Zach John King – Feel The Burn Written By Adam Delahoussaye
In the age of democratized taste, when artists are catapulted from bars to ballrooms on the back of a few lingering phrases that echo through the digital jungle, it’s almost a little nostalgic when an act looks and sounds like they were bred by an institution rather than a collection of individuals. Up to now, Zach John King has salted his smolder and hit his marks with such sterling precision that you would be forgiven for rubbing your eyes and blinking twice to make sure his presence wasn’t imagined, a glazed over amalgamation of the dozens of dude-bros he’s shoulder to shoulder with. But there’s only so much a jaw chiseled from marble and a Morgan Wallen co-sign can do for a stout catalog that’s increasingly repetitive and hosed-down. His latest entry epitomizes this, reading like a spitball session with a litter of required SEO-friendly words and phrases at the top of the order of business. “Feel The Burn” effectively falls into that special (and recently sidelined) category of “music that feels like it was written in a conference room,” sounding sterile and sense-driven to a fault. Pages turn, whiskey burns, any and all of the colloquialisms used to turn an otherwise blank-slate voice into a form of commerce rather than a vessel for any story with personal definition. It feels like we’ve yet to learn anything substantial about the real Zach John King, only getting bits and pieces of his pre-approved personality set to tempos deemed fit for activities that surveys tell us his target demographic participates in.
4.0
Ty Myers, Marcus King – Two Trains Written By Adam Delahoussaye
After his collaboration-centric step back into the mix with Darling Blue, “Two Trains” is a clear testament to how invigorated King must feel that he’s already getting reentering in the game as more of a mentor than a peer. Ty Myers, while not a direct acolyte of the south’s shaggiest rockstar, is a definite bridge between a more batted eyelash blues and King’s more frenetic, eagle-screech guitar solos. The two meet in the middle, with a dad-rock cover of Little Feat’s standout hit that’s been caked in dust despite sharing so many sonic similarities with our modern rock historians. The choice is a real “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” pull, signaling street smarts for the young gun and letting the old timer rip on a favorite from the crate. It’s a perfect point to pair two talents that mesh like peas and carrots, as Myers goes low with his rosy rasp and King goes high with yowls on pitch with the screeching of several guitars all in piercing conversation with one another. The two are constantly bouncing off each other in a wall-to-wall rocker that oscillates between slouching in the driver’s seat and putting the full force of a foot on the gas. Fun, frenzied, and full of life, Myers and King breathe new life into an old effort with a rendition that feels like a day-off adventure.
8.0
Plans Upon Plans – Natalie Del Carmen Written By Ryan Lippe
Storytelling has always been the center of country and Americana music as the genres have intersected over the years, providing some of the best tales in all of art and pop culture. Freshly signed to Torrez Music Group, LA-based singer/songwriter Natalie Del Carmen has crafted a spectacularly elegant song that reflects thoroughly on carving your own path and not adhering to any one plan for your life. Having admired the works of Brandi Carlile, Gregory Alan Isakov, and The Lumineers for so long, their influences shine through in the loose arrangement of the lyrics. The blurred lines between verse and chorus could make it difficult for listeners unfamiliar with the style to follow the narrative. However, Natalie Del Carmen’s delicate voice distracts the listener from traditional song structure because it’s simply sensational the way her voice is able to capture the energy of the whole room. Her voice is reminiscent of early Kacey Musgraves, with how buttery-smooth her transitions between notes are, and she effortlessly carries the melody throughout the whole song. Produced by the Tennessee-based musical collective Brunjo, the track leans more towards an Americana and folksy tone. Still, it keeps a foot in the country world, with its exquisite fiddle and minimal percussion that let her voice shine through. The banjo and the fiddle come into the picture after the first 30 seconds and play a prominent role for the rest of the song. With her upcoming album Pastures set to release on January 30th, “Plans Upon Plans” is a fantastic introduction to her limited but already fantastic catalog.
9.3
Chandler Walters – Justa One Kiss Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
No matter how good the songs turn out, getting Ernest’s musical Frankenstein, Chandler Walters, to stand on its own two feet will be a difficult task. Last year, Walters, a friend and touring musician in Ernest’s band, began releasing his own music under Ern’s new label DeVille Records. As his first single apart from The Cadillac Sessions, “Justa One Kiss” is his very first, truly solo release. While it sounds like it was geared towards a classic country sound in the realm of Joe Diffie or Alan Jackson’s twangiest hits, it’s unmistakably reminiscent of Ernest’s catalogue. From the vocal production alone, it’s hard to tell at times that it actually isn’t an Ernest song. It doesn’t help much that Chandler isn’t even listed as a writer. While that isn’t a violation of any laws or regulations, the same young artist who has been so praised and celebrated by his mentor seems to be kept on a tight leash, unable actually to show his rumored writing chops. Written by Ernest, Devin Dawson, Kyle Fishman, and Jacob Durrett (Devin’s brother), the track does actually have a good groove and enough lyrical charm to make it worth listening to. As you can gather from the title alone, Chandler uses the song to list everything he’d be willing to do for a shot at love with a woman who’s caught his eye. Leaning on its double-time beat and Chandler’s guitar and vocal runs, the song is catchy and undeniably country, but it just doesn’t feel like it belongs to Walters.
