Welcome to the first edition of The 706 Digest, a new compilation series that will publish here at The 706 at the end of each month, and will find me revisiting the albums and songs that have served as my own personal soundtrack for the previous thirty days. In addition to sharing with you the new albums and singles that I’m gravitating towards most, I’ll also dig a little deeper and feature some album cuts that I find worthy for future-single status. And for the sake of good old-fashioned nostalgia, I’ll also throwback to some of my favorite flashback tracks that remain popular in my daily music shuffle. As always, I hope you’ll find some new (and old) music to enjoy in the list of recommendations below, and I invite you to share your own in the comments!
Albums
Steve Earle & The Dukes- J.T. (New West)
A fantastically entertaining and thoroughly moving tribute set from one great singer-songwriter to another, as Steve Earle pays homage to the excellent catalog of his late son, Justin Townes Earle. It proves to be a sterling entry in Earle’s own library as he proudly reinterprets ten of the many gems to be found in J.T.’s rewarding canon, including “Harlem River Blues”, “Far Away In Another Town”, “They Killed John Henry”, “Champagne Corolla”, “The Saint of Lost Causes”, and many more. Plus, the final track is a raw original written by Earle in memory of his lost son.
Barry Gibb- Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 (Capitol)
Barry Gibb’s singular voice will forever be an acquired taste, and one that I admittedly still struggle to get on board with depending on the record. So, I approached this Dave Cobb-helmed album of duets with country & Americana artists with cautious optimism, and I’m ultimately glad I gave it a chance. There’s no denying the depth of Gibb’s voice as a composer, and this album has plenty of highlights to offer, with the contributions from Brandi Carlile (“Run to Me”), Jason Isbell (“Words of a Fool”), Alison Krauss (“Too Much Heaven”), Miranda Lambert (“Jive Talkin'”), and Little Big Town (“Lonely Days” and “How Deep is Your Love”) being the very best.
Paul McCartney- McCartney III (Capitol)
The latest evidence that, even in the twilight of his seventh decade on the planet, Paul McCartney remains the king of kick-ass rock & roll. McCartney III is one of those albums that immediately lures you in, but only hooks you more with each and every successive listen. It’s the straight-up jams like “Deep Down” and “Find My Way” that I keep returning to the most, but “Long Tailed Winter Bird” is also the most addicting instrumental I’ve heard in many moons.
Wesley Schultz- Vignettes (Dualtone)
This sparse side project of covers from The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz that quietly crept into the December release schedule is my vote for the current music world’s best kept secret. Stripping them down to nothing but bare boned guitar and the unique character of his folk-tinged voice, he unearths a diverse batch of treasures from the likes of Derek & The Dominos (“Bell Bottom Blues”), Bruce Springsteen (“My City of Ruins”), Rod Stewart (“Downtown Train”), Jim Croce (“Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels”), Sheryl Crow (“If It Makes You Happy”), and Bob Dylan (“Boots of Spanish Leather”). Excellent stuff all around.
Taylor Swift- Evermore (Republic)
I’m as surprised as anybody, but I continue to find myself progressively transformed into a Taylor Swift enthusiast. I honestly cannot get enough of this record. I loved Folklore, and ranked it higher than this on my year-end albums list. However if I were to write it now, Evermore would have easily surpassed it. Regardless, her artistic evolution over the past year has been incredibly rewarding, and this album beams with a considerable amount of my new favorite tracks: “Willow”, “No Body, No Crime”, “Tis the Damn Season”, “Champagne Problems”, “Tolerate It”, “Gold Rush”, and on and on.
Singles
Bleachers featuring Bruce Springsteen- “Chinatown” (RCA)
Bleachers naturally meld their signature 80s-waxed sound with dreamy, subtle tinges of Springsteen’s E-Street glory. While not dependent on the Boss’ guest vocals, it sure elevates an already terrific and atmospheric single to a whole new level.
Eric Church- “Hell of a View” (Capitol)
“You liked the thought of chasin’ life instead of dollar bills.” That fantastic line astutely sums up the passionate and spontaneous spirit of the love story inside this track. Solid, anthemic Heartland meets modern country-rock; no current act is as reliable in this realm as Church.
Charley Crockett- “I Can Help” (Thirty Tigers)
A tremendous cover of the Billy Swan favorite from 1974, Crockett’s rendering is equally faithfully and creatively reimagined, with a smooth blues-flavored rhythm section featuring a sensational backdrop throughout.
Gus Dapperton- “Post Humorous” (AWAL)
Dapperton emerges as one of alt-rock’s must-hear discoveries with this breakthrough single. The emotional arc of the song builds splendidly, growing from an intimate bedroom pop moment into a frenetic rock battle cry.
Billie Eilish- “Therefore I Am” (Interscope)
The dark pop phenom takes her wonderfully bizarre sound in a slightly more up-tempo direction, all the while retaining the gloomy mystery that has made her’s such a buzz-worthy breakthrough in the first place. Simple, snappy, and sardonic.
