The Black Keys- “Wild Child” (Easy Eye Sound)
The reigning kings of blues-rock return to contemporary material after releasing a killer covers project last year and it’s boiling over with all of the duo’s most definitive core elements: Dan Auerbach’s alluring vocals, guitar riffs both crashing and swampy, and killer percussion backing from Patrick Carney. Like of all their best singles, this one steams from the speakers with instant intoxicants, all the while managing to both boogie and rock simultaneously. A thrilling preview of what’s next for the Keys.
Zach Bryan- “Highway Boys” (Warner)
This former Navy serviceman has been quietly causing chatter in country and Americana circles for a few years now, finally culminating in a recent signing to Warner Nashville, which is preparing to release his major label debut–an audacious triple album–in May. That’s a lofty launching pad for an artist aspiring for a breakthrough, but what we’ve heard so far from Zach Bryan suggests he has the chops to back it up, and “Highway Boys” is no exception. A soulful, fiddle-laced ballad, it chronicles the complicated glories and pitfalls of a rambling, road-addicted songwriter. It’s poetically written, performed and arranged and it’s impossible not to hear Jason Isbell’s influence, which is certainly always a welcome element. With that said, Bryan just as prophetically exhibits the promise of carving out his own style, voice and POV, and one that stands to instantly raise the bar across the 2022 release calendar.
Def Leppard- “Kick” (Mercury)
The lead single from Def Leppard’s forthcoming twelfth album sounds directly lifted from a rock playlist, circa 1987. So, pretty much precisely what we’re expecting and wanting from a Def Leppard album, right? The guitars are amped to the nth degree, the vocals raucous, and the lyrics undoubtedly inconsequential. And the track is deliriously irresistible in the same vein as some of their biggest tracks. Four decades into their career, and the band’s sugary glam formula remains just as hard to kick as it did back in their commercial heyday. Just crank it up and enjoy.
Ronnie Dunn- “Broken Neon Hearts” (Little Will-E)
Ronnie Dunn’s voice remains arguably the purest instrument in contemporary country music and it’s in all its glory on “Broken Neon Hearts”, which is thrillingly cut from the neo-honky tonk template that Dunn helped define during Nashville’s 90s boom. Dunn’s delivery is in fine form and sounds just as flawless against a blend of steel, fiddle and crunchy electric as it did three decades ago, and just as potent in bringing the neon haze of a honky Saturday night to life. Bonus points are rewarded for the Keith Whitley/”Miami, My Amy” reference. Dunn’s upcoming fifth LP promises to be a return to B&D’s classic early sound and I’m all for it. It’s still a joy to just listen to this man sing, regardless of style, but there’s no denying this is the realm where his greatest powers still lie.
Ernest featuring Morgan Wallen- “Flower Shops” (Big Loud)
We’re all well aware that the country genre is absolutely littered with songs sung from the perspective of a pathetic man’s pity party in the wake of being dumped, and deservedly so, by the woman he loved but mistreated. The very best entries in this canon manage to earn sympathy from the listener for the narrator, even though they don’t really warrant it. “Flower Shops” is the very best written and delivered song of this trope that I’ve heard in a very long time, and its consequently earning repeat spins in my rotation. “Mister, I’ll take your roses/If you cut off the thorns, she can’t take no more”. That’s a masterful country & western hook right there.
Florence & the Machine- “King” (Polydor)
My God, this woman and her voice are such a force to behold. She is the king, queen, master, and anything else she wants to be of anything she chooses. “King” is a fascinating performance that, like all the great F&TM records, builds and burns with a an aura and presence that is both haunting and utterly seductive. The woman here is grappling with both the conflicts she faces in her relationships, as well as those she faces within herself, and it’s difficult to imagine another female voice working today that can so effortlessly and provocatively deliver the weighty thoughts and emotions that come along with.
