I Want You – Cody Johnson Written By Jack Humphrey
Love songs have always been a cornerstone of Cody Johnson’s career, and across almost two decades, they’ve made up a large percentage of his many fan-favorites. That said, with “I Want You,” the Texan troubadour reaches an unfortunate milestone in his career as a commercial power, kicking off his tenth album cycle with a lukewarm “Cody Johnson-type song.” Lyrically, this one reads like a thin pastiche of CoJo’s best ballads; it’s not off-putting, but feels beneath his caliber, compared to the likes of “On My Way To You” and “Nothin’ On You” that have earned him his prestigious reputation. The whole premise is that he’ll always choose his lover for better or worse, rattling off a litany of vague circumstances where he would prove his devotion. With such simple recitations making up most of the writing, you would hope for a more impressive instrumental build, but “I Want You” seldom ventures far beyond its steady, often monotonous pace. Cody Johnson himself is probably the only thing about “I Want You” that works; his delivery as rich and sincere as you’d expect, though the writing and arrangement around him feel a bit incomplete. On the whole, this track shouldn’t affect expectations for Banks Of The Trinity, but it’s certainly fair to wish for better from subsequent singles.
5.4
We’d Make A Good Movie – Willie Nelson Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
As his new album, Dream Chaser, approaches, Willie Nelson’s singles are building excitement amongst fans. The title track, released last month, captured the heart of the upcoming record right off the bat. The same stream of hopeful lyricism carried throughout his career flows through “Dream Chaser” and continues right into “We’d Make A Good Movie,” where Nelson describes an intimate relationship as if it could be adapted into a feature film that “everyone would want to see.” Lighthearted at times and serious at others, he imagines drama and making up, his growth as a person, and how he’d like a happy ending to their story. Lines where he admits hard truths, like the times they might be seen “falling in and out of love on the silver screen,” are sharp and powerful, elevating the average listening experience with an honest way of reflection that cuts deep. Willie’s voice carries every note of “We’d Make A Good Movie” like a weathered flag on a ship that has run a long and steady course; with his 93rd birthday coming up this month, it’s especially commendable to see Willie continuing to record consistently moving songs. Many instruments, such as the piano and harmonica, help to make the arrangement full without ever overstepping. Richly mixed and poetic, there’s so much to love, giving reason to expect more great music in Willie’s approaching record.
9.3
Middle of Nowhere – Kacey Musgraves Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
If you followed country music for a while, you’re no stranger to songs about getting away and being off the grid, and in the mainstream, it seems like there’s a new one every few months. On Friday, Kacey Musgraves released her own version of this narrative in “Middle of Nowhere,” which, at first glance, seems to be solely about getting away and feeling the freedom of a new landscape. By the bridge, you’ve received enough one-off lines to realize the reason she’s fleeing is to avoid “men that don’t know what they want.” By extending this explanation, the audible emotion, along with the complete narrative, and the dynamics all build together, allowing you to feel like you’re on the journey with her rather than sitting in the upset feelings that could’ve led her to write a song like this. As avoidance and freedom are the balancing themes of “Middle of Nowhere,” that progressive development strongly improves the impact of a song that could’ve come off as petty or mean-spirited. As far as the production goes, there’s a windswept touch over everything, matching the theme of freedom. The raw, dry guitar, punchy snare, and steel guitar create a sparse yet polished blend of sonic ear candy. The clarity in the harmonizing backing vocals is a strong aspect of the mix, which shines especially bright on the ascending melodies of the prechoruses and verses. For people who didn’t enjoy the on-the-nose messaging of “Dry Spell,” this release is just as listenable, without all of the innuendos.
