Blackberry Smoke- “Little Bit Crazy” (Thirty Tigers)
The opening moments of this single—with its a-cappela, near spiritual splendor—is as hair-raising and revelatory as anything you’ll hear all decade. You’d almost be satisfied if the entire song stayed in that space; if not for how blazingly electrifying Blackberry Smoke’s brand of modern Southern Rock is for the three minutes that follow. With a clean and stacked Stones-worthy guitar sound and Charlie Starr’s commanding Skynyrd range, “Little Bit Crazy” provides their precise sound that has thrilled classic rock purists and modern fans alike for the better part of two decades. Mark your calendar for this 2024 release.
Breland- “Cowboy Don’t” (Warner)
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we’ve found the song that will officially get me interested in following Breland’s music. This twangy, 90s-flavored, country tongue-twister finds the upstart cheekily turning all of the tired bro-country pick-up tropes on their head. His delivery is a perfect blend of charm and confidence, and is joyfully dressed up in a clean, shuffling country setting. This single is full of amusing lines, but none better than “Yeah, I bet his boots are made for walkin’/Baby, mine are made for knock, knock, knockin’”.
Kane Brown- “I Can Feel It” (RCA)
Interpoloating Phil Collins’ 1981 landmark, “In the Air Tonight” into what is essentially a run-of-the-mill 2010s’ country come-on sounds like a trainwreck waiting to happen. It avoids that fate due to the fact that it’s coming from one of the era’s most skilled country-pop crafters in Kane Brown. Brown’s skill for blending fiddle and steel with rock amps and brash drums pays off, and while the results aren’t as organically pleasing as “One Mississippi” or “Bury Me In Georgia”, “I Can Feel It” ultimately stakes its claim as a hooky, unavoidable pop-country earworm.
Jimmy Buffett with Emmylou Harris- “Mozambique” (Sun)
Life is indeed full of delightful surprises.I definitely didn’t expect the final Jimmy Buffett album to be the project to temporarily scratch my itch for hearing new music from Emmylou Harris, nor did I ever expect to hear her ethereal pipes residing against a steel drum. But, let’s fulfill our fact-checking duties and remember that this isn’t as offbeat of a pairing as it first appears. Again, Buffett’s definitive 70s albums were truly pivotal to the 70s country-rock lexicon that Harris herself helped define. And, “Mozambique” is culled from one of Bob Dylan’s seminal country-rock albums (1976’s Desire) and featured a young Harris on the original. Buffett of course transforms this into a breezy island escape, but he’s impressively faithful to Dylan’s original vocal style. The two sound effortlessly light and blissful on this updated take. I’m sentimentally biased, but I love that this gets to serve as one of the legend’s swan songs.
Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile- “Dear Insecurity” (Warner)
An exalted performance that is the equivalent of a royal collaboration in the Americana world. Clark and Carlile’s abilities to dig into our souls and rip out our hearts are unsurprisingly magnified all the more when they are together. There’s not a person on the planet who can’t relate their own inner demons and doubts to the opening verse. And then there’s the final verse. It offers maturity and resolve as the narrator finally accepts that their insecurity is a fixture they must learn to manage and live with. When they in turn beg it not to ruin their chances at happiness with a new lover, the track bleeds with doubt, fear, and even desperation. It’s a masterclass in the musical examination of the human experience and all of its emotional turmoil.
Daughtry- “Artifical” (Big Machine)
Daughtry’s debut single for Big Machine ranks among the heaviest singles that the group has ever produced. The growling heavy metal potential that’s been residing in their namesake’s pipes since his American Idol days is fully on the surface like it’s rarely ever been. “Artificial” is ironically yet fittingly scrubbed of the santizied soft-rock sound that has defined the band’s biggest hits, appropriately matching the apocalyptic nature of the roaring lyrics.
Lana Del Rey- “The Grants” (Interscope)
Lana Del Rey really lures us in on “The Grants”, with a gorgeously hopeful intro that sounds near pentecostal (and references John frigging Denver), before suddenly pulling us back into the haunting emotional depths of her classic sound. We should really have known better, but it’s hard to stay mad at her for it. Nobody can make sadness sound as beautifully entrancing as LDR. And that final verse, with those intimate memories she discusses taking to the other side with her? Hauntingly comforting and peaceful. The sheer emotional scope she can cover with such minimal time and production is endlessly impressive.
Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts- “Mornings With You” (Interscope)
Lead vocalist Cleto Cordero and wife Kaitlin Butts unveil a fitting entry into the long-running country canon of excellent husband-wife duets. “Mornings With You” is a subdued, comforting track brimming with genuine appreciation for the simple power of everyday domesticity and romance. It probably sounds utterly cheesy when I describe it, but Cordero and Butts pull off something admirably genuine and heartfelt here, thanks to a straight-forward pairing of sincere vocals and vintage instrumentation.