Eminem- “Gnat” (Interscope)
Essentially a snapshot of all the unfortunate components that came to define America in the year 2020. Eminem captures all of this in brash and nervy three-plus minutes of cunning rap wordplay.
Foo Fighters- “Shame Shame” (RCA)
Crisp, concise, and pared back. But also intense, inspired, and oh so intoxicating. “Shame Shame” is slow to boil, but it breathes a slithering fire once it does. Their pending tenth album promises to be another superb release in their potent catalog.
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me- “Leave Me Alone” (Fearless)
This is a fierce, exhilarating performance that commands the attention of every fiber in your being. It’s like experiencing the very idea of New Wave or synth-rock for the first time. This band flat out kicks ass.
Jason Isbell- “Overseas” (Southeastern)
One of the most harrowing and searing entries in a discography already generous in such fare. The guitar work here is absolutely blistering, and Isbell’s vocals more than rise to the same standards, but never more so than on this slicing lyric: “The waiter made a young girl cry at the table next to mine tonight/And I know you would have brought him to his knees/But you’re overseas.”
Miranda Lambert- “Settling Down” (RCA)
The quality I enjoy most about her recent run of records, besides trademarks such as her lyrical intellect and pure vocals, is how clean and precise the production and musicianship has been. Each guitar riff and dobro lick has both character and purpose, and only further elevates the overall performance.
Dua Lipa- “Levitating” (Warner)
As per current pop music trends, “Levitating” is offered in a slew of remixed versions, but Lipa’s solo version remains the pick of the litter. It’s an undeniable dynamo where disco beats, 80s pop sheen, and seductive vocals deliciously collide.
Machine Gun Kelly featuring Blackbear- “My Ex’s Best Friend” (Interscope)
MGK continues to sound perfectly natural in his new pop-punk arena with this memorable and entertaining outing, while Blackbear’s guest turn allows the track to nod its head to Kelly’s hip-hop roots.
Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard- “Undivided” (Big Machine)
With a humble and straight-forwardly breezy arrangement to match its clear-eyed narrative, “Undivided” swiftly avoids the sap-trap that so many country message songs succumb to. To his credit, Hubbard leaves his band’s nauseating tendencies at the door, and admittedly matches McGraw’s thoughtful sincerity throughout.
Of Monsters and Men- “Visitor” (Republic)
This Icelandic squad veers further away from their indie-folk roots with the wondrous electronica-leaning mist of this eerie track. For anyone still doubting Nanna Bryndis’ status as one of alt’s most mesmerizing presences, simply listen to her deliver this line: “My mother said I was always afraid of the dark/But I’m not, I don’t mind having a ghost in my bed.”
Grace Potter- “Release” (Fantasy)
A marvelously soulful depiction of the deeply painful yet beautiful catharsis felt at the end of a relationship, when one party lets the other go in hopes that the favor will be reciprocated. Gracefully powerful.
Nathaniel Rateliff- “Redemption” (Apple)
A raw and beautiful performance from one of today’s most soulfully emotive vocalists. A rich delivery of a turbulent, impassioned cry for release from the troublesome burdens that creep into one’s life.
Royal Blood- “Trouble’s Coming” (Warner)
These Brits are a recent discovery for me, and I’m really digging their slick and fresh take on garage rock. The Raconteurs’ influence is obviously apparent, but the duo manages to confidently play homage without ever sounding like cheap imitators. It’s an intense musical whiplash that I can’t get enough of.
Troye Sivan featuring Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson- “Easy” (Capitol)
I can’t help but feel like there’s a hushed, folk-inflected identity lingering at the core of this song, and it’s not just Musgraves’ presence contributing to it. Regardless, it combines with the hazy electronica production and deceptively catchy chorus to create a sonic and emotional dichotomy that is inescapably alluring.
24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior- “Mood” (Columbia)
A smooth, guitar-driven blend of rap bluster and pop hooks, “Mood” is one of those undeniable earworms with a durability that sneaks up on the listener.
Bruce Springsteen- “Ghosts” (Columbia)
Underneath the surging, heart-warming sound, “Ghosts” is a elegy for those E-Street bandmates that have passed on, but one written in that bittersweet but triumphant phase of the grieving process where the pain is eased by the unflinching happiness their memories provide.
Harry Styles- “Golden” (Columbia)
The layered, shimmering harmonies that launch and anchor this track are everything, and Styles matches their infectious appeal with a sturdy vocal balanced with his trademark charm and a subtle gravel that recalls Marcus Mumford.
Taylor Swift featuring HAIM- “No Body, No Crime” (Republic)
The thematics of this vengeful murder tune are understandably garnering plenty of comparisons to The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl”, but Swift is all drama and business here, with no cheeky humor to be found. Her haunting delivery and the cinematic specificity of the lyrics combine with HAIM’s chilling harmonies and the all-acoustic instrumentation to create a sensational narrative that would make for a refreshingly meaty country hit if radio actually gets on board.
