Snakeskin Boots (ft. Ella Langley) – Miranda Lambert Written By Aishwarya Rajan
Spooky season is upon us, and in that vein, Miranda Lambert has marked it with a track full of eerie whines and whistles, set over iridescent candlelight. Her duet with Ella Langley, “Snakeskin Boots,” introduces a woman who can’t be tamed and is always on the move. Lambert has never shied away from experimentation, so this playground of clicks and other textures is familiar territory for the “Gunpowder & Lead” artist. The opening blurs cultural lines, with flamenco and country styles melting together through acoustic brushes and climbing plucks recalling a dramatic scene at dusk. As “Butterfly Season” taught us, this duo’s blend is unmatched. Here, Langley’s rich alto cuts beneath Lambert’s higher tone with a synchrony that’s impossible to shake. That chemistry, plus the quick-step shift into a faster tempo at the pre-chorus, makes for an earworm that lingers throughout the track. Lyrically, it’s dense with descriptors that serve as metaphors for the protagonist’s reality, with clever wordplay that sets the scene of a woman chasing a dream that no one, not even the devil, can deter her from. As the song progresses, her ambition becomes a warning. The song is well-balanced from top to bottom, from production to lyricism, and Miranda proves just how firmly her reign stands as a woman in country music.
8.6
Fall Down – Conner Smith Written By Max Buondonno
Amid his recent run of singles that have focused on deeper, more intimate subjects and reflections, Conner Smith can still chill out once in a while and write songs that make you feel good. “Fall Down,” his latest single, had the biggest streaming debut of the year, likely due to several factors. Between its plucky instrumentation and upbeat tempo, it immediately sets the stage to feel more carefree than many of his other singles. Its lyrics capture what anyone might be experiencing once autumn kicks in, painting a vivid picture of his gratitude and good fortune to enjoy the season and all the traditions surrounding it. Smith sounds perfectly at home throughout the track, with a similar vocal performance and production to many of the songs from 2024’s Smoky Mountains. It’s not the song that sets Smith apart from other contemporary country artists, nor does it make clear the direction his music will take next. But given the diversity he’s been able to show off from radio-friendly tunes like this to slower, reflective tropes through his memories and personal experiences, a new Conner Smith project of some kind looks to be a compelling listen. Until then, we can sip our pumpkin ales and blast “Fall Down” from our garage speakers.
7.4
Thin Line – The Chicks Written By Will Chapman
The Chicks’ “Thin Line” arrives nearly two decades late, but it sounds remarkably at home in the band’s catalog. Presumably recorded during the sessions for 2006’s Taking the Long Way, the song is part of the album’s 20th anniversary expansion, alongside other previously unreleased material. As artists increasingly dig into their vaults for archival releases, it’s nice when the result feels less like a historical artifact and more like a genuinely great song that simply got left behind. “Thin Line” is a bop in every sense of the word. It immediately sounds like sunshine. The banjo, bright production, and unmistakable three-part harmonies immediately place it in the Chicks’ world, recalling the band’s ability to make polished, rootsy country-pop without losing the musical personality that made them so distinctive. Recorded in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding Natalie Maines’s criticism of George W. Bush and her subsequent feud with Toby Keith, “Thin Line” is ultimately a song about looking past division and finding common ground. Its message feels almost unusually conciliatory coming from that particular moment in the band’s history, making it all the more intriguing to hear it emerge from the vault nearly 20 years later. Whatever the reason it was left off the original album, “Thin Line” is a welcome addition to the Chicks’ catalog, and a reminder that sometimes the songs left behind are worth bringing back.
8.9
Take You Down With Me – Kameron Marlowe Written By Max Buondonno
The elusiveness of some of Kameron Marlowe’s songs can add a mysterious element that makes them intriguing, but “Take You Down With Me” takes things a step too far. While it hums to the tune of a messy relationship begging for resolution, it’s never quite clear who’s more in the wrong or how either party got to where they are. Marlowe doesn’t need to spell out exactly what went down for it to be a good song, but it’s tricky to connect with it, given that you need a few listens to (vaguely) understand what he’s trying to say. That being said, Kameron still kicks out something bombastic and full of life here. With one of the best voices in modern country music, his vocals are on point throughout the song, putting his impressive range on full display and injecting an energy no other artist could match. On top of that, he remains in his experimental bag, with instrumentals and a blaring electric guitar that has the right amount of distortion to sound almost like indie pop-rock, which isn’t a bad thing. Marlowe has always taken chances with his music, all while keeping things relatively cohesive throughout his discography. Whether the aesthetics of “Take You Down With Me” are enough to forgive the unnecessarily mysterious lyrics is another thing. Still, one thing’s for sure: it elevates expectations for his forthcoming self-titled album, which this song will kick off the tracklist.
