Daddy’s Mugshot – Laci Kaye Booth Written By Ryan Lippe
Entering a new era in her career, Laci Kaye Booth presents the listener with a truly haunting tune that originates from the most fascinating concepts. Inspired by Booth stumbling across her father’s mugshot on Facebook one day, the narrator tells a detailed story about struggling with their identity and complex history. Written by Booth and Morgan Evans, the song is arranged with a very catchy rhythm structure, allowing Booth to display her fantastic vibrato to extend verses, but the lines are kept brief and to the point. Winding in and out of her falsetto, she creates a dark atmosphere for the listener, as if they’re being told a horror story around a campfire. Each verse tells a different aspect of Booth’s life as a child and then as a budding musician, depicting a clear picture of how she’s been on the difficult trail. Produced by Ben West, no element of the track feels overbearing or more dominant than others. The guitar, steel, and mild percussion create a chilling atmosphere and combine at the bridge for a cinematic finish. For those unfamiliar with her work, this story song is a great jumping-off point to dive into Laci Kaye Booth’s career and her masterful songwriting.
8.8
Spanish Moss – Cole Swindell Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
Just in time for summer, Cole Swindell is back with a new single chock-full of beachy references. “Spanish Moss” is made up of stereotypical mainstream country love song phrases like “underneath that ocean moon” and “Levis on the limb,” which actually help to set the scene for the song. However, when the listener is settled into this idea of romance on the Georgia coast, Cole finds himself in a “Shenandoah Mood,” which frankly has nothing to do with this song geographically or thematically. The abrupt yelping in the chorus also throws you for a loop, which might be easier to embrace if not for the overdose of autotune in the vocal production. Without such heavy processing and the random placement of mountain imagery, this song would make for a decent beach banger, that is, if you aren’t expecting some form of profound, nuanced lyricism.
5.8
Oh Appalachia – Jonas Conner Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
At just fifteen, Jonas Conner gets deeper and more personal than many of today’s most popular country artists. “Oh, Appalachia” is yet another example of how, despite his young age, Connor has plenty to say. The new track revolves around his love for his Tennessee home near the Appalachian Trail. He reflects, “You can only go so far in a ten-mile town,” revealing the emotional weight behind his decision to pursue music as a career. The beautifully haunting melody of this song sounds completely unique, easily getting stuck in your head and fitting the song’s theme perfectly. As more instruments join in, you hear a full band moment about halfway in, which suits Jonas well. After the success of “Father in a Bible,” this release is a perfect next step, further supporting Conner’s success as he continues to show the value behind his words.
8.6
Casino – Tucker Wetmore Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Betting on Tucker Wetmore is house money at this point. The rising star has continued to roll out his upcoming LP with familiar feelings of engines revving and throwing it all on black almost effortlessly. All these tracks, including “Casino,” are peppered with a twang of charisma despite a first-glance familiarity with some of today’s hottest talents. On his newest track, we’re thrown into a world of pool halls and card games, Wetmore emphasizing that he’s the guy who can’t leave the table. Like every great gambler, he’s so sure doubling down on that next hand will get his winnings back. It’s a neat analogy that pairs well with that sleazy electric guitar backing the Washingtonian’s heartbreak and bankruptcy as they intertwine. Almost as if he’s losing his sanity in congruence with his funds, his voice presents a precise tone while yielding an unrestrained delivery. Both sonically and within Wetmore’s verses, there’s a “stumble into the morning light” feel to “Casino” that sees the singer on the back end of a bender with just as much bite as the night before. He doesn’t seem bothered by the consequences, emotional or monetary. “Casino” is full of false notions, but there’s still not a lot of regret. Thankfully for us, he’ll be back tomorrow night.
7.2
Kashus Culpepper feat. Marcus King – Southern Man Written By Adam Delahoussaye
By now, there should be zero debate about where Alabama-born Kashus Culpepper lies on the sonic spectrum. A voice soaked in delta blues and a style constantly tailored to the great American bands south of the Mason-Dixon tell us as much. While there’s no real need for him to reassure us of his pinstripes, a track like “Southern Man” only enhances a continued tenacity for voices like his being catapulted from small towns to big markets. Here, Culpepper is parroting goliaths like Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers with the pride they take in their roots as his swampy vocals are finally paired with an arrangement that’s just as eager to get sweat on its brow and dirt under its fingernails. Accompanied by lead guitarist Marcus King, the two are a force of nature in tune with hurricane season, with wails from King’s six-string and screams of Culpepper’s regional pride coming from both instruments, respectively. It’s a tour de force of the customs and colloquialisms that populate a people as its ambassadors burst through that thick, audial humidity with sheer force of will. Compared to their counterparts, they dance tastefully between modernization and parody, with little left to prove as successors to their genre, with divine nature seemingly handing down their talents to them. Sometimes, it’s just fun to hear the big dogs bark.