Aaron Lee Tasjan- “Up All Night” (New West)
Tasjan pulls from those 1990 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers influences, without ever solely relying upon them. He inserts classic Heartland jangle into his own weird, trippy, and unapologetically sarcastic POV. Great stuff.
Keith Urban and Pink- “One Too Many” (Capitol)
A colorful, melodic, and effervescent shot of pop pleasure. They could have absolutely killed a captivating downer, but instead deliver a comforting make-up tune that never overstays its welcome.
The Weeknd- “Save Your Tears” (Republic)
Another magnetic potion of pop, R&B and dance bad-assery from The Weeknd. This is layered in such a spectrum of intense emotions, from bitter arrogance to utter devastation and loneliness. Sizzling and sad all at once.
Album Cuts
Black Pumas- “Fast Car” (ATO)
The deluxe edition of Black Pumas’ superb debut album featured a treasure trove of bonus cuts, with this revitalization of Tracy Chapman’s timeless 1988 smash ranking among my favorite moment. The song remains one of the definitive performances of its era, and this is a gorgeously soulful and reverent interpretation worthy of your attention.
Miley Cyrus- “High” (RCA)
If anything last year took me by surprise more than my apparent Taylor Swift fandom, it’s how addicted I’ve become to the latest batch of music from Miley Cyrus. Plastic Hearts is a thrilling pop-rock jaunt, stacked from top to bottom with killer tunes and impressive vocal performances. I’m most drawn to the album’s vulnerable moments, and “High” is undoubtedly the most gripping among them.
Red Rum Club- “Favourite Record” (Modern Sky)
I love me a record that has an affinity for horn sections. Enter the catalog of Red Rum Club, whose creatively brassy sound is one of the best musical discoveries I came across in 2020. With “Favourite Record”, they trade in the infectious stylings of tracks like “Elevation” to paint a gorgeously haunting and seductive moment that is flat out show stopping.
Chris Stapleton- “You Should Probably Leave” (Mercury)
This is a modern day masterclass in the realm of blues-soaked country-soul. Stapleton’s rich twang. Robust guitar sizzle. Wine-laced sexual tension. It all adds up to killer performance, and would be a splendid choice for Stapleton’s next single at terrestrial radio. The best part is he’ll actually have the commercial power to get it the airplay it deserves.
Taylor Swift- “Champagne Problems” (Republic)
It’s impressive performances such as this which demonstrate just how far Taylor Swift’s vocal abilities have matured since her early records. Her interpretive and emotive abilities have finally caught up to the level of her lyrical ability, which has also only grown stronger in its own right. This tale of a failed marriage proposal is flat-out sad, and layered in complex adult emotions and experience.
Flashback Tracks
Gary Allan- “Best I Ever Had”, 2005
One of the most rewarding and revelatory hits from one of mainstream country’s most criminally underrated artists. In the wake of his wife’s suicide, Allan plucked a seemingly insipid Vertical Horizon hit from the archives and transformed it into a startlingly cathartic and haunting classic. It also launched one of his greatest albums and a modern masterpiece, Tough All Over.
Mary Chapin Carpenter- “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”, 1993
Nearly thirty years (!) have passed and this keeper from Chapin remains as fresh, intelligently sharp, and undeniably catchy as it ever has. Perusing the state of today’s country radio format and it’s nearly impossible to fathom that it’s the same industry that once made room for articulate, feminine material like this, and artists like Carpenter. The 90s in Nashville were a glorious era, and this remains one of its many watershed moments.
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell- “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, 1967
An untouchable pop and soul standard that remains one of my favorite records of all time. Like all of us, I’ve heard it a million times and yet I remain entranced each and every time. From the sparkling production and pure vocals to the emotional romance of the song, it’s an instant adrenaline rush and ever-reliable food for my soul. And sorry Diana Ross, Gaye & Terrell’s version remains the ultimate version.
Elton John- “Your Song”, 1970
John’s breakthrough classic remains one of his most staggering accomplishments. Plain and simple, it’s one of the greatest love songs ever written. It’s equal parts simple and profound, and at all times authentic in its sincerity and execution. It basically encapsulated so much of the magic qualities that have helped his music endure for half a century now. As my wedding song, it also connects with a special place in my life each and every time I hear it, making it a sentimental favorite as well.
Olivia Newton-John- “Physical”, 1981
It’s positively quaint by today’s pop standards when considering the fact that Newton-John’s handlers chose the gym workout premise behind “Physical’s” video to distract from the sexual overtones of the song itself. There’s something to be said for subtleties though, and the Australian icon’s flirty reflections about intimate restaurants and suggestive movies can more than hold a candle to Cardi B’s full on raunch any day. It’s all in good fun of course, but “Physical” has retained plenty of heat and stamina all these decades later.
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