7.2
How You Been – Dustin Lynch, Ashley Cooke Written By Noah Sneath
Well, to answer the titular question, I’ve certainly been better! The irony of “How You Been” is that the song actually works if you take the meta perspective. So low-energy are the vocal performances, so beige is the production that they both work together to support the unforgettable and unspecific story told by the lyrics. How did these two meet? Why did their romance end? How long did it last? What attracted them in the first place? The listener is told nothing in this song about specific emotions, key events, the characters’ backgrounds, and, if the intention was to tell a story that accuses its own characters of being NPCs, then well done. Dare to dream. The bright spot is the contrast Ashley Cooke’s vocal register provides against the hotel wallpaper backdrop. She floats above the midrange mush, and the same tepid production that camouflages Lynch gives her room to stand out. Everything else is basically a Morgan Wallen song with the edge and swagger sanded off, right down to a stadium rock guitar solo that sounds airlifted in from another song. Familiar concepts are welcome and even encouraged in country music, but a familiar concept needs something new, different, or remarkable to work as a retread. This has none of the three.
2.2
Make Trouble – Bayker Blankenship Written By Will Chapman
Bayker Blankenship’s “Make Trouble” can’t quite decide whether it wants to be an outlaw-country anthem or a country version of a street-rap tough-guy fantasy. The song is packed with the usual imagery: the boss man, broken-down trucks, and naturally a declaration that “my daddy didn’t raise no bitch.” However, there’s also a strange collection of braggadocious street-crime imagery: drugs, firearms, and promises of violence that seem designed primarily to establish the narrator’s toughness. “I only play that eight ball on the nights that I drink” is already a bit much, but “keep a strap on the dash, but I’m second to shoot” is almost comically on-the-nose. There’s nothing inherently wrong with writing about guns, drugs, or getting into fights, and country music has certainly never shied away from any of those subjects. The problem is that “Make Trouble” treats them less like details of a believable character and more like props in an outlaw costume. Even the hook “I don’t make trouble except when I do” feels less like a revealing character trait than a repeated attempt to convince us that this guy is dangerous. The distorted guitars and huge drum sounds provide the song with plenty of grit, but there’s only so much credibility that can survive a “strap” sitting on the dashboard.
3.7
Love Me Out Of Leavin’ – Gretchen Wilson Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
There’s a certain nostalgia woven into the unmistakable sound of early-2000s country, and Gretchen Wilson reins in all those classic bright, melodic, and playful elements that cemented that previous era. Written solely by herself, “Love Me Out Of Leavin’” is a pretty simple idea, executed with excellence. The song, as the title makes clear, shows Gretchen begging for a reason not to leave a relationship. Though it reads a little daunting on paper, the delivery plays this narrative in a pretty lighthearted way with much more charm than dread. Gretchen’s vocal performance is one of the strongest aspects of the track, showcasing her voice in a way that sounds as pure and consistent as it did in her prime. After stepping out of the spotlight, this is only her third solo release since 2017. With that in mind, this new single feels like the first truly promising step in a new era. Hopefully, there is a full album of songs as good as this one, which serves as a breath of fresh air amidst the overstimulating melting pot that is modern country music.
7.8
Ends in Tears – Davis Corley Written By Noah Sneath
If you want to understand where today’s songwriting sensibilities lie in Nashville, look at Davis Corley. Major sevenths, arpeggios, simple progressions, red wine existentialism. If you’ve paid close attention to what’s coming out of Music City in 2026, you’ll notice a musical return to the Great American Songbook. Major sevenths, secondary dominance, chromaticism – melody! Dandelion, the flagship album of 2026, is an excellent example of how songwriting is more Stardust than stadium rock. But back to Mr. Corley. As a songwriter, he’s had a few tracks cut by Ella Langley, Randall King, Cooper Alan, and most recently Luke Bryan. “Ends in Tears” is a fantastic song that masterfully combines today’s neo-traditional songcraft with a modern bohemian production style that is also very much in vogue. The joining of heavily reverbed guitar with in-your-ear drums produces both a wide-open and intimate sound. Pair that with his ashy vocal style, and you have a well-contrasted, thoroughly enjoyable recording. If country songwriters were publicly traded corporations, Jim Cramer would be telling you to “BUY, BUY, BUY!” Davis Corley stock. For those of you at home keeping a running list of the Nashville songwriter power rankings, it’s time to move this man up!