Green Day- “The American Dream Is Killing Me” (Reprise)
The modern punk legends launch the roll-out of their 2024 LP with a riveting combination of both their classic sonic contagion and spitting social commentary on the current State of the Union. With its equal emphasis on big vocal and musical hooks, “Killing Me” won’t go down as the deepest battle cry for our times, or even within Green Day’s own catalog. It’s nevertheless impressive how much they accomplish within its brisk three-minute run-time. They deliver a seamless combination of modern rock accessibility, provoking reflection, and some of the quirky production experimentation they dabbled with on 2020’s Father of All Motherfuckers, i.e. a brief but swerving orchestral interlude at the one-minute mark.
Brittany Howard- “What Now” (Island)
Brittany Howard proved to be one of the true vocal and creative powerhouses to emerge in music during the 2010s, so new music is always welcome from her. Sadly, the production choices on “What Now” cloud and muddle that crackling vocal greatness, though it’s a testament to that voice that she still manages to parlay plenty of the song’s tension above all the noise. The track also does offer a trippy, funky vibe that grows considerably hypnotic with each successive listen. I was hoping for an Alabama Shakes reunion, but I’m certainly intrigued to see what Howard has to say next in any iteration.
Jelly Roll featuring Lainey Wilson- “Save Me” (BBR)
I’ve been rather slow to jump on the Jelly Roll train, but have slowly made the leap thanks to the heaps of rock airplay I’ve heard deservedly heaped on “Need a Favor”. “Save Me” finds the country star pivoting from his twangy version of 2000s rock to a completely stripped environment for this survey of personal demons. It displays his monstrous voice in impressively, soulful fashion, and there’s an obviously special dusting of magic to anything Lainey Wilson touches these days. This is a great record; a tortured Outlaw ballad for the modern era.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson- “Road Blocks” (Dancing Lily)
Returning with the lead single from her first studio album in more than a dozen years, the Canadian songbird returns with one hell of an anthem that is crisp, cutting, and confident. Johnson flips the proverbial musical bird to those life obstacles that try to hold us back, with a punchy and charismatic performance that finds her still in fine vocal form. It’s paired with a tasty guitar backdrop that recalls Grace Potter’s recent album, with an extra dose of country-rock twang. “Road Blocks” is a strong reminder as to why CDJ became a superstar up north, not to mention how severely under-appreciated she remains state-side.
Noah Kahan and Kacey Musgraves- “She Calls Me Back” (Mercury)
After both recently duetting with Zach Bryan, Kahan and Musgraves complete a fascinating triangle of great roots collaborations with this crackling reimagining of the original Stick Season cut. Like so many great roots artists, Kahan does so much with just the raw power of his voice and a few simple guitar rhythms. But this is no lo-fi production either, with such a pulsating tension and crisp energy constantly popping at the surface. We’ve heard Musgraves dabble in so many production settings throughout her career, but she’s rarely sounded so immediately captivating as she does in the folk-rock dressing displayed here. There’s such a sense of anticipation and doubt lingering in the air between the distanced lovers in this song, and it’s so elevated by the presence of a duet partner. The intimacy of reciting a memorized phone number, and sheer conceit of it in the digital age, is a wonderful little nugget as well.
Lenny Kravitz- “TK421” (BMG)
The seemingly ageless rock icon returns with a sensationally intoxicating single that is a jolting reminder of what great, modern rock can sound like. Kravitz will have you blowing out your speakers with this one. It’s a quaking combination of infectious funk rhythms, bopping sax solos, and Lenny’s trademark scintillating vocals. “TK421” is a certifiable rock firecracker.
Reba McEntire- “Seven Minutes In Heaven” (MCA)
The sole original from the Hall of Famer’s new acoustic album is the kind of heart-tugging ballad that Reba has amassed a career on the shoulders of. Sung from the perspective of a woman who gets a golden opportunity to visit Heaven and see a lost loved one, it’s squarely in Reba’s wheelhouse, and she wraps her still-sturdy twang around the sentiment like only she can. McEntire’s never been innocent of dodging schmaltz. However, this track won’t ever be charged with such an offense. The simple, organic arrangements highlight nothing but the message and the marvelous vessel that is her voice.
Neon Trees- “Losing My Head” (Geffen)
These latest Neon Trees singles possess just as much of the spark and energy as any of the band’s signature hits from a decade ago. Then again, so did their last outing in 2020. It all further asserts that they have consistently remained one of alternative’s most interesting and entertaining acts, regardless of the varying degrees of mainstream attention. “Losing My Head” is a perfectly disheveled, bitter, and snarky account of the occasional glory–and fun– to be found in hitting rock bottom.
