Sundown – Charles Wesley Godwin Written By Ryan Lippe
Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s most famous song, Charles Wesley Godwin, shares Lightfoot’s fantastic songwriting and arrangement with a new generation. Covering iconic songs like this is always tricky because artists don’t want to exactly replicate the original but inject their own life into it; Godwin did that by harnessing his contemporary Appalachian sound while still paying homage to Lightfoot. Produced by longtime collaborator Al Torrence, the song has a richness similar to that of the rest of his work. After posting a rough rendition to YouTube five years ago, adding it to setlists, and finally being available on all streaming platforms, fans can appreciate Godwin’s love for classic songwriters like Lightfoot. While this may not be a groundbreaking addition to his catalog, it should be nonetheless enjoyed by all.
8.3
Two Blue Chairs & You – Zac Brown Band Written By Creed Miller
No one does beach country like Zac Brown Band, and the group is at it again with their latest release. From the song’s first note, it feels like you’re sitting on the beach with a drink. The central character of the track finds himself daydreaming about a day out on the beach, with a girl being the cherry on top for the perfect day. This track does a great job placing the listener in an exact time and place, especially with the luau-like instrumental. There isn’t a ton that stands out, but the band is scratching an itch for many with the lack of beach country released this summer. Given it’s their bread and butter, it’s easy to expect more from them because songs like “Toes” and “Knee Deep” are must-plays at the beach, and “Two Blue Chairs & You” isn’t quite up to that standard. That being said, there isn’t anyone filling the beach country void, especially since Brian Kelley has moved away from it, so Zac Brown Band doesn’t have any real competition. The group has been as consistent as they come throughout their career, continuing with “Two Blue Chairs & You.”
7.4
Slim Pickins – Sabrina Carpenter Written By Max Buondonno
If you were one of the millions of fans worldwide who listened to Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Short ‘n Sweet, chances are you made it to track nine called “Slim Pickins.” To the surprise of many, it’s a quintessential country track, complete with a listing on the All New Country playlist on Spotify. What’s even more surprising is how good it is. Carpenter’s soft, acoustic instrumentals on the song give it an ethereal aesthetic commonly associated with Kacey Musgraves, with lyrics that feel like an edgier Megan Moroney. Matching her willingness to push the boundaries of a PG song, Carpenter sings about her lack of desirable men “since the good ones are deceased or taken,” singing about “a boy that’s jacked and kind,” yet she “can’t find his a** to save [her] life.” Sabrina’s witty and unique take on the struggle to find true love perfectly matches her sassy, relatable attitude throughout her discography. As a country song, it manages to hold its own in a genre that’s seen many artists attempt a cross-over to varying success. It’s a solid track you may enjoy more than you’d think.
8.4
Back To Blue – Thomas Rhett Written By Jack Humphrey
Presenting as a noisy, uninteresting counterpart to TR’s “Die a Happy Man,” this song arrives with the same swaying R&B guitar but none of the charm. “Back To Blue” begins wandering aimlessly through several trite outdoor references as our narrator clumsily rattles off goofy pick-up lines, struggling to set a sexy mood. At this point, the song is awkward but not outright offensive. However, the song’s hook pulls “Back To Blue” the rest of the way down with putrid, choral backing vocals and a gross, gravelly vocal filter on TR’s voice, making this whole affair unlistenable. The nagging snap track in the background also does it no favors, recalling some of the most poorly produced quasi-love songs that 2017 had to offer. With no original ideas, some truly weird production choices, and a gaping hole where Thomas Rhett’s usual sweet charisma should be, nothing about this song works. Utterly unsensual and dull, “Back To Blue” is another annoying reminder that TR can do much, much better.
