The Party Is Over – Morgan Wade Written By Adam Delahoussaye
A last-call cry out to an old flame, crashing into existence with rough and ragged beauty, is about as Morgan Wade as it gets. She’s currently revisiting several cuts that never made it out of the notebook during the party’s peak on records like Reckless and Psychopath. The result is a solid return to form despite a one-step forward, two-step back approach. It’s a piercing, jagged, head-banging roar through familiar waters for Wade and her crew in a padded room of noise they never really outgrew from the early days. A Clint Wells guitar solo runs right through hearts as the percussion rattles like a rapid-fire heartbeat, almost subconsciously recreating that mix of infatuation and intoxication. Wade is once again transfixed by a bad thing, wishing those feelings away with booze that flows freely in the dimness and dries up when the lights come on. Though, of course, the vice and the villainy are intrinsically tied to one another, a morbid pool of emotion Wade loves to swim in. It’s a big, brash homecoming of sounds and structures that got the 30-year-old Virginian to where she is today. She’s always been thorny in her presentation, and the product we’re given here practically bleeds and sweats out that signature angst and longing that slowly mounted her as a force in multiple arenas. Despite the sidestepped or stagnant approach to romance, “The Party Is Over” shines prominently as an addition to Morgan’s existing ethos.
7.8
Born Runnin’ Outta Time – Lukas Nelson Written By Adam Delahoussaye
There’s always been that lingering sense of self, or maybe lack thereof, around this son of the highest of the Highwaymen. Lukas Nelson has spent most of his career jolting the microscope to various parts of his dad’s fabled career, honing in on a few key, rarely personal motifs. His latest feels like an attempt to rewrite the story from his angle, and while “Born Runnin’ Outta Time” is a definite redirect, the zoom-out blurs things a little bit. It’s a dash between diners, scrounging up scraps of one-off ideas, creating a rough sketch of some pretty concrete feelings. The writing tries to tackle several different and robust emotions simultaneously, ultimately resulting in a salad of identities that gets us no closer to discovering the man behind the bong and guitar. But like the road trip of self-discovery, it still persists. Warbling guitar riffs and scuttling drums blur the passenger window to the point of vague familiarity until we hit that innately Texan troubadour chorus. He’s clearly lost, but maybe that’s the whole point. As Nelson continues to blaze his own trail, the interesting part will be what side roads he veers down to breach his father’s shadow as it constantly observes his county lines.
7.5
Morning Bail – Gavin Adcock Written By Creed Miller
Gavin Adcock is back with the conveniently timed release, “Morning Bail.” Just a few days after taking a mug shot in real life, the Georgia native sings about a blackout that led to him waking up in jail, trying to piece the night together. Our protagonist finds himself going through a breakup, leading to his riotous night on the town. Lyrically, this narrative is obviously very par for the course with Adcock’s brand, but the new twist definitely keeps it interesting. You find yourself as a listener trying to answer the same questions as the main character, as no more information is disclosed other than forgetting to eat and, of course, the breakup. Lyrics like “They said I got onе call, walked up to the phone on thе wall. So much for ‘Let’s stay friends.’ She didn’t answer again” give the song a witty aspect that somehow turns getting arrested into a relatable situation that will make you smirk. “Morning Bail” just fully encapsulates Gavin Adcock as an artist. It plays into his “modern outlaw” vibe of being rowdy and ruckus, but it still highlights him as an artist. The track’s theme is nicely paired with effortless vocals from Adcock; they still have that classic rough-around-the-edges sound that makes him so distinguishable, but they are so much smoother. In 2025, Adcock has shown massive improvements as an overall vocalist, showing more confidence in his range. The steel guitar is one of the song’s highlights, but the head-bobbing guitar solo will also grab your attention. No one ever knows Gavin Adcock’s next move, but with each new single, it becomes a safer bet that it will be another quality release.
7.7
I’ll Get Through It – Lauren Watkins Written By Creed Miller
In her second release in the last two months, Lauren Watkins returns with a gleefully upbeat new track. Despite the song’s happy-go-lucky energy, it is actually about a breakup and dealing with the aftermath. Written by Lauren alongside Will Bundy, Brett Warren, and Brad Warren, the lyrics look at the hardships of a breakup and her methods of getting through it. Believe it or not, her favorite method is drinking! She sings about how she’ll get through the breakup by getting through the bottle. The lyrics are pretty flat and unimpressive, which takes away from much of the track. Fortunately, Will Bundy’s production is a definite high point, leaning into the steel guitar, which gives the tune a bright, early-2000s flair. As peppy as it is, “I’ll Get Through It” sums to a repetitive, empty-calorie ditty that does little to excite the imagination or justify its existence beyond a couple of spins.
