Adeline – Joshua Slone Written By Adam Delahoussaye
It’s equal parts inspiring and terrifying that songsters can now be found both in cult circles and on shortlists of label darlings while unable to boast even a raindrop of influence in the pool of commercial success. What’s just as remarkable is that, if or when that day of spun and streamed records finally comes, the endless expectations fostered by the 30-second market are met or even exceeded. Joshua Slone certainly had his work cut out for him in that regard; the Kentucky native sat on over a dozen tracks that had harbored imaginations and algorithms for almost two years before he finally revealed his true interpretations of the drooled-over snippets in a spontaneous, on-brand fashion. On “Adeline,” you can almost imagine Slone drenched in rain behind the convenience store where the track was initially unveiled, wilted roses in one hand and a warped Martin in the other. It’s his waning, warbling voice still commanding front and center while peppering the outskirts of the mix with emphatic (but never overstated) arrangements that tell you Slone’s priorities are as meticulous as his songwriting. That hazy, soft-pop production can work miracles when used as an accent rather than a sterilizer. The bells and whistles here are draped around such piercing, intoxicatingly half-focused scribbles of a notepad that they feel labored over even out of the context of Slone’s arduous journey. It’s not a secret what circles he found his footing in (flashes of Bryan and Jamerson flit between somber downstrokes), but notions of inspiration are secondary to an artist who’s sat with these songs for maybe longer than he lived in them. When he croons, “You never know when we can make time to waste time,” you know that sticking the landing was a healthy fear that kept all parties on their toes, letting Slone stand just tall enough for his head to stay above water amidst the flooding pool of tears around him.
8.7
Smoke – Jamey Johnson feat. Riley Green Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Throughout every era of country music, from leather vests to tattooed troubadours, there has always been (and may always be) a Nashville ‘lunch pail guy’. It’s a role Jamey Johnson played in the dog days of the last decade, never showing much stylistic variance but always harboring that outside-of-town wit that his more socialite counterparts couldn’t wrap their heads around, no matter how many writers they hired to decipher the language. Riley Green is almost an evolution of that archetype; cherry-picked traits from the bro era, paired with writing and posture that could drop the Delta humidity by ten degrees with a slap on the truckbed. It’s no real surprise that, when this quasi father-son duo pairs up, “Smoke” slips into a smart-ass state of mind that’s thorny but alluring all the same. It’s a hard-nosed, hard-headed mid-2000s era rocker with the dismissive swagger of a few guys who get loose lips after a few skunked lagers. You can picture the two slurring words and slapping shoulders with every “blah blah” and “la la,” their attention focused anywhere but the front door that someone special just slammed shut. Lingering chords and smashed together drum runs are an intoxicant all to themselves here, but Johnson and Green’s blasé personalities make for chill drinking buddies even if their voices sound a little hoarse from all the vices. But after all, that’s the magic of the ‘lunch pail guy.’ The work still gets done, and gets done right, no matter how much good sleep or good food they got the night before. The two are clearly in their element, a ripe pairing for collaboration and a gruesome twosome for dive bars across Alabama.
7.5
Kaitlin Butts – The Middle Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
In country music, cross-genre covers are a tricky topic because they can only go one of two ways. In a lot of scenarios, an artist will release a song from another genre in their own style, but it’s just too different to adjust to their sound effectively. However, with a new cover from Kaitlin Butts, that was not an issue. The Jimmy Eat World classic, “The Middle,” definitely doesn’t seem like an obvious choice, as the recent trend points toward covering the same few John Mayer or Fleetwood Mac tracks. Meanwhile, Butts pulls from a different pool, landing on a song with an emo/alternative background and making it her own. As an early taste of what her “Yeehaw Sessions” project will be like, it’s obvious from her twists on this single that it will be more than just acoustic one-take recordings. Instead, Kaitlin brings in instrumentation that adds soft sound layers, which differ significantly from the original arrangement of the song. In her interpretation, the electric guitar plays a larger role, much more relaxed and calmer than in the original. There’s only a shaker to add percussive elements, until the closing instrumental, where we get more drums and even a fiddle. When hearing the full sound, which isn’t introduced until the final moments of the track, it’s a slight disappointment that this boost of completed energy comes so late; however, it does come as a sort of sweet surprise. In actuality, the choice of arrangement doesn’t change the impact of the track, as the mellow vibe is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this alternate version of the classic.
8.5
Colter Wall – The Longer You Hold On Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
Nothing can compare to the voice of Colter Wall. His words sound as if they’ve traveled through canyons and caverns, gathering dust and debris before finally meeting your ears. In his latest single, he leans hard into a style of country you might’ve heard in the seventies, with retro aspects of the melodic and chordal structure that might’ve passed for something out of Merle Haggard’s catalog. A lot of people know Colter for his slower, darker songs like “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” but this track reminds listeners of his broader musical range, showcasing just how well-rounded an artist he truly is. There’s something about the production here that makes every instrument stand out, with the slide guitar and piano perfectly filling in what would’ve been space. One of the best sounds in the whole song is the snare drum, so soft with the perfect rattle, matching Wall’s vocal rasp perfectly. In the song, he describes a love that was once like a pine tree, “green through winter’s chill” and “strong and tall.” He urges his lover, who’s still holding on, to cut it down if she’s going to, not to hang on too long. In such a beautiful depiction of fading adoration, Wall captures the quiet heartbreak that comes when love loses its roots. And with this song, he proves yet again that sometimes the simplest stories, told with such a strong voice, are the ones that hit the hardest.