7.7
Funny Phrase – Will Slater Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
It’s not every day you hear an artist describe the recovery after a heartbreak as a barefoot walk on “gravel made of knives.” That’s the kind of vivid imagery found in Will Slater’s “Funny Phrase.” Slater, a self-proclaimed “southern emo” singer, presents himself during a downward spiral after the end of a relationship. Inspiring the title, he groans, “there ain’t a funny phrase for wanting to kill yourself,” being very descriptive of his unwillingness to trudge through his feelings any longer. More imagery like “a loaded gun on the shelf” and “a blown out vein in your arm” play out in morbidly poetic fashion, which would seem to be the intended purpose. For the most part, the arrangement of “Funny Phrase” contains chords and melodies that feel ironically happy. However, at the end of the song, after every lyric has been sung, the band breaks into an almost creepy instrumental march. As this goes on, a hauntingly narrow electric guitar plays a spooky melody that could raise the hair on the back of your neck. With no intention of sugarcoating his conveyed feelings, every aspect of “Funny Phrase” works together, not only to get his message across, but to get fans asking questions like “Who is this Will Slater guy?”
8.4
Time Is A Thief – ERNEST, Lukas Nelson Written By Noah Sneath
There is a long tradition in Willie Nelson’s catalog of songs about friendship and getting old. The records he made with Merle, with Waylon, with Ray Price, and many others, where two voices sit down together and take stock of what time has done to them. “Bittersweet Duets About Life in the Style of Willie Nelson” (working title) could be its own genre. “Time is a Thief,” the next single from ERNEST’s upcoming Deep Blue, is uniquely both the product of and (literally) itself a direct descendant in that lineage. ERNEST and Lukas Nelson trade verses comfortably; Lukas brings the Django Reinhardt-inflected guitar work his father made famous in country music, while ERNEST’s vocal phrasing leans into a gentle, unforced delivery that suits the material perfectly. The organ underneath, an echo of the timeless masterpiece Stardust, seals the deal. Written by Matt McKinney, Rivers Rutherford, and Jimmy Yeary, “Time Is a Thief” is still a Nelson-family ballad down to its bones. It has it all: the chromaticism, the secondary dominance, languid yet virtuosic guitar interludes like long sighs from an old master. The lyrics walk the line between corny and cry-worthy; a verse about time as a cold wind stripping leaves from the trees calls to mind Willie’s own “Last Leaf,” another quiet song about taking stock of what age takes. It’s a loving manifestation of friendship and a tribute to a musical tradition rather than an evolution of it. But that’s okay. This song has a lot more than three chords, but it’s the truth all the same.
6.9
Don’t Ask Me – Vincent Mason Written By Aishwarya Rajan
If you’re wondering how Vincent Mason is doing, don’t bother asking; one can only assume he’s not doing too well, or at least wasn’t when he wrote his newest single, “Don’t Ask Me.” Mason’s acoustic strumming anchors the track with quietly infectious simplicity. It’s paired with a somber storyline of being left behind, for reasons squarely of his own doing, while making a strong play to try and overthrow his hits “Damned If I Do” and “Hell is a Dance Floor.” In fact, “Don’t Ask Me” feels like an amalgamation of the two. Fusing the defining elements of each with the opening whine of a slide guitar, which further impersonates an electric before giving way to one entirely, while the shuffling beats of a kick drum lay its foundation. Each listen reveals a new layer of detail in the complex instrumental ensemble, which is perhaps the song’s most redeeming quality, next to Mason’s compelling drawl.
8.0
Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey – Midland Written By Max Buondonno
Midland has made a career of being one of the only country radio-friendly bands with enough neotraditional flair to keep even purists happy. Most of the band’s music reflects something straight out of a drunken saloon or a county fair in the middle of summer, which is a nice contrast to other bands that lean too heavily into modern production. Yet while Midland seems capable of making any song sound good with its retro aesthetic, sometimes, it’s best to leave certain rocks unturned. “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey,” a song originally written and recorded by Chris Stapleton’s The Steeldrivers, is a simple, smoky bar anthem about what happens when you indulge in dark liquor and forget your mouth’s filter at home. It’s a fun-enough tune that carries an endearing bluegrass sound on Stapleton’s version, whereas with Midland, it’s much busier and fails to stand out in the same way. Given its overly simplistic verses and chorus, there’s not much to sink your teeth into, and Midland doesn’t try anything remotely different instrumentally from its other upbeat anthems in its discography. It fails to stand out in the same way as the original version, which is a shame given the talent Midland possesses. . We’ve seen the band experiment with new sounds before, especially on its last album. The lack of any of that on this record is jarring by comparison, making this version of the nearly 20-year-old track unexpectedly forgettable.