8.1
Help Ourselves – Ty Myers, Harper O’Neill Written By Creed Miller
Teenage phenom Ty Myers is back with a deluxe version of his debut album, The Select, and a duet with Harper O’Neill. Ty Myers has always had deep and intelligent lyrics despite his young age, and with the help of Alex Lambert, this track is no different. The song is about a barely functional relationship, and the protagonists quickly grab the liquor, constantly complicating things for each other instead of offering support. Myers and O’Neill mesh well, as they have incredible voices but don’t overpower one another. Their vocals sound amazing, conveying the deep, raw emotion the song is trying to convey. Myers continues to feed into the John Mayer comparisons, thanks to the cool guitar licks throughout the song. The electric guitar is, without question, the most interesting part and grabs your attention more than anything else. While there are a lot of positives, there are definitely areas of improvement. The song has many great aspects but is a little boring overall. There is no big kicker to make it memorable; it’s just there. You keep waiting for the lightbulb to click on and take things up a notch, and it never goes off. It feels like a huge build-up to nothing; you’re waiting for the non-existent bursts of energy. Ty Myers is one of the most exciting young artists in country music, but while it’s not bad at all, “Help Ourselves” isn’t his best work.
6.8
I Hate Whiskey – Dylan Scott Written By Creed Miller
A few months before his upcoming album, Dylan Scott gave fans a predictable preview with “I Hate Whiskey.” The first verse is quite a pleasant surprise as it’s stripped down and focuses on light acoustic picking and a slide guitar. This is such a refreshing change of pace for Scott, and it feels a lot more raw. Unfortunately, that only lasts until the chorus, when a weird beat becomes the main instrument in play. It’s a huge letdown, as the simple guitar could’ve been cool and distracted you from Scott’s basic lyrics. While they don’t always have to be that deep, it’s always nice when they’re backed up with some cool production. In this case, it turns into exactly what people expected, and the plot of whiskey leading to thoughts about a girl gets corny really fast. Especially when paired with that production. This also prevents the song from being deeper than it truly is. It initially seems super authentic, then immediately gets sucked right back up to surface level. “I Hate Whiskey” feels so much more of the same from Scott and is upsetting from the initial false hope.
4.7
Bye In A Goodbye – Braxton Keith Written By Will Chapman
As Braxton Keith moves further into the year, he continues to ride the success he was able to drum up last year with his viral smash “Cozy.” His first release of 2025, “Bye In A Goodbye,” sees him taking a slightly different direction than anything from his Blue EP. “Bye In A Goodbye” is a sad, dramatic song written in 3/4 time, giving it a somber waltz feel. While the track still contains pedal steel and that signature curly twang of his, it definitely has a more contemporary production style than some of his other releases. There’s a washed-out, distorted guitar carrying much of the rhythm work, while the pedal steel is more of a textural device than a lead instrument. Keith has yet to replicate the viral success of “Cozy,” but “Bye In A Goodbye” feels like a smart pivot; sad, dramatic country songs never go out of style. As he looks to take his career to the next level, leading with a heartbreak song might be the right move. Whether this marks the beginning of a new chapter or just a detour on his journey, “Bye In A Goodbye” shows that Braxton Keith isn’t content to rest on his laurels, and that’s a good sign for the future.
8.5
My Time Is Gonna Come – Jesse Daniel Written By Will Chapman
Over the past few years, Jesse Daniel has become revered as quite the traditionalist in the alt-country scene. His latest single, “My Time Is Gonna Come,” sees him veering from the straight, traditional country sound that we have all become accustomed to hearing from him, delivering an upbeat, soulful banger. “My Time Is Gonna Come” is a joyful ode to self-reflection, prosperity, and the future. The big guitars add dimension, and the Gospel choir reflects the joyful spirit of the lyrics. For Jesse Daniel, this release feels like a bold step outside his comfort zone, yet he navigates it easily, showing a level of versatility we haven’t seen. The triumphant “My Time Is Gonna Come” is a testament to the broader scope of Jesse Daniel’s artistry.
8.0
Bar None – Jordan Davis Written By Max Buondonno
As one of Nashville’s modern mainstream frontmen, Jordan Davis continues his indulgence in the world of surface-level sludge with “Bar None.” Written by Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps, and Lydia Vaughan, the track takes the same broken-heart, drowning-in-whiskey concept found in plenty of other country songs and tries to make it stand out by using “bar none” as a “clever” play on words. See, Davis had the best relationship ever, “bar none,” but if there was a scoreboard (for some reason), his ex and the memory have one point, but him and the “bar? None.” Backed by an instrumental that’s all too cheery to match the energy of the lyrics, the resulting track is instantly forgettable. It contradicts the quality of previous Davis singles like “Next Thing You Know” and “Buy Dirt.” If anything, the song sounds like it’ll play fine live, but tap it on Spotify, and you’ll want a pallet cleanser sooner than you think.
3.5