9.0
Happen To Me (feat. Jonas Brothers) – Russell Dickerson Written By Ryan Lippe
If you tried to measure the substance of this song with any quantitative method, the results would come out as a negative number. Another worthless collaboration, this track pairs two acts with the most smug appearances in all of music and does nothing to make them even mildly appealing to the masses. From the noisy production to the obnoxious cover art, the track is everything that “chart-topping” pop-country artists represent. Produced by Josh Kerr, Chris LaCorte, and Russell Dickerson, this disaster has a special place in the stereo system of a Honda Odyssey on the way to soccer practice. Filled to the brim with unnecessary drum loops, this tune is the audible representation of the color beige, as bland as it is. Despite just barely coming in at over three minutes, the track feels like the punishment of a lifetime, with each verse, chorus, and refrain sharing the same cookie-cutter arrangement and harsh sound. The lyrics were handled by Dickerson, LaCorte, Chase McGill, and Jessie Jo Dillon, with writing credits also given to Robert Hazard; the lyrics were just as bland in March when Dickerson originally released them. Despite complaints from critics, collaborations with no added value continue to flood streaming services with no end in sight. This latest contribution to the epidemic by two of the most annoying acts in music right now is no different, with everything about this release feeling like a cleverly orchestrated cash grab.
1.8
Blessed – ERNEST Written By Max Buondonno
ERNEST’s ability to tell a meaningful story in a country song never grows tiresome. His latest single, “Blessed,” proves that once again, albeit with a bit less meat on the bones. Harping on the simple things in life and being grateful for your family’s legacy, ERNEST takes a page out of his own playbook. He incorporates a plucky production that aligns with his traditionally leaning sound. It’s quintessential ERNEST, and if you’re a fan of his, you know exactly what to expect from this song. That said, the subject matter is quite surface-level, with cliche references to growing up in the south that feel authentic at times and AI-generated at others. As ERNEST highlights different aspects of a good life, it’s tough to ignore that you feel like you’ve heard the song before by the second verse. The bridge’s spoken-word approach gives it an interesting twist, but it only shakes up the song’s sound rather than its emphasis on the story. “Blessed” feels like beating a dead horse, but in the style of ERNEST. That could appeal to you if you’re a fan of more traditional-sounding songs, but it leaves much to be desired from one of the most well-known singer-songwriters on Music Row today. It’s an enjoyable track from an aesthetic perspective, but repetitive if you pay too close attention to the words.
7.3
Killed the Man – Lee Brice Written By Max Buondonno
There was a lot of build-up to the latest single from Lee Brice. Between wiping his social media accounts and posting teasers that lasted weeks ahead of the song’s release date, it seemed like there could be a chance Brice would enter a bold, new era in his musical career. Instead, all the build-up was for nothing. “Killed the Man” is a lousy play on words for the change that a woman introduces in a man’s life once they’re married. Leaning into criminal themes and corny metaphors to get the point across, the song lands and falls on its neck as it tries unnecessarily hard to be clever. Brice’s vocals are backed by overly polished, modern production that makes this ear-sore sound inauthentic. As a result, “Killed the Man” conspires to deliver something clever and edgy to stand out from other songs about personal growth, but begs to be put out to pasture with its cheesy take on the effect a woman can have on you. It’s no surprise to hear content like this from Brice, given his career’s trajectory over the past several years. Still, it’s disappointing nonetheless that this was his grand vision for a teaser from whatever project is next in the pipeline.
2.0
Wonderwall – Little Big Town Written By Jack Humphrey
As Noel Gallagher himself has attested several times, “Wonderwall” is not a great song. As a multi-decade-old punchline amongst every beginner guitar player, it’s not known for its lyrical depth or instrumental virtuosity; however, despite “Wonderwall’s” overall simplicity, it possesses an extremely rare X-factor that’s made it one of history’s most inexplicably timeless pop songs, from its quirky opening lines to its bafflingly catchy hook. More than 30 years later, for God knows what reason, one of country music’s most irksome plants felt compelled, not only to cover it, but effectively rewrite it entirely with a new chord progression and rhythm. Violating the first rule of a cover song —that it ought to be at least somewhat familiar to fans of the original —already set a tough task for Little Big Town to make this work. To make matters far worse, their “Wonderwall” is diabolically annoying on its own merit. As the irritating staccato Hammond organ riff drones, de facto lead singer Karen Fairchild whines her way through these humdrum verses, transporting you to a downtown bar with a crumby cover band on-stage, listlessly butchering well-known rock songs. Even if Little Big Town had attached their own lyrics to this grating little tune, it still would’ve been a dreadful listen. In the brief moments you’re forced to think about this band again, it’s hard not to wonder what purpose they ever served, while happily relegating them back to the darkest recesses of your memory.
2.6
Give Me A Second (the before) – Greylan James Written By Will Chapman
As a concept, writing a prequel to “Water at a Wedding” is really cool. That song was wild and engaging from a storytelling perspective, and “Give Me A Second (the before)” adds a new layer to that world. Greylan James is definitely a storyteller, and creating a “before” chapter makes you wonder if he’ll keep building out this story over time. On its own, “Give Me A Second” is basically a breakup song; reflective, late-night, a little drunk, and a little sad. It doesn’t hit with the same shock or mystery as Water at a Wedding, but it does give context to that “about 2 AM, about two months ago” line from the other track, which makes the two songs click together satisfyingly. There’s a washed-out quality to everything; Reverbs waft over the soundscape for an easy listen. The pedal steel does mostly texture work, but it gets a really nice moment to shine toward the end of the song. Written solely by James and produced by himself with Sam Ellis, “Give Me A Second (the before)” might not be as off the walls or as gripping as “Water At A Wedding”, but it’s a palatable chaser. It is a solid, thoughtful addition to the chronicles of Greylan James, which are becoming some of the more interesting narratives in country music right now.
8.1