5.9
Heart You Didn’t Break – Max McNown Written By Max Buondonno
With every new song Max McNown drops, he veers farther from the genre he profits from and closer to the Lumineers’ back catalog of the early 2010s. This craving for folksy, corny Americana anthems about emotionally taxing life events seems to be all that McNown is interested in, minus the “ho-heys” (although they seem inevitable at this point). “Heart You Didn’t Break” is another prime example of this. With references to living as a nomad and an adventurer of life and its challenges, McNown certainly knows how to stick to his brand with each single. Between the mounting production and hazy vocals throughout the track, there’s a good amount of charm that almost reminds you of the larger-scale productions across Zach Bryan’s records. Yet it’s inevitable that if every song from a young artist sounds roughly the same, the X-factors that kickstarted their career can easily begin to fade away. McNown isn’t about to drop out of the spotlight any time soon. Still, it’s getting a bit tiresome hearing the same anthemic cheering and Phillip Phillips-esque acoustic guitar on every record. Fans will feel some level of attraction to “Heart You Didn’t Break,” but it’d be nice to hear McNown shake it up now and then.
6.1
My Way – Riley Green Written By Max Buondonno
It’s a tried and true formula for Riley Green at this point: strip the production to the bare minimum, write sultry lyrics that sound suggestive but (mostly) aren’t, and try your best to act like a weathered cowboy when it’s time to lay down the vocals. These musical stylings have worked time and time again for his discography, and they pulled off another solid track in “My Way.” Written solely by Green, the song almost seems lustful in its desire to finally rejoin your partner, only to discover that the love is lost and Green is pleading for it to return. The twist in its story is subtle enough that you might not catch it on your first listen, but it does add depth to the song that it wouldn’t have if Green were just reminiscing about a relationship. The song was teased numerous times last year and has finally seen the light of day, and it was certainly worth the wait. With “My Way,” Green continues to prove he’s still at the top of his game, both lyrically and sonically.
8.0
Mailbox – Owen Riegling Written By Aishwarya Rajan
In a fresh take on small-town living, Owen Riegling takes us back to the early 2000’s as he showcases his storytelling, made complete by smooth vocals over a funky, sun-soaked production, closer in feel to Chris Janson, Jake Owen, and Josh Kerr. “Mailbox” takes listeners through the wide breadth of the up-and-comer’s register, as he sings about the place he grew up. The song is an ode to maturation, a tender realization that home isn’t so bad and that leaving is the real nightmare. It contains all the elements of an anthem, pulling back and slowing before bursting into grandiose wonder. The kind that makes you raise two hands and clap along. Riegling’s playground of register alterations, lighthearted acoustics, echoing cries, and heavy bass strumming swarm together in blissful unison. Built for windows down and sunny days, “Mailbox” is a reminder to appreciate the ordinary; it’s the type of track that cements his stake as an artist worth watching in the industry.
7.7
Faith In the Wind – Kip Moore Written By Jack Humphrey
For the better part of a decade, Kip Moore has made his name on moody, loner anthems, of which “Faith In the Wind” is just the latest. This musing cut is right in his wheelhouse, and though a bit rote, it plays to his strengths as both a vocalist and introspective songwriter. Kip’s rugged range has always been under-appreciated, and his gruff, contemplative verses segue deftly into the soaring hook, a mission statement of sorts that rounds out this sample of the Kip Moore experience nicely. The synthesizer’s ambient presence adds a little late-80s Whitesnake-type cheese, which feels oddly complementary to this roving refrain. For a song so densely steeped in metaphor, you wish that he would explore this concept of having “faith in the wind” in a little more specificity, but in context, it’s not hard for listeners to intuit their own meaning. Kip Moore has always been comfortable in this nomadic pocket of heartland rock-indebted country music, too polished for the independent movement, yet not poppy enough for country radio, and though “Faith In the Wind” does evoke a little deja vu thematically, it’s still fresh enough for fans to enjoy.
7.2
