When I Write The Song – Jake Worthington Written By Adam Delahoussaye
It’s not often that our heralded, honky-tonk heroes give us a glimpse into their true lowlights. No, it’s not the other side of a bender or a long-lost love that has Jake Worthington down on his luck this go around. This time, the magic is literally in the music, and all it takes is a glimpse beneath the stage to see it as an ever-giving gift to those who peer at its glory. Worthington is far more reserved than his typical sticky-floored, saloon-door swagger on “When I Write The Song,” a refreshing foil to the standard glamor of the grease most new-age cowboys bring to the table. In its minimal arrangement, we get a chilling sense of isolation that comes as a byproduct of crooning Worthington’s counterparts may not be as quick to indulge in. With his thesis completely in focus, Big Loud’s truest cowboy takes the reins on a challenging, easily fumbled task of vulnterability with stunning poise and a vocal performance that’s minimized in flair to maximize the impact of a sentiment that’s often felt yet seldom vocalized. It’s always refreshing to see the artistic process examined, even scrutinized, by acts like Worthington, giving us a peek into the turmoil that comes with a persona lent out to thousands, trying not to be forgotten by one.
8.5
Only Bible – Warren Zeiders Written By Adam Delahoussaye
At a certain point, a big and brash bravado can become a burden. When rammed up against the soft-pop slop with traditional additives that “Only Bible” presents as its arrangement, Warren Zeiders’s massive vocal performance is tasked with carrying the whole tune on its back, a tough task no matter how big and strong his roars make him sound. Aside from a few standout acoustic cuts, Zeiders has a vocal temperament with no real middle ground, meaning that even more reserved or poignant moments in his catalog are often pushed to their breaking point at the expense of any real variety in the product. While it’s mostly unclear if this is a result of stunted range or producers’ misunderstanding of the assignment, there’s really nowhere for Zeiders to go on this messy, overproduced mess. In all honesty, it’s a disservice to a voice that, if put in the right environment, can shine through as one of the most powerful the genre has to offer. If Zeiders is going to get sappy, something’s gotta give. Still, it’s almost unfair to his huge personality to have his persona blended in the mundane mix of a contemporary Christian band backdrop.
6.0
How Far Does a Goodbye Go – Jason Aldean Written By Max Buondonno
When Jason Aldean drops a new song, the country music world doesn’t take notice like it used to. After a perpetual spiral into content quality disarray over his last few albums, Aldean has stained his otherwise respectable reputation in more ways than one. Yet once in a while, we get a glimmer of the artist that could once prove his worth and place in Nashville, and that’s what we hear on “How Far Does a Goodbye Go.” By no means is it a rebrand, a renewed outlook on music production, or a stylistic departure for Aldean. Rather, this song could fit on any of his last five albums, and it would stand out as one of the better tracks. It puts a clever spin on the question of when heartache fades away after a break-up, with production that blends the modern drum machines and rockstar-level guitar riffs that Aldean’s production is known for. During its 3:55 runtime, there’s little to hate beyond the same alcohol-soaked cliches Aldean uses in every one of his sad songs. While he’s never going to reach the same heights he once could vocally, he at least sounds at home on this track. It’s a rare case of Aldean doing something semi-right for a change. Granted, this means nothing for whatever project he has coming down the pipeline, but at the end of the day, “How Far Does a Goodbye Go” offers a glimpse at an Aldean that once was.
