This World’s A Giant – Zach BryanWritten By Ryan Lippe
In the first of his latest releases, Zach Bryan leans more into a sound reminiscent of the DeAnne and Elisabeth albums with a messier style and less professional production. An ensemble of supporting instruments like horns, drums, piano, and various guitars each plays a part in setting the scene of the song. However, with so many different elements in the background, the acoustic production style may be the biggest downfall of the song. When Bryan worked with Eddie Spear, each song had a cohesive identity, and each instrument had a specific role to play rather than everything being played at once and feeling unorganized. With three verses, the song shares the same shortcoming as nearly every other Zach Bryan song, with no clear bridge, leaving the track with an unfinished feeling at the end. The songwriting still has the same poetic structure we expect from Bryan. If listeners remove themselves from the outside noise around this release, it feels like a very sincere track about Bryan coming to terms with the reality of his life and wanting to make personal changes for his kids. However, given all the comments about Bryan and his personality, it’s easy to analyze the lyrics from a different light. Still, it’s ultimately up to the listener to interpret the songs, given all the information about Zach Bryan as an individual rather than a musician.
8.3
me, without you – Evan Honer Written By Ryan Lippe
Evan Honer has carved a specific realm for himself in the country-adjacent world, blending folk and Americana music elements. Honer has quite a few breakup songs in his catalog, but this one stands above most with its simple structure and songwriting while still developing a scene that doesn’t feel mundane. The whimsical guitar in the beginning ties in nicely with the narrator’s attempt to move on and cut out certain parts of his embattled life that may have caused the breakup. Produced by Honer, Shane Travis, and Jon Notar, there isn’t much variety in the production, which makes the track feel rather repetitive. The opening guitar riff was nice to open the song but remains in a similar range for the remainder of the song, which feels rather mundane. With very concise verses, a lot is said in such few words that it shows Evan doesn’t need complex sentence structures to convey his message. Going into his next EP, annabelle, it would be interesting to see if there’s a central story or theme around the project and if this lead single is just one chapter in a larger story.
7.8
Fall This Way – Braxton Keith Written By Adam Delahoussaye
One the most fiery newcomers out of the Texas circuit and a disciple of the traditionalist revival now swallowing mainstream country, there’s not much that isn’t going Braxton Keith’s way. It’s a notion carried over quite literally in the form of his newest single, “Fall This Way.” Keith is buttoning up that top button and stepping back from the sleazy barroom ballads that put him on the map. This time, he’s wearing his heart on his sleeve rather than giving romance the old run-and-gun strategy his previous efforts got so much buzz over. Even if this woman of the week has a tighter grip on him than his darlings prior, Keith still remains delightfully on brand. The track still speaks to the class and sass of his 90’s roots, eloquently diving into how delicately love and lust play off one another. As steeped in nostalgia as Keith can sometimes come off, most of his music’s indescribable modern, youthful feeling remains evident here. Whether stealing hearts or pining after them, he continues to position himself as one of the most dashing cowboys the Lone Star State has to offer.
8.1
Snakebite – Brent Cobb Written By Adam Delahoussaye
Brent Cobb has always been one of country music’s most undervalued traditionalists, though sometimes it feels that under the radar is maybe where he’s the most comfortable. In a genre that the cannibals of culture incessantly cherry-pick, his attitude toward simple, southern living remains a total anomaly when it really shouldn’t be. The Georgia native is effortlessly humble, leading him to hone in on more relatable experiences than some of his arena-filling counterparts. Eternal truths and easy listening have been his staples throughout his career, continuing to be the case here on “Snakebite.” A far spookier Cobb than we’re used to, he has listeners heeding his warning on tall grass hiding venomous foes. As always, his point gets across on the first try. Cobb remains a rare breed of matter-of-fact posture disguised as a babbling bard full of riddles and fables. As he creeps further into notoriety, that guard will stay up to keep our collected character in check.