Jeremy Ivey- “Orphan Child” (Anti)
“Orphan Child” is a great, quirky slice of oddball rock, with Jeremy Ivey’s deadpan delivery and subtly adventurous arrangements perfectly complimenting the song’s story, which finds a grown man deciding to abandon the mess of a life he’s found himself in, hoping to erase his identity and start all over. There’s not necessarily hope or optimism to be found as he does this, but rather a dry and entertaining sense that it at least can’t be worse than the past he’s leaving behind. This is a great gateway drug into the superb album it resides on and was reviewed earlier in the Albums section.
Jukebox the Ghost featuring Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness- “Wasted” (BMG)
“Wasted” unites two unique and talented acts that have had a brush with mainstream success, but not at the level that their talents warrant. This track does a stellar job combining the very best elements of both with an emotional and nostalgic rendering that will surely hit a nerve with anyone navigating through the back half of their thirties or the first half of their forties. As we age further away from our early twenties, we hopefully trade the scrappy financial struggles of that time for more stability and security. However, in the process we also acquire new challenges that come with growing up, namely the aging and eventual loss of formative figures in our lives, like our parents and grandparents. This track does a marvelous job capturing all of those challenging and strange changes, while shining a charming light on the simplicity of our younger years, and the sad fact that we often can’t appreciate them until they’re over.
Valerie June- “Use Me” (Fantasy)
An uplifting, one-off single from the always wondrous Valerie June. There’s such a soulful gravitas and warm comfort to be found in the unique tone and texture of her voice. It’s as discernible a vocal vessel to come down the pike in some time, and when it’s joined by those horns on the chorus, the results are nothing short of sublime.
Miranda Lambert- “Strange” (RCA)
“Couple hundred dollars feels more like change.” Now that’s a lyric that strikes a chord in today’s inflation-riddled times. It’s just one of many scenarios that Miranda Lambert contemplates in her latest single, a song most obviously born out of the uncertainty of a two-year global pandemic, but one that is just as relevant in the confusion and exhaustion that society will still grapple with as we climb our way out of its aftermath. As she always does, Lambert navigates all through it with the sturdy compass provided by her ability to to carry on country music’s grand tradition of giving voice to the common man and their every day experiences.
Mt. Joy- “Lemon Tree” (Island)
The indie favorites take us on quite the ride with latest single, “Lemon Tree”, a rousing yet intimate folk-rock adventure that celebrates simple pleasures and out-of-body experiences, whether they’re provided by the resonant power of music, a romantic connection, or the partaking in a few substances along the way. The music weaves through both acoustic-based strumming and heavier psychedelic leaning solos to create a vast sound and ambience that keeps you guessing and entranced from beginning to end.
Dolly Parton- “Woman Up (And Take It Like A Man)” (Butterfly)
Dolly Parton has been turning gender roles on their head for her entire career, consistently asserting a woman’s ability to not only hold their own with their male counterparts, but also out-perform them altogether. This latest single revisits that theme at a time when it often feels like all of the feminist progression of the last two generations is at risk. It doesn’t pack the wallop that early classics like “Just Because I’m A Woman” or “Dumb Blonde” still do to this day, but it’s still Parton in her spunky, no-nonsense element, and that’s something that will never go out of style or favor. You’ll smile your whole way through this feisty romp.
Orville Peck- “C’mon Baby, Cry” (Columbia)
What a passionate and dynamic sonic experience this is. Orville Peck has already firmly established himself as a powerhouse singer and a visually creative artist, but this record feels like the full-blown realization of what stands to define him in terms of pure sound. The lyrical and instrumental bones of the record are deeply rooted in straight-forward country but there’s a bold, almost noir, bent to its overall atmosphere has me feeling all sorts of influential vibes, from Roy Orbison to Dwight Yoakam to the The Mavericks. It’s a vibrant appetizer of his pending double album, and it’s as excited as I’ve been listening to a new single thus far in 2022. Peck feels like he’s on the brink of elevating his creative vision to the next level, and transcending himself from a curious, novelty-leaning act to one of the leading creative forces in all of both roots music, and popular music as a whole.
