The 706 Digest: July 2024

July’s Marquee Titles Span from Blue Skies to Red Clay

Zach Bryan’s not-so-surprise unveiling of The Great American Bar Scene on July 4th kickstarted a month of diverse marquee releases across the Americana, country, R&B, and Hip Hop scenes. The album found the singer-songwriter leaning further into his Heartland Rock influences, while continuing to expand the prolific lexicon of rustically poetic compositions that have made him the decade’s most unlikely superstar, and one of its most deserving. While Bryan’s prominence in the wider popular music conversation continues to provide a unique and long overdue marriage of the mainstream and underground roots spheres, it was not enough to unseat Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department from the top of the Billboard 200 as some predicted. This dubious honor ultimately went to Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady, a characteristically challenging and uncomfortable but undeniably thrilling release that positioned itself as the supposed swan song for Eminem’s problematic alter-ego, Slim Shady. In a similar proclamation of chapter-closing, Donald Glover delivered what he claims is the final chapter in the Childish Gambino story with the cinematic Bando Stone & the New World, a vibrant apocalyptic themed concept album that will apparently be followed by a companion film. While Eminem and Gambino may have been closing doors, Sturgill Simpson launched a new era with his first Johnny Blue Skies record, Passage de Desir. It may be credited under a different monicker, but the album absolutely retains the standards of excellence set forth by Simpson’s preceding catalog; it’s one of the year’s most gorgeously resonant releases. Also forging paths toward the future were Megan Moroney and Red Clay Strays, whose respective sophomore releases (Am I Okay? and Made By These Moments) were anything but slumps, and rather displayed their own unique stylings and POVs blossoming further in impressive fashion.

Twist-ers and Turns Through a Mix of Roots Moments

In the grand tradition established by its 1996 predecessor, the Twisters film that saw theatrical release this month paired mundane cinema with a refreshingly diverse soundtrack of highlights. And while the nearly thirty-track collection gathers plenty of country headliners including Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, and Megan Moroney, as well as a full-circle appearance from Shania Twain, it also provided a high-profile spotlight for Americana favorites ranging from Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett and Red Clay Strays to Wyatt Flores, Flatland Cavalry, and Wilderado. Speaking of Crockett, he continued his remarkable prolificacy with the unveiling of Visions of Dallas, a sequel to his preceding LP, $10 Cowboy, which is merely three months old. Also invoking retro hallmarks with a fresh POV and vitality similar to Crockett is Melissa Carper, whose stylish and brassy sophomore set, Borned In Ya had the tongues of country purists and Americana aficionados wagging with excitement. Elsewhere in the roots scene, American Aquarium pivots from their honkier recent moments toward their harder rock edges on The Fear of Standing Still, while Koe Wetzel does the reverse, balancing out his gruff rock persona with a more intimate, folk-tinged side on 9 Lives. Rounding out this month’s Americana releases is a live, acoustic set from alt-country legend Steve Earle on Alone Again (Live), which while boasting a rich survey of the singer’s best songs, found the legend’s voice in a depressingly declining state.

Pop and Rock Summer Down-Low Continues

After a stacked spring that boasted releases from A-listers like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, The Black Keys, Justin Timberlake, and Twenty One Pilots among others, the summer drought of marquee pop and rock releases continued throughout July. The most pop-hype this month was ultimately devoted to the debut disc of rapper and recent Swifty collaborator, Ice Spice. Her LP bow, Y2K! proves to overstay its welcome even at a brisk, twenty-three minute run-time, due to its undeniable monotony and lack of the charisma needed to pull off much of her juvenile topical tropes. Meanwhile in rock, the lack of crowdedness on the calendar provided plenty of attention for a quartet of interesting releases unlikely to receive much in the way of widespread press or airplay. Iconic jam band, Phish returned to satiate their devoted cult-following’s appetite with Evolve, their first album in four years. Country-rocker Hardy goes all in on the latter side of that hyphen with Quit!!, his first pure rock album and follow-up to the stellar Joe Diffie tribute Hixtape he rolled out in March. Both of these projects illustrate Hardy’s abilities to capably navigate between straight-up country and heavy rock, and how he truly does each of them the best justice when he focuses solely on one at a time. Meanwhile, Highly Suspect continued to certify themselves as one of mainstream rock’s dark-horse bands with their fifth outing, As Above, So Below, while the alluring Cigarettes After Sex make a similar claim with their third album, X’s, another dreamy escape into the group’s signature indie-pop soundscapes.