3.0
Get By – Jelly Roll Written By Max Buondonno
Jelly Roll tries a different music style on his latest single, “Get By.” The foot-stomping, choir-driven chorus is much more upbeat than the last two songs he’s released, and it’s yet another tale about a guy detailing all the ways he gets by in life, leaning on religion to resolve his sins. While it’s a match for Mr. Roll lyrically, the song itself feels wildly out of place. Written by Jelly Roll, Ryan Tedder, Jon Bellion, Jordan K. Johnson, Michael Pollock, and Stefan Johnson, this is quintessentially a pop song that would fit in a little too perfectly on a OneRepublic album. The problem lies in Jelly’s performance: the high note that needs to be hit in the chorus is something his vocal abilities can’t deliver. You can hear the struggle in his voice as he attempts it repeatedly. Admittedly, the song is quite catchy, and upon first listening, it seems like it could have a future on the radio. But compared to the rest of Jelly’s discography, it’s just another way of him saying, “I’m a broken person, but that’s okay,” this time over instrumentals that don’t match the direction his next album seems to be heading in.
5.9
Stratosphere Blues – I Believe In You – Billy Strings Written By Adam Delahoussaye
In many ways, versatility is one of Billy Strings’s most significant assets. Over the years, he’s used it to grab hold of several different sonic spheres. From grassroots galore to mimicking the trance one falls under listening to a Jerry Garcia guitar solo, there’s a clear marriage between sounds and sentiments regarding Strings’s identity. “Stratosphere Blues – I Believe In You” accentuates this thinking while inadvertently tailoring it for more mainstream ears. The back half of this track is opulent, pouring over these luscious soundscapes with heart-wrenching lyrics of regret and existentialism. However, although the guitar picker may seem out of this world in ability and aesthetics, his heart is never far from home. Strings has placed himself in many modes and given himself many labels over the years, though humanity envelops all those efforts with total comfort.
8.8
Starving – Colby Acuff Written By Christina Bosch
Colby Acuff’s album Amerian Son is refreshing and unique, featuring vintage-sounding vocals and yet a modern take on life. The project features tracks highlighting mental health and the changes he wishes would come to fruition, more than just a feel-good concept record; it’s real and raw. “Starving,” one of the nine solo writers on the project, is plucky and upbeat, although it’s mainly about missing home, missing being loved, and ‘starving for human connection. A blue-collar anthem that plays into the struggles of every generation of hard workers, this track could have quickly been released in the 1960s or 1970s and fit in just as well. Surely an energetic addition to his live set, “Starving,” produced by Eddie Spear, is a bright spot of hope and encouragement to endure through hard times. Since most of the 16 songs were solo writes, American Son proves that every single note, word, and sentiment is Colby Acuff through and through.
8.5
Fighting For Hailey Whitters Version – Evan Honer & Hailey Whitters Written By Ryan Lippe
The title track for Evan Honer’s sophomore LP, “Fighting For,” is a song focusing on the trauma from a failed relationship. To seek closure, the narrator confesses the chokehold that moving on has on them. With a folksy, new groove in his music, Honer pairs up with Hailey Whitters, who has been championing a more rambunctious 90s-inspired style of country; despite their musical differences, the collaboration works perfectly. Although the song may not have been originally designed as a duet, Whitters takes over the second verse as her own. She adds a feminine tone to the song that may not have been desired at first, but hearing it for the first time makes fans wonder why it wasn’t the first choice. Produced by Honer and Stephen Myers, like the album version, each element is pleasantly balanced, with all the instruments getting their moment to shine alongside the stellar vocals. While no one may have asked for this collaboration, it has redefined the song.
9.0
Colorado – Drew Green feat. Hardy Written By Max Buondonno
While the song never did numbers like “Cruise” or “Dirt,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Colorado” was received well by fans and worked as a decent single for the duo’s 2019 album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. Five years later, co-writers Drew Green and Hardy decided to make a new rendition of the track, and it fell flat on its face. Mulling over the various substances one can rely on to move on from a relationship, the song’s original production is somewhere between a breakup barn-burner and a stoner’s anthem, which made it one of the more unique FGL tracks in their discography. Yet Green’s cover underwhelms for a number of reasons. He doesn’t reimagine the song uniquely, which makes it come off as a lame FGL cover. The production feels less anthemic and driven closer to hip-hop country than a song called “Colorado” has any business being. At the same time, Hardy’s vocals lack the same energy that the original version carried. Overall, it feels like Drew Green looked for a song in his notebook that had already been tested on the airwaves to attach to his new EP so that he might have radio success again, making the original “Colorado” look like a masterpiece in contrast.
4.0