6.7
Noah Hicks – Might As Well Be Gone Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
Listening to Noah Hicks’s latest song at a normal volume might be hazardous, because it feels like Hicks crawls straight into your ear canal and starts screaming at full blast. Calling “Might As Well Be Gone” blandly written would be putting it nicely, and there’s not much room for praise in lyrics as thoughtless as “So tell me where your mind’s at… Is it right here or somewhere that you ain’t seeing down that road?” From the more calm introduction, you’d never expect the full-on sonic assault that hits once the chorus kicks in, as Hicks seems determined to set a new words-per-minute record. Between phrases like “six feet deep,” “crash and burn,” and “flatline,” there’s no sense of urgency or original emotion, just the recycling of every breakup metaphor you’ve ever heard, stripped of detail or character. While writing about heartache and trust issues can go any number of ways, this track mistakes volume for emotion, leaving you hopeless to find anything deeper beneath all the noise.
2.7
Work On Me – Dasha Written By Max Buondonno
Dasha is ready to get more vulnerable, but before we get to that, there’s still time to party. As the opening song to her new EP, Anna, “Work On Me” does two things: it avoids revealing anything new about who she is (rebelling against the marketed purpose of the new project), yet sounds so authentically Dasha that you feel like you’ve heard all of her music by the end of its three-minute runtime. The song comes across as flirtatious and playful, much like other songs in her discography, leaning into lustful expressions that later reveal themselves as double entendres. At the root of the track is someone who’s been hurt numerous times in relationships, looking for someone to fix them and mend the damage. The clever wordplay and relatable storyline give this high-energy ditty a thoughtful twist. Although it’s hard to avoid the fact that it sounds a lot like every other Dasha song with its simplistic chorus melodies and Shaboozy-esque rhythmic instrumentals, there’s something respectable about the consistency of Dasha’s music that makes it an enjoyable listen, even though you swear you’ve heard it before.
7.3
Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To – Joe Nichols Written By Max Buondonno
No amount of unpopularity could tarnish the charm and traditionalism of Joe Nichols’s artistry. While his career has certainly fallen from the highs of the early 2000s, his music remains timeless, with a sound that instantly transports you to a different era of country melodies. “Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To,” Nichols’s latest single, follows in those same footsteps with a sound and conveyance straight from a Tennessee saloon on a lonely night. Harping on the pain and heartache of a failed relationship that’s given no chance to dissipate amid the sad songs being played, Nichols delivers the right emotion and cadence to create a visceral environment that evokes a sense of despair and drunkenness, enveloping the senses. At times, you feel removed from the environment the song creates because of the amount of auto-tune applied to Nichols’s voice, which is far too processed to sound natural. Still, “Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To” is yet another example of Nichols’s ear for a good, old-fashioned country song that can stand on its own in any decade.
8.2
Gunshy – Southall, Koe Wetzel Written By Jack Humphrey
In most cases, a rerecord or collaboration project doesn’t inspire excitement amongst fans eager for new music from their favorite band. More often than not, such a release is a croaky cry for attention from a legacy act with little else to say. This was not the case for Southall’s The Six String Sorrow Sessions, which takes a dusty collection of decade-old fan-favorite gems and gives them the punchy, high-fidelity sound they’ve always deserved. While the tinny, acoustic originals have plenty of cult fanaticism over the years, it’s hard to argue that these songs don’t benefit from the layered, studio-quality facelift they received on this record. The standout “Gunshy” is the best example of this impressive effort; swapping out a single acoustic guitar recorded in mono for dual electrics that fit right in with the band’s more current Texas-rock output is a jolt of red-hot stickiness. Koe Wetzel’s presence here is more than welcome, but the main story of this record remains that “Gunshy” finally feels like a full song, with a tasty hook that’s ripe for a rowdy singalong in concert and a beat that’s hard not to groove to.
8.2
I Better Go – Mae Estes Written By Will Chapman
Mae Estes continues to carve out her lane as one of the most promising traditional voices in today’s country, and “I Better Go,” off of her latest self-titled EP, is another step forward. The song stands out for its killer chord progression and particularly emotive vocal delivery from Estes. The melody doesn’t chase radio-friendly, easy-to-sing trends; instead, it curls, climbs, and falls about the form, leaning into something classic. Her phrasing and tone recall Keith Whitley’s smooth agility and Trisha Yearwood’s tone and control. Lyrically, it’s a familiar story of late-night temptation, and a woman torn between what she wants and what she knows better, but Mae brings such poise and conviction to it that it feels brand new. “I Better Go” is another reminder that Mae Estes is doing something special. She’s proving that traditional country can still sound vibrant and modern when it’s done right.
8.9
