Singles
Ryan Adams- “Do Not Disturb” (Pax)
The indie-rock veteran continues his reemergence from his controversial isolation in 2019 by previewing the second entry in the trilogy of albums that has been gestating in his vault for sometime. Drenched in somber synth and soft piano melodies, “Do Not Disturb” is the kind of moody rocker that Adams does best. Like the hotel room he’s commiserating in, his heart and mind are both closed for business. They can’t deal with the noise of the outside world for one second longer.
Gary Allan- “Temptation” (EMI)
The latest release from the California-country favorite’s first LP in eight years is a pulsating, passionate display that proves Allan’s gifts for stellar singing and melodic emotion are still going strong a full 25 years after his debut. “Temptation” is bursting with the nervy yet addictive anticipatory pleasures one feels as they prepare to throw will-power aside and indulge, for better or worse, in the unavoidable attraction staring them square in the eye.
Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney- “Half of My Hometown” (Black River)
It’s performances like “Half of My Hometown” that illustrate just how far Kelsea Ballerini has come since her 2014 launch. Tastefully stripped and simple in production, the record allows Ballerini to deliver a passionate yet restrained vocal that perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet combination of pride and conflict one can feel toward their hometown. Fellow Knoxville, Tennessean Chesney’s backing vocals prove to add a sweet, subtle dimension to the track, and they prove to have a natural chemistry together.
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon- “Peaches” (Def Jam)
Bieber’s most infectious single in quite some time is a seamless blend of his best pop, R&B, and trap inclinations. It rides a mid-tempo groove throughout that grows slyly more hypnotic with each repeat listen, and the featured vocal turns from Caesar and Giveon illustrate a breezy chemistry with the superstar. If you haven’t yet gotten used to hearing this one, it’s about time you settle in and do so.
Jade Bird- “Open Up the Heavens” (Glassnote)
Totally digging Bird’s biting, gloriously spitting, edgy side. The pulsating production perfectly backdrops all of the pent-up frustration she’s unloading on her old flame, particularly when it all comes to a thunderous crescendo at the end of each chorus. I can’t help but feel like this is what it would sound like if Alison Krauss ever applied her angelic voice to a full-on rock album.
Coldplay- “Higher Power” (Parlophone)
The lead single from the Brit-rock heavyweights’ forthcoming ninth LP effortlessly confirms that there are still few sounds in today’s music world as deeply hypnotic as Chris Martin’s pipes, especially when he and his squad indulge in bouncy, synth-pop beats. This should be one of the definitive songs of the summer of ’21.
Anderson East- “Madelyn” (Elektra)
A new album release from Anderson East later this summer is certainly a welcome bit of news, and this scorching lead single suggests that his latest batch of songs will be just as intensely emotional and dynamic as we last left him on 2018’s outstanding Encore. East is a truly singular vocal talent in today’s music scene, and his brand of Southern soul is all its glory on this longingly haunting and sensual performance.
Billie Eilish- “Your Power” (Interscope)
This narrator’s ghostly warning to the ex who devastated her is chilling in the fact that it could at once be interpreted as a vulnerable plea, but also a foreboding threat. Those emotional dichotomies are of course well-established trademarks by now in the arsenal of the dark pop princess. The track is nothing but Eilish’s hushed, piercing vocals and folk-tinged, acoustic guitar strums, and it’s all the more powerful as a result.
Fretland- “Too Much” (Fretland)
This Washington-state based band’s arrival on the Americana scene is one of the more notable of 2021 thus far. This single is overflowing with all of the adjectives that make up a great record: sharp, literate, tuneful, and it’s further bolstered by a solid helping of folk-rock jangle and the brimming clarity of lead vocalist Hillary Fretland’s shimmering pipes. I’ll take a second helping, please.
Girl In Red- “You Stupid Bitch” (World In Red)
Look, the point of view and strategies for navigating relationships of rising alt-star and queer icon, Marie Ulven Ringheim may be just a tad demented and on the nose, but I’m all for it. We spend so much time beating around the bush in approaching even the most important people in our lives, and the Girl in Red just cuts right to the chase, and we could all learn a bit from it. The fact that she wraps it up in a crashing banger of a rock tune makes it all the more persuasive and convincing.
Hiss Golden Messenger- “If It Comes In the Morning” (Merge)
An uplifting folk-rock hymn of perseverance, redemption, and gratitude for whatever blessings or challenges life throws at us. MC Taylor’s vocal renderings and the warm, resonant Laurel Canyon-tinged arrangements that surround it play like a warm blanket of inspiration. You can’t help but feel further connected with the overall life experience after this song plays.
Keb’ Mo featuring Old Crow Medicine Show- “The Medicine Man” (Concord)
A stirring fusion of sound that dutifully utilizes the two acts’ strongest suits, marrying blues-rock and modern bluegrass to deliver a commentary on the past year’s biggest national challenges that is both on-point, and simultaneously hopeful and jubilant in its anticipation for the light waiting at the end of the tunnel.