8.5
Why Don’t You Say So (feat. Avery Anna) – Dexter and the Moonrocks Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
There’s no doubt that Avery Anna has earned her stripes in the country rock scene. On Dexter and the Moonrocks’ new song featuring Anna, the two acts deliver one of the most memorable performances in the subgenre, even if the track is technically labeled as a rock release. The song calls back to the post-grunge era not only through its gritty instrumentation but also through the epic delivery by both lead vocalists. James Tuffs’s voice fits the mold of the ideal grunge singer, landing somewhere between a well-trained vocalist and a stoner who just rolled out of bed. At times, Anna’s voice echoes bands like Evanescence and Flyleaf, adding another layer to the song’s nostalgic rock influence. Each plays a different role in the song: James is the constant letdown, and Avery is the girlfriend who is fed up with his excuses. If there’s anything this song is missing, it’s more lyrical details. It would be cool to get a little more depth on this relationship, considering the angst, attitude, and tension on display. Given the chops of all the credited writers, there is potential for them to cut a little deeper in the next go-round.
8.1
In Due Time – Colin Lynch Written By Aishwarya Rajan
The prevalence of deep-weathered sadness in Americana music has become a staple for the genre, with artists like Zach Bryan and Dylan Gossett leading the charge. Through their work, you can see the delicate balance required to make these songs work: the precarious nature of either dissolving into incoherent ramblings or being broadly digestible, even when they’re ambitiously descriptive. Among these heavy hitters, Lynch has leaned more toward a melodic country, embarking on a journey of tracks that are on the cusp of developing thrills similar to Bryan’s “Revival.” Lynch’s new single “In Due Time” speaks to this. Sonically, it’s a playground of subdued electric energy and bouncy pianos, with the thumping undertones integral to Americana. Behind this curtain of optimism, Lynch tucks away honest truths about the weariness of today’s modern age and his own experiences: pocket-change bets and weight-loss medicine. He sketches the ways people cope with uncertainty, and the restlessness that lives inside patience: the stretch of waiting between where you are and where you want to be. “In Due Time” becomes a positive mantra, carrying the same comfort of “when it’s meant to be.” With just his seventh song to date, Lynch is an impressive young act setting a high bar for those seeking entrance into the genre’s fold.
8.0
Model Maniac – Brendan Walter Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Songwriters with far beefier resumes than Brendan Walter and David Pugh have toiled tirelessly for decades to get a point across that these two can condense into just eight words: she was the princess, he was the asshole. It’s one of many plainspoken moments that stop you in your tracks on “Model Maniac,” where Walter is stuck reckoning with the turbulence at the tail end of a once sky-high romance. “Look at me now, I’m breaking through!” he shouts when he thinks he’s finally weathered the storm, only to find that his celebration may be too little too late. Walter has always positioned himself as a bit of a laid-back indie rocker, which is why it’s so refreshing to find him placed in a song that sounds like it has some real do-or-die stakes. His vocal performance, vibrant and full of energy, finally gets to flaunt its feathers because of this. In describing his long-lost love, the register is delicate, cupped hands outstretched in search of reciprocation. In its big and bold hooks, he’s falling from the sky in a true crash-and-burn as the love keeping him airborne unravels around him. Its sound, pulling from a dozen different directions, remains delightfully undefined. Its delivery, however, is becoming increasingly singular, and he steps into his own.
7.6
Carolina Shakedown – Cigarettes @ Sunset Written By Adam Delahoussaye
You can practically see the embers floating above the firewood as the fiddle kicks in on “Carolina Shakedown,” the latest from Cigarettes @ Sunset, which is caught between a bluegrass jam in the woods and a house party back in suburbia. It’s another attempt by the group to weave its traditional influences with the wild side of southern music, and a successful one at that. There’s a haunting tint to the finish on “Carolina Shakedown,” a party that’s equal parts alluring and intimidating, with its breakneck speed and calloused voices echoing from deep in the forest. “Forgive me, Father, of my sins; I just can’t wait to do it again,” cries Garrett Dellinger, aware that he’s breaking the rules set from on high while acknowledging how much fun it can be. It’s an encapsulation of rebellion in young adulthood, frenzied and chaotic, yet chasing the few fleeting moments of euphoria it offers. Appalachian-born and garage-rock-bred, Cigarettes @ Sunset are experts at meshing those two moods into something totally singular.
7.0
