Imagine That – Riley Green Written By Aishwarya Rajan
A willing ear may have noticed that Riley Green’s inspiration for slow ballads is recycled material from the same crawling melody and chord progression of his 2024 track, “Pick a Place.” This patternistic borrowing resurfaces almost entirely in “That’s a Mistake” (~20-second mark), with its silhouette appearing in “Go Again,” and then in his latest single, “Imagine That.” They may say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but that’s not exactly helpful in the ingenuity department. Then again, the expectations for Riley Green’s music ebb and flow with the same volatility as the love life he narrates: fans either suffer like children of divorce, cringe at the greasy bravado, or pillage through earnest lyricism. However, as the fourth release before his upcoming album, That’s Just Me, Green washes away the grease, trading suave for sincerity. In typical Riley Green fashion, slow acoustic plucking eventually gives way to more colorful strumming: a blend of Keith Urban-style electric guitar and a whiny pedal steel, to tell a story of longing and repentance. The song plays out like a rom-com: the lazy man’s version of Say Anything. Instead of hoisting a boombox, a boy sells a half-assed gesture of riding around for a while. It’s so convincing that by the end you might embody the fool who believed that a four-wheel drive sitting idle in the driveway, ready to go thousands of miles or nowhere at all, is the most romantic move a man can make.
6.6
How to Not – Zach John King Written By Aishwarya Rajan
Within two years, Zach John King has made a name for himself, appeasing a variety of listeners. While his upbeat, easy-to-follow releases (“Backwoods” or “Deserve a Heartbreak”) are kind on the ears, “Beneath the Pines” and “Happy for You” shed light on his deep toolset and songwriting vulnerability that are typically masked by the catchy interplay of pedal steel, subtle riffs, and delectable drum strikes. He (and the likes of Tucker Wetmore and Morgan Wallen) know how to 1) wear trucker hats, 2) shave a similar mustache and, most importantly, 3) scratch an itch well enough to leave an impression. ZJK’s latest single, “How to Not,” is a testament to that last point. As a tribute to his late father, the young artist hones in on a vital attribute of country music: writing about life. Listeners are taken through the specific learning “how-tos” of being his father’s son: skipping a swim jig, cleaning what he catches, taking coffee in a Circle K cup, etc. Minute details that forged him into the man he is today. Throughout this single, King shows out with powerful vocals that outshine most of what we’ve heard from him so far. He plays with his low and high registers and leans into a vocal swoop, while the shapeshifting melody gives him moments to showcase these facets. Traditionalists may fight the urge to praise this piece. Still, it encapsulates the very ideals and lifestyle features that greats including Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, and Alan Jackson are no strangers to.
7.7
Hardwired – Stephen Wilson Jr. feat. Miranda Lambert Written By Adam Delahoussaye
You can almost imagine the former fighter shadowboxing as he murmurs through grindset taglines peppered throughout “Hardwired,” hoodie-up in his own version of a Rocky montage. It’s been a while since Stephen Wilson Jr. sounded this dialed-in, those loud and heavy drums setting the scene in the locker room rather than on a barstool for this go-around. It’s especially felt when Wilson croons lines like “Down with the crickets, up every dawn,” as the guitar behind him gets into a sprinter’s pace. It’s so full throttle that you almost forget that superstar Miranda Lambert is in Wilson’s corner, or that he barrel rolls into an interpolation of Pixies “Where Is My Mind” about halfway through. The latter is surprisingly seamless, blending that rock-heavy sound with some clues parsed throughout the nod to Fight Club’s foundation-shaking anthem. Maybe Wilson is reckoning with his own version of Tyler Durden somewhere in the back of his psyche, or maybe the singer is ready to attack the world he lives in rather than continue to narrativize it. If nothing else, his latest is a good shot in the arm for an act that’s slow to use his second gear, but always makes the trip worth it.
7.4
Mill Town Flood – Billy Strings Written By Adam Delahoussaye
It feels like Billy Strings has been due to get back to his roots for a while now. Coming off a third Grammy win for his rip-roaring Highway Prayers, the rollout for his upcoming LP has stayed within the state lines where he first cut his teeth. “Mill Town Flood,” the story of a laborer who falls on hard times, is as personal as any of Strings’s more autobiographical releases despite the picker placing himself in some pretty well-worn shoes. It’s a lot more traditional in its form than a lot of his spacier, abstract numbers, following a pretty clear three-act structure as the singer takes on the life of Darwin Lyin, a non-fictional character who falls victim to Strings’s ornate world-building abilities. No bells and whistles, no refurbished Cadillacs revving up behind him as he wades down this tumultuous river before totally surrendering to its current. “It looks like it’s raining for the third time today, and I pray it keeps coming down, ’til the river takes me away,” he cries in the chorus. Strings has always liked to dance with his demons, but he rarely gets this deep into that darkness. With few accent pieces in the studio with him, Strings can place a pretty prominent emphasis on his storytelling ability, getting apocryphal while still paying a poignant homage to home.
