I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood Written By Creed Miller
In a first look of Leather’s deluxe edition, Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood join forces for a heartfelt duet. It’s a surface-level love song written by Travis Denning, Chris Stevens, and Kelly Archer, touching on life’s enduring constants, including the unwavering love between the central characters. “Tides are gonna turn with the pull of the moon, and I’m gonna love you,” Johnson sings in the first verse. It’s not necessarily bad, but the writing isn’t doing anything to take the song to the next level. The track opens with a piano, which sets a nice, serene tone before Johnson’s smooth vocals join in. The production by Trent Willmon matches the artists’ down-tempo energy with a slick (but tranquil) guitar solo. That said, the song’s intensity (or lack thereof) is one of its biggest downfalls. It leaves the listener anticipating a surge that never arrives. Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood are two of the best vocalists in country music, and it felt like they were holding back. It removes the artist’s biggest strengths, making the song lack passion. If there were a perfect word to describe it, it would be ‘underwhelming.’ It’s not bad, but boring, ultimately falling short of its potential.
7.0
I’ve Got Three – Gavin Adcock Written By Creed Miller
No one pumps music out as consistently as Gavin Adcock, and he’s already back with two more singles. In classic Adcock fashion, the song is about his rowdy lifestyle and how it will catch up to him if he continues to live like he’s got three lives to burn. Each verse depicts an endless cycle of long nights, weeks, and years of drinking beer, loving women, spending money, etc. The verses are slow and acoustic, but the song takes a fun-filled shift into the chorus that brings the listener straight into a honky tonk. The Georgia native even sneaks in several yodels throughout the track, showing off some range from his usual gritty vocals. Adcock continues to play into similar themes with his music, but he still manages to vary his sound so it isn’t the same thing over and over. While his other hits, such as “Deep End,” feature a much more energetic and rock-infused sound, “I’ve Got Three” slows things down and gets a little more country while still showing off his rambunctious personality. “I’ve Got Three” is not the most thought-provoking song in the world, but it’s still undeniably catchy and exactly what a listener should expect from Gavin Adcock.
7.4
Oh Susannah – Wyatt Flores Written By Ryan Lippe
In the second track of his upcoming album Welcome to the Plains, Wyatt Flores focuses on the community his music has built and the fight for mental health support. After Flores took his hiatus from touring, some fans looked at his music in a different light, knowing the struggles he endured. Despite his desire for his music to offer hope, this track reflects the personal toll it can take. Although one-sided, the song feels like a heartfelt conversation between writer David DeVaul and Wyatt Flores to his fans, who depend on his music as a source of happiness and hope. Clocking in at a little over four minutes, the bridge is a little repetitive and could’ve been more concise; however, the build-up to the final chorus feels very cinematic, very much par for the course for many Flores songs. Having produced his latest three releases, Beau Bedford has developed a specific musical identity for this stage in his career. Blending various Americana and country elements, Flores’s music has a fresh and modern sound while keeping the traditional roots of his Oklahoman upbringing. As we inch closer to Welcome To The Plains, it would be refreshing to see Flores slow down the tempo on some songs with fewer high-octane anthems.
8.8
Heroes – Tyler Hubbard Written By Max Buondonno
With no promotion or forewarning of its arrival, Tyler Hubbard dropped a surprise song titled “Heroes.” His first since the release of Strong in April, the track’s unexpected arrival will do no favors for this bland, uninspired tribute to the heroes of a small town. Written by Hubbard, Jordan Schmidt, and Chase McGill, the song celebrates the locals in your community who “risk their lives and don’t think twice to lay it down.” While the message and intention behind the song are admirable, the track itself is full of cliches and preachy to the extent that it feels like Hubbard was paid to write this song for a TV commercial about Any Town USA. The track insists on mentioning as many “heroes” as possible without spending too much time with any of them. At the same time, Hubbard attempts to humble himself by wishing he falls somewhere on the hero scale between single moms with two jobs, farmers, and the life-riskers (although we have no idea which life-riskers he’s talking about). It’s also a sleepy song; the production is slow and quiet enough to blend in with the rest of Hubbard’s solo discography to its detriment. This could be the first single from whatever project the former FGL frontman has up his sleeve, and if that’s the case, it’s best to ignore “Heroes” if you want to get your hopes up for that project.
4.6
Out Of My Mind – Kashus Culpepper Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Big Loud’s newest new roster member, Kashus Culpepper, returns with a third single in his burgeoning catalog, with a voice that feels like it’s been singing sad songs since country music’s earliest days. On “Out Of My Mind,” we get more of the bluesy heartache Culpepper has us growing accustomed to, albeit with a little more melodic diversity this time around the block. The sandy edges around his voice are accompanied by a Delta-driven, pop-infused version of the soul ballads Culpepper grew up on. He’s a little more Teddy Swims than he is Allman Brothers, though you’d be hard-pressed not to find hints of his Southern rock upbringing. The bridge creates new feelings entirely, and the cries of heartache bellow out in lung-crushing fashion. As hard as radio-centric producers may try, there’s no sanitizing or cleaning up this beat and battered tone. The most we can hope is that sometime in the future, this gripping entity can be matched by a backing track that personifies his grit rather than trying to diminish it.
8.0
Truck Still Works – Brad Paisley Written By Max Buondonno
Brad Paisley recently entered his barn and pulled the tarp off one of his biggest hits, “Mud on the Tires,” to see if he could rack up some streams by playing the infamous nostalgia card with a new single. Many legacy musical acts succumb to it eventually (looking at you, Brooks & Dunn), so it’s no surprise to see Paisley release what’s essentially a sequel to the 2003 hit. Titled “Truck Still Works,” it sees the return of a previous love who shared memories inside a certain pickup truck that hasn’t been started in a while. Paisley references taking it for a test drive down by the lake to see if it still works, later stating how it’s a good night to “soak that moonlight in.” (The tree limbs are still good for hanging your shirts, by the way). Fans of Paisley and country radio of the past 20 years will immediately pick up these references, which are admittedly fun. Still, “Truck Still Works” only shines when you get that hit of nostalgia. The song itself feels too similar to the rest of Paisley’s discography to stand out as something fresh or new. While it sounds more like his earlier work than anything, it fails to capture the same essence and aura that worked at the time of Paisley’s rise in stardom. It’s not that “Truck Still Works” absolutely sucks; it just feels like a missed opportunity to do something more creative.
5.8
Check out more of our reviews here