8.5
High Road – Zach Bryan Written By Creed Miller
No one has grabbed more headlines than Zach Bryan in the past few days. With his name at the center of controversy, the Okie native decided to take advantage of it by releasing two songs. The second was “High Road,” which has been looping through fans’ heads since he teased it last week. Bryan’s harmonies with Grumpy (aka Heaven Schmitt) are gorgeous and undoubtedly the track’s highlight. As usual, the song is written and produced entirely by Zach Bryan, and his lyrics continue to stand out. The bone-chilling chorus seems to be about his late mother, given his Instagram post before the release, where he mentioned never being able to call his mom again. Bryan has tended to write about situations that aren’t just personal to him but can resonate with so many others, and that’s part of what makes “High Road” appealing. In the second chorus, Bryan pulls away from Schmitt and slightly shows off his range. However, his chemistry with Schmitt is so good it would’ve been better if they continued to feed into it. Like a lot of his other music, it’s rough around the edges, but that’s exactly what gives it its charm. Zach Bryan’s name may not be in the headlines for the right reasons, but that doesn’t mean his music is suffering the consequences.
8.8
Fallen Angel – Brendan Walter Written By Creed Miller
Brendan Walter completed his debut project; I don’t know what I’m doing yet, with the release of two final songs.”Fallen Angel,” a standout track from the EP, kicks off with an upbeat tempo that instantly makes the listener want to tap their foot along to the rhythm. The production by Grady Smith is fun and engaging thanks to the harmonica and the impressive guitar playing by Shaan Greenberg. Lyrically, it’s not the most thought-provoking song ever released, but it doesn’t have to be. Not every song has to have a super deep message, and “Fallen Angel” does its job just by being engaging while having simple yet endearing lyrics. It’s primarily about getting back up on the horse after some misfortunes. Walter’s vocals remain his strong suit, as his range is so impressive. His voice is effortlessly smooth, and he ties up all of the instrumentals, transforming them into a polished, captivating product. Brendan Walter has yet to miss in his young career, and if he isn’t on your radar, he most definitely should be.
8.5
Hometown Hero – J.R. Carroll Written By Creed Miller
J.R. Carroll has been one of the most overlooked artists in country music, and his latest song might be his best to date. “Hometown Hero” is the lead single to his upcoming album Dark Cloud, which bears his signature take on classic country music. Carroll’s vocals are a high point on the track as he demonstrates the relaxed, small-town vibe, but it doesn’t sound like he’s just doing karaoke. The song closes with a soothing instrumental that keeps things smooth and flowing. Impressively, this one was a solo-write by the Oklahoma native and had the approach of coming home and being the “hero,” but it’s not all it seems. He reflects on the life he would have had if he hadn’t left to travel the world to chase his dream. Lyrics like “The hometown hero’s getting ready to explode” put his attitude into perspective. J.R. Carroll has been criminally underrated, and “Hometown Hero” is the perfect introduction to his music if you aren’t already familiar with it.
9.3
Missin’ Me Missin’ You – Chase Matthew Written By Joel Pauley
In his latest release, Chase Matthew stretches a simple “I don’t miss you” across two minutes and forty seconds, relying on bland, straightforward language that leaves little room for nuance or depth. After his songs “Makin’ You Miss Me” and now “Missin’ Me Missin’ You,” Matthew definitely seems to be missing originality. Aside from lyrics like “I have been doing doubles drowning all of your memories,” the song’s message stays the same; it’s a familiar story written with a decently underwhelming sound. Written by Chase, alongside Brock Berryhill, Lydia Vaughan, and Taylor Phillips, “Missin’ Me Missin’ You” may land well for fans of his past music but lacks a distinctive edge to attract new listeners. This song does its job as background noise, and the production and vocal delivery are of higher quality than some of Chase’s prior releases. Lyrically, however, there is little to offer. Overall, this single may be a safe release for Chase, likely maintaining his momentum, though it doesn’t appear significant for his career.
4.2
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