Dolly Parton and Linda Perry- “What’s Up” (Big Machine)
The long-gestating rock album from Dolly Parton, which finally sees the light of day next month, has increasingly become one of the year’s most curiously fascinating releases with each successive single release. For her re-creation of this 1993 4 Non Blondes epic, the legend avoids some of the karaoke tendencies of its predecessors by avoiding overthought quirks, and keeping the proceedings very straight-forward. This is basically Parton singing against the song’s wailing guitar signature and mild backing vocals, both courtesy of Linda Perry herself. It results in the mammoth project’s most satisfying cover thus far, and second overall to the original “World on Fire”.
Margo Price featuring Jonathan Wilson- “Homesick” (Loma Vista)
An utterly gorgeous break-up tune that is aching and acidic, hypnotic and harmonious, in all the very best ways.
The Rolling Stones featuring Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder- “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (Polydor)
The second single from the new Rolling Stones LP is an undeniable rock & soul marvel. Mick Jagger’s vocals are fully in his bluesy rock sweet spot, steaming with the kind of heat and charisma that defined his very best moments. Stevie Wonder’s piano and keys strokes sound wondrous against the Stones’ rocking instruments, which are dripping with precisely the kind of sweaty intensity we expect from a great Rolling Stones record. And then, there’s Lady Gaga. It was an incredibly intelligent production choice not to give the pop icon a full-on verse, which initially feels disappointing. However, the sensational floating back-up vocals that linger above Jagger for the entirety of the record are so much more impactful. Her work here sounds reminiscent of the signature backing vocals you can hear on the great soul records of the 60s and 70s, not to mention Merry Clayton’s epic support of Jagger on 1969’s classic, “Gimme Shelter”. The fact that this is basically a gospel song underneath, and that it also manages to retain those qualities amidst all of these other box office elements is remarkable. The term “musical event” gets thrown around excessively when it comes to music industry collaborations. However, if there was ever a record that you could coin the phrase around, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” surely is it.
Sawyer Brown- “Under This Ole Hat” (Curb)
The beloved and electrifying country band returns with their first taste of new material in over a decade. The musicianship is packed with their classic personality, and Mark Miller’s voice sounds as enticing and magnetic as ever before. “Under This Ole Hat” could have easily been lifted from any of their peak-period 90s albums, without sounding anything but fresh in today’s world. It’s perfectly timed for the blissful 90s nostalgia that continues to run wild in the current landscape, and should successfully lead to a rediscovery of their solid catalog.
Troy Sivan- “One of Your Girls” (EMI)
A fetching and intriguing concoction of EDM heat and an undercurrent of sad, folky reflection. It’s so forwardly audacious in its flirtation and seduction, which makes it all the more devastating when you truly tap into the lonely, devaluing objectification at the core of the story that Sivan is telling here.
Sleater-Kinney- “Hell” (Loma Vista)
The indie-rock mavericks return with a demonic single that is perfectly timed for the spookiness of the season. They’re merely repeating the same, basic lyrics throughout the entire record. But each round takes on its own powerfully emotional identity thanks to the varying dynamics they pivot between. And that smoking hot guitar solo says just as much on its own as well. A darker portrait of the life experience to be sure; but also a dazzlingly good one.
Taylor Swift- “Slut!” (Republic)
My favorite 1989 TV vault track at the present moment. “Slut!” is an afflicted peek inside the romantic world’s loneliest moments, and how the celebrity life further magnifies them: “But if I’m all dressed up, they might as well be looking at us/If they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once/If I’m going to be drunk, might as well be drunk in love.” Sonically and thematically, I feel like this probably would fit more within the Midnights or Reputation portion of the Eras setlist vs. 1989. But hey, I’m finding more and more how era-agnostic I’m becoming in my Swiftie-dom.
Morgan Wade- “Halloween” (Sony)
No shade intended toward any of the material found on Morgan Wade’s recent sophomore album, Psychopath, but this standalone track is my favorite 2023 moment of hers. The raw, rugged power of her voice, both physical and narrative, is just displayed so fabulously in a stripped, downbeat setting like this. When it climaxes along with the mournful violin and piano arrangement? A country music chef’s kiss. (Bonus highlight: her rhyming of “anymore” and “tour”.)
Wynonna and Trisha Yearwood- “Cry Myself to Sleep” (BMG)
Two of the perennial vocal powerhouses and standard-bearers for quality in country’s 90s golden age unite for their first-ever collab, and nobody’s surprised that it’s pure, fiery magic. Both women have always been excellent at tapping into the bluesiest realms of country, and their read of this underrated 1986 Judds chart-topper shines a glowing light on this fact. It’s all perfectly highlighted by the intensification of the song’s swampy undercurrent in the production; it’s almost startling to play it back-to-back with the original. Wynonna has certainly grown into her soulful pipes. This is the one to top on the new, star-packed tribute album.
The 706 
Leave a comment