Amythyst Kiah- “Wild Turkey” (Rounder)
The latest single from Kiah’s forthcoming solo debut is a force to reckon with, from the haunting roots production to her wildly expansive vocal range. But nothing is more awe-inspiring than the tragically raw and naked lyrics which grapple with the emotions surrounding the death of her mother. An absolutely visceral, soul-shaking performance from one of the music world’s most promising young voices.
The Lone Bellow- “Dried Up River” (Dualtone)
One-part gospel, the other jangly folk-rock, the latest single from this Americana outfit is the definition of sweet, musical solace. Their music has always carried a cleansing, therapeutic sense of comfort, and this standout performance is no different.
Trixie Mattel featuring Orville Peck- “Jackson” (ATO)
A sublimely shuffling and endlessly charming reinvention of the Johnny & June classic that Mattel & Peck overload with all of the twangy spitfire and saucy flirtation that the duet standard calls for.
Reba McEntire- “Somehow You Do” (Big Machine)
There’s still not a single vocalist on the planet who can emote quite like Reba McEntire. This soundtrack contribution certainly doesn’t rank up there with her most iconic ballads. But that’s a high bar to clear, and any day’s a victory when it provides a new chance to hear the legend apply her singular gifts for passionate & emotional music melodrama. Five-plus decades on the charts and the road have done nothing to rob Reba’s voice of a single ounce of its magic.
Ashley Monroe- “Til It Breaks” (Mountainrose Sparrow)
A powerfully emotional peak on the country songbird’s recent foray into dreamy alt-pop, “Til It Breaks” is framed around one of those equally frustrating but rewarding truths about life’s experience: that things need to get really bad before they ever get better. Her voice is as haunting as ever on the hair-raising chorus, and her pen is as bitterly honest as well on lines like “And to get through to the dawn, you’ve gotta cry through the night.”
Kip Moore- “Good Life” (MCA)
The country stud leans 100% into his considerable rock roots with this colorful follow-up to 2020’s stellar Wild World, and it comes as natural as anything he’s recorded in his decade-long catalog. Punchy, crackling guitar riffs and cool, rollicking vocals make this a perfect summer tune to roll your windows down to. Play it loud!
Pink- “All I Know So Far” (RCA)
Pink’s been such a reliable hit-maker for so long, that she’s reached the point where it’s easy to take her for granted. The woman’s been charting smash records for over two decades, virtually uninterrupted, and seems to receive very little fanfare for it. There’s no reason “All I Know So Far” shouldn’t keep that hit streak rolling, offering all of her trademarks: big and emotional hooks, empowering lyrics, and that passionately dynamic voice.
Margo Price- “Long Live the King” (Lona Vista)
Over the past five years, Margo Price has been hailed as everything from a descendant to Loretta Lynn’s literate honky tonk throne to a reincarnation of 70s era Emmylou Harris, and all deservedly so. With this new standalone single however, it’s rapturously evident that above all else, she is today’s pinnacle of country-soul. A three-part song that reflects on both the legendary contributions and tragic downfalls of Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, and John Lennon, “Love Live the King” may be Price’s most awe-inspiring cut to date.
Prince- “Welcome 2 America” (Legacy)
This spell-binding preview of the late legend’s forthcoming posthumous album is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek melting pot, both in terms of the maddening cultural hypocrisies that haunt our nation, as well as Prince’s ever-expansive stylistic choices in presenting both his music and world-view. The pop icon’s voice lives on, and we’d be well-served to heed the social commentaries he laces this track with.
Sam Smith- “Time After Time- Live” (Capitol)
Culled from last fall’s livestream performance, the Cyndi Lauper classic unsurprisingly proves to be a natural fit for the pure, chilling emotion that defines Smith’s golden voice. The song remains one of the most beautifully written pop ballads of the last half-century, and this soulful performance is another reminder as to why.
Garrison Starr- “The Devil In Me” (Starr)
An impressive return from one of the most incisive yet under-appreciated singer-songwriters of the past thirty years. Her lyrical magic still cuts with the sharpest blades: “I thought I’d built up my skin, but standing here I’m paper thin….When I face myself in the mirror, I see the years….I lost my youth, fighting the devil in me.” Plenty of valuable wisdom to be found here. Most importantly: don’t wait so long to love and appreciate yourself.
Aaron Lee Tasjan- “Don’t Overthink It” (New West)
There are few songwriters working today that can match the enticing nature of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s song craft: “Don’t fall to pieces, see you in hell before it freezes, save me a seat right next to Jesus, don’t fall to pieces.” From there, he wraps it all up in a snappy, trippy package with a dizzying chorus that combines the best of pop hooks and psychedelic atmospherics. The dude simply kicks ass, and he’s currently at the top of his game.