8.2
One Hour At A Time – Corey Parsons Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
There’s something so special about a song that is relatable for its listeners, whether it brings back memories, evokes deep-down emotions, or echoes important life lessons. In Corey Parsons’s latest single, “One Hour At A Time,” he tells a story that will strike a nerve with most listeners. Calling back to foundational advice from his mother, Parsons recalls, “The years go by in the blink of an eye, but the days still roll by one hour at a time.” From the warmth conveyed by both his vocal performance and the stripped-back instrumentation, you’re assured this is a positive reflection rather than a dawning “it’s too late” moment. Resting in a cherished memory, Parsons delivers each lyric with gratitude, perfectly matching the song’s simple yet widely relatable message. For Corey, an artist who isn’t very well-known in the country music community, this track makes a good impression, not only demonstrating an ability to be intimate with his words, but also showcasing the best parts of his scruffy (yet controlled) voice. In this genre, there is always room for artists who cut down on the fancy production to make room for heartfelt songwriting, and Corey Parsons is swiftly becoming a heavy hitter in that category.
8.0
Please Don’t Call – Alicia Blue Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
From the first few seconds alone, Alicia Blue’s new single demands the attention of true country fans. Listening to “Please Don’t Call” feels like opening a time capsule and discovering a long-lost classic from generations ago. The song showcases Alicia’s distinctive vocals, which at times almost recall Dolly Parton’s, especially in the fiery, vibrato-enhanced rasp that emerges at the end of certain phrases. With Shooter Jennings, a master of vintage sounds, behind the boards, the track embodies the warm, analog textures of pre-’90s country, its worn-in production making it pose as though it were lifted from an old tape recording. Although the lyrics don’t build toward a grand revelation, Alicia makes one thing abundantly clear: her time with her lover is not to be interrupted, declaring, “When I’m with him, please don’t call.” Listeners may find strong similarities to Tyler Childers’s “Whitehouse Road,” as the verse melody, rhythm, and chord progression share a remarkably similar structure. However, the resemblance is not overly distracting, and the song remains a more rewarding listen than much of what country radio has to offer.
8.3
902180 – Tyler Hubbard Written By Max Buondonno
Tyler Hubbard is always in pursuit of a hit. The Florida Georgia Line frontman began teasing his latest single, “902180,” weeks ahead of its release, hinting at an accompanying pre-manufactured line dance he’s challenging his fans to learn. While that and all of his TikToks in the bed of his truck might not be convincing enough to give it a spin, the song itself is charming enough to stand out on its own. It’s hard to ignore Hubbard’s ability to kick out something catchy that easily gets stuck in your head, and the numeric title and hook make this song not just memorable, but more intriguing than it needs to be. After falling in love with someone whose home is out west, Hubbard fills the brief 2:36 runtime with catchy wordplay and references to California, all with his instantly familiar, subdued vocal performance that gives the song a chill groove. Coupled with a dusty production and a chorus of background singers, “902180” almost has an Ella Langley vibe to it, which surprisingly works for T-Hubb. The short runtime also helps it feel lighter on its feet, ending before you can grow bored of the repetitive lyrics. Any time Hubbard takes a song and gives it a fresh production spin, it feels like a breath of fresh air for the bro-country pioneer. The track might not pop as much as some of his other singles, but it still manages to highlight some level of artistic evolution, which you have to appreciate from any veteran in the genre.
7.2
Autopilot – Chase Matthew Written By Max Buondonno
In the world of songs that cover desperation, depression, and self-loathing, it’s hard to find ones that convey a genuine emotion that doesn’t play things too safe and gets to the heart of what the artist is trying to say. Oftentimes, in an attempt to make the song as relatable as possible, vague lyrics are written that try to encompass a larger issue but wind up coming off as too over-generalized and void of authenticity. Chase Matthew’s new track, “Autopilot,” falls victim to these same tendencies. While it may describe a difficult time in Matthew’s life and attempt to help others who have experienced the same thing, its inability to go beyond saying “hey, I’m sad, too” diffuses any chance it had at honing in on specific issues or emotions Matthew might’ve been dealing with. The comments section is scary. He feels numb from all the negativity. He’s mentally crashing. And then the song ends. The song has good intentions, but its failure to express something more specific for fear of being unrelatable makes it sound more like a cookie-cutter track off Music Row than the actual thoughts in Matthew’s heart and mind. Songs of this nature demand raw, unfiltered storytelling to have the impact they set out to have. Instead, “Autopilot” feels like a wasted opportunity for him to be as vulnerable as possible, instead opting for yet another way to frame that he, too, has gone through some… stuff in his life.
4.6
Memo – Dasha Written By Aishwarya Rajan
Far and few country artists originate from the Golden State. In recent years, even less so successfully fight what one could imagine is a form of geographic imposter syndrome. That said, Dasha has managed to make a splash in the country scene. At times, her sweet tone is reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s Fearless era, a sound that perhaps should inspire hers going forward. Yet, she’s consistently leaned toward radio-friendly production that cosplays southern accents rather than embodies them. It’s the foot-stomping over-exuberance of tracks played at your local line-dancing joint, and her latest single, “Memo,” carries that same glitz. Incorporating fiddles and clapping with her typical boot-thumping fashion, she tells a story of a love interest whose failures in a relationship forced her to move on. Utilizing a sonically lighthearted lens in which she maneuvers through catchy lyricism and tempo changes up the wazoo, Dasha certainly achieves a replay-worthy radio single at your local Walmart or Publix. While splicing “memory” into “memo,” indicative of the last message she left him, is clever in itself, it also weakens the songwriting maturity of the song as a whole. With this latest release, one might wonder whether the “Austin” star has any plans of stepping back into the strengths of her more introspective style characterized by “Share this City” rather than appeasing the festival crowd.
5.3
