Week of 03/01/2024
hummingbird – Carly Pearce Written By Brandon Iozzo
With the announcement of her fourth studio album in full swing, Carly Pearce forges forward from tracks about divorce and lifeless relationships with a redefinition of herself through bluegrass and folk sounds supporting the LP of the same name, hummingbird. Newfound self-confidence gleams through this track co-written by Jordan Reynolds, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally, and Pearce herself. Perhaps overdue, the title track finally feels like the transition fans have been yearning for away from retrospects about divorce and into more positive themes. “hummingbird” is a warm teaser of the eponymous LP’s overall concept. Though this song may not be suited for radio, the follow-up single to “We Don’t Fight Anymore” should be aimed at Pearce’s life now, in real-time.
8.8
Messed Up As Me – Keith Urban Written By Brandon Iozzo
Continuing a slew of non-album releases for the past few years, Keith Urban’s “Messed Up As Me” adds to his collection of messy attempts. Expectedly co-produced by Urban, the track lyrically sounds like it would fit other artists more than Urban, specifically with the Morgan Wallen-esque flow in the pre-chorus. Urban plays it safe with this underwhelming track, leaving us to question what the direction of his next LP will be. While we hear splashes of Fuse here and there, the misery-loves-company track is incredibly lackluster for the superstar artist Keith once was, especially knowing that this single misses any personal inspiration. As Keith hints at an upcoming release following 2023’s shelved LP, “Messed Up As Me” probably won’t give his future project the momentum it desperately needs.
5.1
Hunt You Down – Kaitlin Butts Written By Adam Delahoussaye
In classic fashion for the Oklahoman, Kaitlin Butts’s “Hunt You Down” shares her bubbly, surface-level crush with some poisonous strings attached. This cover of a 2017 Kesha track exudes vibrance and rhythm, trotting along at a peppy pace that contrasts nicely with Kaitlin’s sadistic delivery. Murder ballads are something of a specialty to the crimson-haired cowgirl, yet here, that plucky attitude gets reinvigorated by how easily these love-laden lyrics start to point the pitchfork. Fluffy pink dresses and pretty yodels only act as lures into the inescapable hypnosis the singer and her fiddle and steel conjure up. Once again, we see Butts kicking in the doors of men who wronged her and maybe even doing a two-step in the face of their demise. Whatever her victims’ fate, it’s never grim enough to keep one from tapping their foot in rhythm with Butts and her viciously delightful promises.
8.7
Ryan Hurd – Midwest Rock & Roll Written By Max Buondonno
Following the release of his debut album Pelago over two years ago, Ryan Hurd makes his return as a soloist with a single that adds a heavy, emo-rock twist to his typical soundscape. “Midwest Rock & Roll,” written by Hurd, Randy Montana, and Mark Holman, relives memories of growing up in the Midwest and falling in love. While the lyrics help to paint the picture well (“July sun stays up till 10, We watched it set every night… “wanted to see thе Black Keys, closest they came was Chicago”), it’s the emotion and delivery from Hurd that really add vibrancy to the track. Leaning into a broader vocal range than we’ve heard from the artist in the past, “Midwest Rock & Roll” is immediately a statement single in Hurd’s catalog. If his public admiration for this type of music is as strong as he says it is, this “next musical chapter” (as Hurd puts it) could be quite interesting.
8.5
Kacey Musgraves – Too Good to be True Written By Cam Greene
Kacey Musgraves’s Deeper Well era kicks off with a heartfelt love song about a girl opening up to her boyfriend and begging him to not be “too good to be true.” Written by Anna Nalick, Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, and Musgraves, it’s lyrically simple, but it works without the lustful oversaturation that you might find in some of its contemporaries. The single has this cool little instrumental pick-up halfway through the track, which pulls it out of monotony and makes it a bit more well-rounded. Overall, the song is good, but it lacks some creativity. Simple, vulnerable love stories like this are a dime a dozen in Nashville, but this one might be looked more fondly upon once the entire album is released; if “Too Good To Be True” is just the beginning of a narrative, it could be a very cool point of context.
7.4
Somewhere Between – Dylan Gossett Written By Creed Miller
Dylan Gossett has been on an absolute tear since his viral moment with “Coal.” His latest up-tempo track is full of adventure from the perspective of a man who spends his life on trains only knowing the direction he’s going and nothing more. Gossett’s folk sound continues to shine with some jagged production. As the song enters the chorus, it sounds similar to something the Turnpike Troubadours would record. The addition of the banjo helps elevate the track and gives it a much fuller sound. The last minute of the song is highlighted by the passion in Gossett’s voice before everything slows down to a few soft strums before the end. Gossett hasn’t released a bad single yet and he only continues his high-powered, underground momentum leading up to the release of his first major label EP on March 22nd.
8.6
2AM in London – Morgan Wade Written By Creed Miller
Written by Morgan Wade alone, the Virginian singer-songwriter continues to put on a sad-girl spectacle with her songwriting skills. “2AM in London” captures the loneliness and homesickness that she feels while overseas; Morgan’s ability to wear her heart on her sleeve and express vulnerability has always helped her stand out from the crowd. She discusses the temptations she faces like the hotel minibar with her unique twang that puts her context as a fish out of water. From there, she considers the concept that she is thousands of miles away from the one she loves and all she wants to do is be with them. It’s a slow-paced song with some simple production that invokes all the right gloomy moods. Morgan Wade has stayed pretty consistent with her sound, but staying in her musical lane continues to yield stellar results.
8.3
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