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande- “Save Your Tears Remix” (Republic)
Yes, I know this track has already appeared on the Digest this year, however sprinkling in Miss Grande’s fantastic vocals via this remix has only further bolstered the infectiously somber track’s mass appeal and chart power. And it’s easy to understand why; these two make a naturally dynamic vocal pair, and the added “Mister Sandman” touch prior to the final chorus hits all the right sweet spots.
Album Tracks
AJR- “3 O’Clock Things” (BMG)
AJR is far more than just the latest in a line of quirky electro-pop groups. Underneath all of their frenetic, trapping beats and irresistible vocal effects is a group with true depth framing their musical narrative. The vibrantly horn-soaked “3 O’Clock Things” is the meatiest illustration of these traits thus far, pulling no punches in tackling political corruption, sexual mind games, and systemic racism. This is pop music with a pulse.
The Chicks- “Tights On My Boat” (Columbia)
It’s been out nearly a year and I’m still reeling from the gripping emotional arc and musical brilliance of Gaslighter. Pure and simple, it’s a modern masterpiece. The breezy “Tights On My Boat” proved to be one of the project’s most ambiguously impressive moments in the fact that it finds Natalie Maines and company managing to lace wry humor into the story of her divorce, without ever sacrificing any of its profound pain and grit. It sort of presents the sassy spirit of the “Goodbye Earl” era, only all-grown up, and still just as entertaining and powerful all the same.
Alan Jackson- “Way Down In My Whiskey” (EMI)
It should come as no surprise that Alan Jackson’s latest LP further solidifies him as the ultimate modern flag-bearer for the art of country drinking tunes. Where Have You Gone offers a fair share of exercises in this realm, but for me, this one proves to be the one with the most durable hangover. Simply put, the combination of Jackson’s warm twang, weepy steel guitar, and booze-soaked country lyrics remain one of the finest sounds to behold in American music.
Olivia Rodrigo- “Brutal” (Geffen)
So does all of the buzz surrounding Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album possess any legit legs underneath it? Yes it does, but you’re going to have to block out your memories of all that insufferable “Driver’s License” airplay and open your mind up a bit. Exhibit A: this track is a whiplashing detour into grungy, alt-rock of all things. And guess what? She pulls it off with badass authenticity. It may be a bit premature to proclaim Rodrigo as the successor to Taylor Swift’s pop kingdom. However, she captures the angst of teenage discovery and romance with a level of adult pathos not seen since Swift. And truthfully, this track perhaps has an even better crack at alternative airplay than anything released off of even Folklore itself.
Twenty One Pilots- “Good Day” (Elektra)
With its bubbly rhythm and bright 70s rock trappings, the opening cut to T1P’s new album is as carefree and effervescent as perhaps they’ve ever sounded. Of course, this is all in the face of self-deprecating, down-on-your-luck lyrics, which in turn makes the proceedings all the more amusingly euphoric. Is this the narrative of a chap using his positivity to persevere through life’s challenges, or merely the sound of desperate denial? Regardless of the answer, it’s a fun and entertaining outing all around.
Flashback Tracks
Dierks Bentley- “Trying to Stop Your Leaving”, 2008
It was Bentley’s third album, Long Trip Alone, that officially sold me to the fact that his young voice would be an important one long term. This, its criminally forgotten final single and a top five hit, was my favorite of the batch. A pulsating and tastefully produced combination of the trademark gravel in his voice, rippling electric riffs, and full-bodied steel.
The Everly Brothers- “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)”, 1960
Brothers Phil and Don recorded so many standards on their way to completely epitomizing sibling harmonies in popular music that it’s difficult to pinpoint their definitive example of such magic. But this one surely must rank near the top. Not to mention it’s one of the most gorgeously devastating and yet romantic tales of heartbreak ever written. A timeless gem.
Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland- “Promiscuous”, 2006
One of the definitive ear worms of the mid-2000s, and one that will still get your body moving a decade and a half later. Furtado and Timbaland’s chemistry proved to be a dynamic dance/hip-hop recipe that, for a moment, seemed to transform Furtado into dance-pop’s “it” girl.
The Kinks- “Lola”, 1970
A sing-along standard in the annals of classic rock, so much so that the groundbreaking subject matter is probably still lost on a great majority of those singing along, which in turn really only magnifies the multi-dimensional legacy that Lola’s character has carved out in popular music. Not only is she the source of a wildly entertaining sonic experience, but also one of the first prominent explorations of queer identity in a mainstream hit. The fact that such subject matter is still scarce a half-century later speaks to both its daring nature for 1970, but also to the amount of progress still left to be made in 2021.
The Strokes- “Last Nite”, 2001
The Big Apple band’s sophomore single and breakthrough hit sounds just as fresh, sharp and effortlessly cool as it ever has; it’s mind-blowing to realize it’s two decades old. The record perfectly encapsulates all the uniquely passionate and off-beat colors of Julian Casablancas’ peerless voice, and the crackling sound of the band as a whole. One of the true rock highlights of the early Y2K era.
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