5.8
Seventeen – Kameron Marlowe Written By Max Buondonno
After releasing one of the most emotionally depressing LPs of 2025, Kameron Marlowe flips the script with his new summer-ready single “Seventeen.” Written by Marlowe, Tucker Beathard, Austin Goodloe, and Joybeth Taylor, the song bursts onto the scene with a booming backdrop that leans into the country-rock energy we’ve seen from Marlowe in the past. Showcasing the nostalgic, freeing feeling of reminiscing on reckless summers in your youth, “Seventeen” tries to achieve anthem status with a catchy hook and killer production that will undoubtedly rip at festivals this summer. (There’s even a writing credit given to Bruce Springsteen thanks to a “Born in the U.S.A.” reference, asserting that this is trying to be nostalgia bait.) Marlowe delivers a solid vocal performance that meshes well with the sheer volume of the track, which sometimes gets overcrowded. You can consider plenty of songs a “summer anthem,” and “Seventeen” doesn’t diverge much from these or offer something no one’s heard before. Instead, it’s just a single designed to turn up in your door-free Jeep Wrangler along the coastline, which is a refreshing change of pace for Marlowe, to say the least.
7.4
Easy To Love – Dustin Lynch Written By Max Buondonno
As far as conventional summer tropes are concerned, Dustin Lynch may be the god-king. The artist has spent a good chunk of his career leaning into the lazy themes about drinking on boats and falling in love at the beach, owning a beach cowboy persona of his own in hopes of playing to the same market as artists like Kenny Chesney. The problem? His content is usually worse, and that goes for his latest single, “Easy To Love.” A song about hoping to stumble upon a relationship but in no rush to do so, Lynch takes you on a journey as he travels to various places with his Jimmy Buffett sticker suitcase, Aviators on, a few too many (presumably fruity) drinks, and a carefree attitude. Will he find love? Who knows! All he wants you to do is relax to the chill vibe and wander with him, resulting in a track that winds up being a complete dud. It doesn’t build to anything worth remembering, and the boring, acoustic-driven production is the buzzkill you aren’t expecting from a track that wants to be played while you’re drunk on a beach. Lynch’s own catalog has far better selections for this kind of mood, making “Easy To Love” easy to skip.
4.1
Hudson Westbrook – Texas Forever Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
If you liked what Hudson Westbrook delivered in 2024, 2025 likely won’t disappoint. After the meteoric rise that pegged him as a resurrection of the Limestone Kid for many, Hudson is now releasing music that proves he’s more than just a continuation of another artist’s past. Opening with a grounded, intimate acoustic intro, ”Texas Forever” is a lyrical expression of love, but more than that, a statement of reassurance that “some things never change.” One thing that hasn’t changed for Hudson is the unmistakable Texas country sound at the heart of everything he releases, giving listeners a taste of the Lone Star State’s unique music scene. One of the strongest lines in the song, “There are some things that don’t fade when the sun shines on the picture,” compares a sun-damaged photograph to the lasting memories that go further than the actual image that was captured. This is a compelling example of the vivid, distinctive imagery that continues to shape his writing. This single is the perfect choice for a title track, launching his new era with Texas country written all over it. By naming his first full-length album “Texas Forever,” Hudson signals a commitment to the style of country music that many Texas artists seem eager to outgrow.
9.0
Garrison Nunn – Take Me Away Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
In his new single, Garrison Nunn paints a vivid picture of heartbreak through the lens of alcoholism. While the broad narrative here revolves around numbing the pain rather than confronting it, the pain Garrison refers to doesn’t have much to do with the girl who broke his heart in the first place. This song is actually more about the chains of addiction, as it sits in some of the darkest moments in the mind of an alcoholic. Garrison explains how he doesn’t feel like the man his mother raised, stating, “It kills her to see the sins I got in me.” Taking all of the blame for his condition, he reaches a point where it feels like the bottle knows him “by name.” Matching the haunting themes of the track, the instrumental value of this song sounds rich and well-produced, maintaining the polished Texas punch that has always been present in Garrison’s music. “Take Me Away” plays like an earnest cry for help and, more importantly, makes a statement about a very real and relevant issue.
8.8
Larry Fleet – Like You Used To Written By Ryan Lippe
Just in time for summer, this latest release by Larry Fleet is an instant toe-tapper full of infectious energy that leans more towards gospel music and away from his usual southern rock edge. Produced by Trent Willmon (Cody Johnson), the track starts with uplifting keys and vibrant percussion that immediately sets a hopeful tone for the rest of the song. The positive spirit of the production running throughout makes the listener forget the sorrowful nature of the lyrics. Written by Fleet, Jamie Moore, and Ernest, the narrator begs for his partner to fall back in love with him again. As the narrator yearns for a feeling that may never come back, combining such a sorrowful message with such an optimistic tone from the production is a somewhat confusing artistic style. Nonetheless, Larry Fleet’s voice has always been top-tier with his wildly impressive range and ability to blend power and soul effortlessly. The chorus bursts with sharp, staccato notes, and Fleet navigates each one with effortless precision, gliding in and out of them with remarkable ease. Die-hard fans are eager to hear more of his unique style ahead of this next stage in his career.
7.3
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