Bonnie Raitt- “Made Up Mind” (Redwing)
Hearing one note of the bluesy riff that kicks off “Made Up Mind”, and there’s no doubt that you’re about to be graced with another record from one of today’s most reliable living legends in all of music. The sheer consistency, endurance and longevity of Bonnie Raitt’s career is staggering at this point, and this is another high-quality entry into that towering catalog. At age 72, Raitt is proving to be one of those musical legends that ages like a fine wine; both her voice and guitar dexterity remain as vital as they ever have, and she renders this steadfast tune about seeing a breakup through with the sweet combination of conviction and tenderness that has defined many of her very best moments.
Maggie Rose- “Two Arms to Hold Onto” (Starstruck)
Now firmly established as a soul queen after last year’s Have a Seat, Maggie Rose slightly leans back into her country roots on this satisfying one-off, which gracefully pairs her mighty chops with a subtly twangy guitar shuffle, and some equally subtly lush string segues for good measure. Rose’s narrator finds herself at a complicated crossroads: does she lean into the familiar comforts of an aging relationship or finally break free and accept that this pairing is only holding her back at this point. Her vocal is both beautiful and stained with the pressure of the decision she knows she must make.
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers- “Talkin’ to Myself” (Thirty Tigers)
Nothing like some greasy, modern cowpunk to give yourself a jolting shot of adrenaline. Sarah Shook and her band deliver that and then some on “Talkin’ to Myself”, an unapologetically blunt and brazen dose of country-rock spitfire. Legendary producer Pete Anderson’s (Dwight Yoakam) fingerprints are all over this single, from the joyously unpolished varnish over the overall proceedings to the cutting nature of each and every guitar lick. It’s a suitable pairing for Shook’s attitudinal presence, which leaves all of her flippant angst on the surface, without giving zero fucks whatsoever.
St. Paul and The Broken Bones- “The Last Dance” (ATO)
Having just now discovered this eight-piece ensemble in the wake of the release of their fourth long-player, I certainly hope this is far from their last dance, because I’m officially hooked y’all. This colorful concoction is such a mesmerizing and addictive piece of music. Lead vocalist Paul Janeway sings with the kind of soulful swagger and emotion that sounds transplanted from six decades ago, while the production sounds lifted from the dance floor at a modern day club. It’s a sensational combination, and one that you shouldn’t deprive yourself of for one second longer.
Harry Styles- “As It Was” (Columbia)
Everyone make way for perhaps the most anticipated pop single of 2022, the lead single from Harry Style’s eagerly awaited third album, and the follow up to the 2019 blockbuster, Fine Line. And it should really come as no surprise that Styles basically pivots away from all the fanfare by launching the project with a song, that while accompanied by a shimmering pop backdrop, is essentially a folksy and reflective turn inward. From the get-go, Styles has always been an artist with the skill to tastefully split the difference between pop contagion and singer-songwriter intimacy. And “As It Was”, at its core a somber eulogy for a past relationship, squarely accomplishes that balance more seamlessly than any tune he’s released to date. It immediately ranks among one of his most substantive and satisfying singles.
Carrie Underwood- “Ghost Story” (Capitol)
The country headliner ends a four year gap between proper releases that saw her take a long-awaited delve into seasonal and spiritual material with “Ghost Story”, a powerhouse ballad that serves to launch her ninth studio release. It’s undeniably on-brand for the superstar, loaded with drama, glory notes and an arrangement that mixes modern country with pop glitz. And it’s proof that nearly two decades into her career, Underwood remains the queen in terms of country vocal prowess and in walking that fine line between Nashville sheen and powerful artistry. Her golden pipes both haunt and amaze throughout, but never moreso than on the chilling final chorus. “Ghost Story” continues a long run of Underwood records that are both dazzling and devastating in their power.
Weezer- “A Little Bit of Love” (Atlantic)
Weezer rolls out a series of EPs revolving around the four seasons with this instant charmer that strips back their complex rock sound to mostly acoustic guitar, harmonica and River Cuomo’s unmistakeable vocals. It’s precisely on point with the thematic concept of its source album (SZNZ: Spring), with a fresh sense of rebirth and rediscovery of joy and strength, both of which Cuomo’s delivery is stacked. It’s impressively authentic in all of its unbridled optimism and hope. It’s inspired and welcome food for your soul, from beginning to end.
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