7.0
Muscadine Bloodline – My Meridian Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
When it comes to modern country duos, there’s one group that currently outshines all other talent. The self-made, honest, and true Muscadine Bloodline, has consistently proven that they’re more than just another overdone radio-country act. With swagger and swankiness, Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster have delivered high-quality music in a variety of forms. Between songs about love, robbery, youth, and drunk tattoos, there are few boxes left unchecked, although some methods have been used more than others. In their romantic tracks, there’s rarely a lack of substance, although with all lovey-dovey routes already traveled, their newest sappy single lands softer than ever. Make no mistake, “My Meridian” sounds just as good as any other Muscadine Bloodline track. However, you could still confidently argue that much of the chords and melody are just another offshoot of their already too closely sounding “Chickasaw Church of Christ” and “Mary Riley.” On back-to-back listens, you’ll notice the chords and melody in each song are eerily similar, and on top of that, “My Meridian” presents the shared song form in its laziest attire. With no more depth than “I’m gonna love you till the day I die,” it may not even be worth looking up what “Meridian” means (it’s a city in Mississippi). For what it’s worth, Muscadine Bloodline knows how to write an earnest love song, but on this track, they don’t make an effort to prove they still have much to say.
6.4
Tyler Halverson – Beer Garden Baby (feat. Parker McCollum) Written By Joel Reuben Pauley
In a great song, the writer never leaves the listener with too much to wonder about. “Beer Garden Baby” sees Tyler Halverson spells out every detail of his invitation to a restless barrel rider, contrasting her world of big buckles with his life of “dirty old strings.” Originally a fan favorite on its own, the track now takes on new life with Parker McCollum joining in, showing that Tyler can play with the big dogs. By pointing out that “the singer gets a check at every rodeo,” the lyric blurs the line between ambition and romance, suggesting that financial stability and passion are intertwined in his pursuit. The quick turn to “Who’s gonna buy your Coors tonight, honey?” undercuts that ambition with humor, exposing the fragility of his confidence and grounding the romance in playful, everyday terms. By the lyrics alone, the rerelease stands on solid ground, with a clever, comedic tenor. When it comes to the sound, the same can be said; with both Parker and Tyler wielding perfectly bare yet trained voices, the match feels natural, and the instrumentation stays true to the artistry of both. Although McCollum’s newly-included feature doesn’t change the meaning of the pre-existing track, fans of the Gold Chain Cowboy who don’t know Halverson’s music should be pleased by this introduction to his catalogue.
7.7
Someone To Call Home – Low Gap Written By Ryan Lippe
The upper midwest may not have much to write home about, but it’s home to a band with an unbelievably bright future, with the Low Gap hailing from Ohio. Out on tour supporting Chris Knight on select shows, they’ve taken after his writing style with tracks rooted in reality and fueled by clear narratives. Written by Gus and Phinneas Johnson, they’re able to describe a moment of personal reflection and depending on religion or someone else to find strength. It’s an easy message so many people could relate to, making their music digestible to the masses. With each single, their songwriting continues to get sharper and sharper as the two can hone in on new emotions and develop stories to tell. Produced by frequent collaborator Eric Tuffendsam, the mandolin takes center stage, as it does in all of their music, creating a nice cohesion between all of their tracks which has come to define their signature sound. . Incorporating piano, guitar, and soft percussion, everything blends seamlessly. Now, with their fifth single of the year, fans are ready for whatever comes next as they move forward in their young career.
8.6
Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold) – Dan Seals, Luke Bryan Written By Ryan Lippe
When will the supply of unwanted collaborations run out? It seems that every week, someone is invited to perform a verse on a song where the collaboration doesn’t add any value or change the message of the lyrics. As part of his 1985 album Won’t Be Blue Anymore, Dan Seals and Bob McDill created one of the most emotional ballads of all time, making it an instant classic. Fast forward to 2025, Luke Bryan comes along and puts out a head-scratching rendition of such a timeless track. Throughout the track, fans of the original will be quick to point out minor changes in the production and, seemingly, Seals’s vocals. While change isn’t inherently offensive, it surely raises eyebrows with a handful of alterations in the production that might throw off old school Dan Seals purists.. One of the reasons the song works so well is that Seals can jump into his falsetto with ease, whereas Bryan can’t make that leap with the same grace at this point in his career. Clearly, this release wasn’t designed with malice, but it creates an off-putting energy knowing that one of bro-country’s titans is releasing a song with someone who passed away in 2009.
