Single Reviews – Week of 9/22/2023
I Can Feel It – Kane Brown By Brandon Iozzo
Marking an official farewell from his “Different Man” era, Kane Brown packs a pretty big punch with “I Can Feel It,” an electric country-rock banger about a good night out with a new love interest. Coupled with his signature wiry twang, Brown once again recruits long-time producer Dan Huff for this fiery single. The song is an anthemic, much-needed return to Brown’s early efforts, most distinctively reminiscent of ‘Lose It.’ Even with the subtle sampling of Phil Collins’s ‘In The Air Tonight,’ Kane can still make the track his own, and with the recreated drum hook of the original song, he shows out with a convincing radio single with massive potential as a concert opener.
8.6
Fix You Too – Megan Moroney ft. Kameron Marlowe By Brandon Iozzo
Initially recorded for her debut EP “Pistol Made of Roses,” Megan Moroney recruits Kameron Marlowe for a remix of ‘Fix You Too,’ a song about two people acknowledging that they both have some growing up to do before a romantic relationship could ever blossom. Written by Adam Wheeler, Becca Rae Greene, and Moroney herself, the re-recorded track has a much softer arrangement that feels right in tune with Moroney and Marlowe’s musical styles. This is a genuine country collaboration that doesn’t feel the slightest bit forced, and the pairing of both artists in their sincere earnestness makes ‘Fix You Too’ more poignant than ever. With ‘I’m Not Pretty’ climbing the charts, this cut has real potential to be an impactful third single to drive the continued success of “Lucky.”
9.3
Million Eyes – Sam Barber Written By Creed Miller
Sam Barber released his highly-anticipated debut EP and the title track, ‘Million Eyes’ looks to be an early standout. The track is just one of three brand new songs to come out on the eight-track, and it holds its own with the best of them. ‘Million Eyes’ is a song about gratitude and his love for those who have stuck by him in pursuit of his dreams. As always, his slight rasp pairs gorgeously with the acoustic guitar and fiddle accents that give this single a polished and complete feel. It’s still early in Sam’s career, and we have already seen some astounding musicianship from the teenager. Establishing him as one of the best up-and-comers in country music today, Sam Barber’s momentum is still riding high with ‘Million Eyes.’
8.7
Work Boots – Cody Johnson Written By Creed Miller
Texas country icon Cody Johnson is back with another single off his upcoming album. The song is a lighthearted tune that will undoubtedly get the listeners tapping their feet. He takes the listener through our narrator’s inner monolog as he gets up to talk to the girl across the bar. Musically, this song may sound like a basic, twangy bar tune, but in a way, the simplicity works in its favor, creating a convincing bar atmosphere that this could take place in. There’s a unique cute factor to ‘Work Boots’ that seems very on-brand for a Cody Johnson single; a classic Texas sound that matches with fun lyrics to get the listeners dancing. It’s not the deepest song in the world, but ‘Work Boots’ should have fans eager to see what the rest of his ‘Leather’ album has in store.
8.8
Sarah’s Place – Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan Written By Cam Greene
With the most unsurprisingly awesome collaboration of the year, the pairing of Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan as duet partners is a match made in Heaven. It’s hard to exactly say what genre this song should belong to; it has those northern guitar riffs that have become one of Kahan’s mainstays and still squeezes in a southwestern steel guitar. In other words, it sounds exactly like what you would expect if you threw a Kahan song and Bryan song together in the blender; ‘Sarah’s Place’ has that longing for the younger years you hear quite a lot on Zach’s tracks, and the wistfulness of a lot of Noah’s music. Though we like to consider both of them country music artists, these are two very experimental acts who like to flirt with alternative, folk, and pop music as well. This is a collaboration many have waited some time for, and the result is definitely worth your patience.
9.3
West of Tulsa – Wyatt Flores Written By Creed Miller
Wyatt Flores finally released the fan-favorite track “West of Tulsa,” telling an awkward story that no one wants to be a part of, waking up next to someone who is already taken. The track was written by Wyatt with veteran Nashville songwriters Chris Gelbuda and Billy Montana, culminating in the perfect mixture of mainstream country, folk, and rock and roll. His uniquely gritty vocals continue to be punchy and memorable, especially the powerful build in the bridge leading into the final chorus. The lyrics are painfully relatable to the ordinary listener who may contend with feelings of inadequacy and the need to be loved. ‘West of Tulsa’ puts all of Wyatt’s strong suits on display and is sure to be another standout for the Oklahoma native.
9.2
Drunk and Hungover – Carrie Underwood Written By Christina Bosch
When you put Hillary Lindsey, Nicolle Galyon, and Jordan Reynolds in a room, a great song almost feels inevitable. ‘Drunk and Hungover’ shows off clever songwriting and juxtaposition at its finest. Per usual, Carrie’s delivery is as crystal-clear as they come, though lately, her song choices have been less than stellar. Gratefully, ‘Drunk and Hungover’ comes as a welcome exception, highlighting a fierce battle in our narrator’s heart to move on from a broken relationship. Though this song is a bonus track on “Denim and Rhinestones” it’s easily among the best this era has had to offer so far. Amidst the overwhelming glitz of this album cycle, ‘Drunk and Hungover’ is a classic Carrie Underwood power ballad.
8.2
Take Me Home, Country Roads – Charles Wesley Godwin Written By Ryan Lippe
For a while now, Charles Wesley Godwin has closed out his shows with John Denver’s folk classic ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’ A fitting closer to an album about family, Charles delivers this cover with both gusto and reverence in a tribute truly worthy of Denver himself. Godwin’s backing band The Alleghany High joins him on the vocal harmonies in the last chorus and it’s simply blissful. This is a band that has stuck together for some time, and their joyous chemistry on one of the best songs ever written is just about as good as country music can get.
9.0
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