is all remorse and swagger here, to great effect.
Cooper Alan, “Never Not Remember You”
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Alan has become a TikTok sensation thanks to songs including “New Normal” and “Colt 45 (Country Remix).” His latest, a ballad about remembering the sweeter moments after a loved one’s passing, is somewhat of a throwback — no hip-hop leanings, no angst-fueled rock shadings — just a straightforward song that swells with piano and strings, and one that highlights Alan as an elegant-voiced crooner with a hint of twang. Alan also further proves his growth as a songwriter as a co-writer on the track, alongside hitmaking writers Victoria Shaw (“The River”) and Seth Mosley (“Fix My Eyes,” “Joy”).
Drake Milligan and the Reklaws, “Honky Tonkin’ About”
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Texas native Milligan teams with duo The Reklaws for this hard-charging, rousing track. The song centers on a guy questioning a potential lover’s country bona fides (“Was there dust on your driveway … did your daddy drive a tractor?”), before deciding that no matter her origin story, he’s ready to see where the evening takes them. Milligan’s hearty voice is as commanding as ever, even on this more lighthearted outing. The song comes courtesy of writers Blake Redferrin, Thomas Salter, Callum Maudsley and The Reklaws’ Stuart Walker.
In this week’s column, collaborations abound again as Kane Brown and Mickey Guyton team for a sultry romantic ballad, while Caroline Jones welcomes bandmates Zac Brown Band for a jaunty, bluegrass-infused track, and Alana Springsteen offers up a unique take on a Chris Stapleton collaboration.
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Mickey Guyton and Kane Brown, “Nothing Compares to You”
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On the heels of Brown’s recent Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping collaboration, “Thank God,” featuring his wife Katelyn, he teams with illustrious vocalist Mickey Guyton for another R&B-inflected romance ballad. Guyton’s passionate, octave-jumping vocals pair nicely with Brown’s cooly smooth vocal tones — a true duet, Guyton takes the lead on the first verse, while Brown helms the second and their voices meld into the chorus, atop fuzzy guitar lines and lush, pillowy production. Guyton recalls a time when she “never needed anyone,” until she finds the pulse-quickening kind of romance she couldn’t live without. Writers on the song are Tyler Hubbard, Bebe Rexha (known for the Rexha/Florida Georgia Line 2018 megahit “Meant to Be”) and Jordan Schmidt.
Dan + Shay, “Save Me The Trouble”
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One of a trio of new songs Dan + Shay have released in advance of their upcoming Sept. 15 album Bigger Houses, “Save Me the Trouble” further substantiates their reputation as master purveyors of power balladry, fueled by Smyers’ country-pop production sensibilities and Mooney’s lithe tenor. This time around, the duo offers up a more live-concert feel to the production, but still keeps the focus on the the duo’s tight-knit harmonies.
Josh Ross, “Ain’t Doin’ Jack”
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Canada native Ross broke through with “Trouble” earlier this year, and follows it with this brooking, guitar-driven track infused with explosive percussion capable of keeping up with Ross’s surly vocal. Here, he craves a higher-grade buzz than his current drink of choice can provide — the kind of liquid salvo that can fizzle the memories of his lover slamming the door and walking away. Ross wrote the song with Mason Thornley, Ben Stoll and Sam Martinez.
Hailey Whitters, “I’m in Love”
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Whitters is a longtime mainstay in Nashville’s songwriting circles, having made her debut album nearly a decade ago and followed with two more albums chock full of her top-shelf writing. Following her ACM new artist of the year win in May, she’s offering a taste of her upcoming EP with this title track. Though not a writer on the track (which comes courtesy of Cameron Bedell, Lee Thomas Miller and Nicolle Galyon), Whitters’ exuberant vocal is a perfect match for this slice of bubbly, delightful pop-country whisked along by strains of mandolin and handclaps, with each line revealing another vivid vignette, setting the scene (a Chevy ride soundtracked by a George Jones LP) of a giddy romantic infatuation.
Alana Springsteen with Chris Stapleton, “Ghost in My Guitar”
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The best country music writers can always find a fresh way to bring life to an old topic. Whereas many country compositions wax poetic about the life-changing, sentimental properties of their favorite six-string, Springsteen takes a decidedly opposite approach; in her latest, she sings of aching to smash or even torch a trusty axe — any means to break the emotional ties to an ex-lover. Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton is one of music’s most sought-after collaborative vocalists, having teamed with everyone from Adele to Taylor Swift, but his bluesy guitar work remains both essential and underrated. Springsteen’s latest features Stapleton on Jazzmaster guitar, the instrument’s mournful, incisive tones crafting a second “vocal” on the track, weaving together with and apart from Springsteen’s breathy, anguished vocal.
Caroline Jones with Zac Brown, “Million Little Bandaids”
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Jones has been on the road touring with Zac Brown Band for a few years, and officially became a member of the group last year. Now she teams with Brown and the ZBB cohorts on this jaunty, bluegrass-infused jamband track about replacing self-defensive mechanisms with self-acceptance. Flashes of mandolin, Fiddle, banjo and the band’s signature full harmonies wrap around Jones’ lilting, dynamic soprano and the song’s searching sentiments. “Million Little Bandaids” is included on Jones’ recent EP, Superpower.