6.2
Dent – Danielle Bradberry Written By Max Buondonno
Glitzy, girly-pop country is about as tired as bro-country nowadays, and it goes without saying that it’s one of the hardest styles to adopt and manage to stand out. In her latest attempt at mainstream success, Danielle Bradberry takes a stab at the sub-genre with “Dent,” and the result is about as mediocre as what you’d expect. Written by Austin Goodloe, Joybeth Taylor, Lydia Vaughan, and country sensation Ella Langley, the snappy pop-oriented song reveals the lack of hurt and heartache after the protagonist’s breakup, stressing that not even a dent is left on her heart. It’s the sort of song you could only describe as “unimpressive.” The lively production sounds like it’s been done by Kelsea Ballerini a million times, and the “you meant nothing to me anyway” attitude in the lyrics rehashes a theme that’s cheap and easy to champion if the goal is to make a song as relatable as possible to a crowd of concert-goers. Bradberry’s vocals also underwhelm, leaving this song practically indistinguishable from similar songs in the pop-country world. As Danielle Bradberry continues to try to jumpstart her leveled career, it’s probably best to look in other directions for inspiration that won’t lead you to songs like this.
4.5
Girls From Bristol – Nicholas Jamerson Written By Jack Humphrey
As the Appalachian folk movement continues to gain momentum in country music, leading figures like Charles Wesley Godwin and 49 Winchester have carved out a niche in an extremely crowded field of typically melancholy singer-songwriters. Of that group, there aren’t many talents whose perennial status as underdogs creates so much consternation the way Nicholas Jamerson’s does. Songs like “Girls From Bristol” are a great witness to the woefully tender songwriting acumen he brings to every release. In this ballad, our narrator recounts a life gone tragically wrong to his old lover, from the death of his grandfather to the loss of his job with a brooding forelornness that only someone who’s been kicked down a few times can conjure. The arrangement is a perfect complement, brandishing plodding steel brushes and bluesy keys to mix present-tense world-weariness and wistful yearning for the past, when a happier outlook was easier. At nearly six minutes of runtime, this soft dirge does get to feel a bit bloated towards the end, but the overall execution remains very effective. Jamerson may always be one of the more underrated wordsmiths in the game, but his reputation as a truly impressive storyteller will always be safe on the back of poetic cuts like this.
8.1
Jake Worthington – Too Much to Think Written By Will Chapman
As long as Jake Worthington is still around, the shuffle still has a place in modern country. And “Too Much to Think” off his latest record, When I Write The Song, is about as pure of an example you can find. Written by Worthington alongside Monty Criswell and Roger Springer, the song leans on some good-old-fashioned country wordplay to turn heartbreak into honky-tonk poetry. The hook “I had too much to think last night” sounds like it came straight off an old jukebox. Musically, this track is stacked. Brent Mason absolutely lets loose on his Telecaster, with ear-twisting lines that color the whole arrangement without ever crowding the vocal. Add in fiddle, steel, piano, and a walking bass line, and you’ve got an arrangement where every element is perfectly placed. The musicianship is astonishing, each part serving the shuffle groove while still leaving space to shine. Worthington’s vocal delivery really seals the deal. He leans into the song with the conviction of someone who’s lived it, carrying shades of George Jones in his whine and phrasing while perfectly tip-toeing the line between authenticity and parody. Perhaps most impressive is Joey Moi’s adaptability as a producer. It would be pretty much impossible to guess this song was produced by the same man who has produced Nickelback, Florida Georgia Line, and Morgan Wallen. Most widely known for his rock, bro-country, and pop-country productions, Moi continues to reach into his traditional bag when working with Worthington, and the results speak for themselves. “Too Much to Think” doesn’t just flirt with tradition; it is traditional. This is what modern country music should sound like: rooted in classic form, elevated by world-class musicianship, and delivered with reverent sincerity.
9.2
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