July’s Best Singles

49 Winchester- “Tulsa” (New West)

A fully satisfying slice of bluesy country-rock, highlighted by a one-two punch of piercing twang and full-blooded guitar riffs, with the Don Williams call-out earning charming bonus points.

Andrea Bocelli and Shania Twain- “Da Stanotte in Poi (From This Moment On) (Decca)

A gorgeous jewel of a record. Hearing the song performed partially in French provides a striking display of just how effortlessly beautiful its melody has always been. Shania’s modern-day voice actually sounds better suited to unite with Bocelli’s powerhouse vocals than perhaps her prime pipes would have, with her part adding an elegantly rich and classic pop tapestry to the lyrics. A beautiful interpretation of one of its generation’s greatest love songs.

Zach Bryan- “28” (Warner)

The emotional and autobiographical centerpiece of his latest record, and perhaps his entire catalog to date. From his delivery of the passionate but simple chorus to Hannah Cohen’s weeping fiddle solos to the vivid imagery and guttural nature of the heart-wrenching lyrics (“You’re all grown up now/There’s smoke seeping out of your bloody teeth”…”Took twenty eight years of blood pumping through me to feel loved on my own birthday”…), “28” encapsulates everything we’ve come to expect from an essential Zach Bryan record.

Tyler Childers- “Song While You’re Away” (Atlantic)

As mentioned above, the Twisters soundtrack proves to be an unlikely source for standout moments thanks to the sheer breadth and variety of country and roots-oriented performers that it unites. It should come as no surprise that Childers emerges with one of the tippy-top highlights. Boasting his signature Appalachian rock origins and sardonic brand of twangy charm, “Song” smilingly earns its spot alongside the rest of his catalog.

Dawes- “House Parties” (Rounder)

The folk-rock faves return to preview their ninth LP, which will surely serve as one of 2024’s late-year highlights. Per usual, they pack this track with loads of quirky and entertaining lyrical nuggets, creating what will be an instant anthem for all those middle-aged gents who’d rather hang out at home than get dragged on a vacation with their families.

Joe Ely featuring Bruce Springsteen- “Odds of the Blues” (Rack ‘Em)

Joe Ely may be firmly in his late 70s at this point, but his sly abilities with a honky twang and a bluesy rock rhythm remain as adept as they were in the late 70s. He and the Boss sound great together on this humid troubadour lament, reminding us that pure rock & roll can age in cool and graceful fashion when in the right hands.

Halsey- “Lucky” (Columbia)

Halsey’s sonic evolution reached a fever-pitch with her 2021 deep-dive into alt-rock. This new track assures her long-time fans that she hasn’t abandoned her pop roots, with a chorus that samples Britney Spears’ 2000 smash, “Lucky”, while its R&B undercurrent recalls 90s gems from the likes of Monica and Des’ree. These ingredients will undoubtedly lack the bite of If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, but there’s no denying its fizzy pop additives, and the personal lyrics are anything but fluffy.

Japandroids- “Chicago” (Anti)

Another final record proclamation, this time from the Canadian garage rockers, is previewed with this solid, on-brand alt-anthem that makes for a surging record, and will be even more raucously enticing in a live setting.

Joe Jonas- “Work It Out” (Republic)

The middle Jo-Bro launches his new solo project with a delightfully manic slice of pop contagion, which topically serves as a wake-up call for a narrator in a rut despite a bevy of blessings. We all have those moments, and while they can be frustratingly difficult to crawl out of it, a few listens of this ear-candy surely couldn’t hurt such a mission. There’s a slight Bleachers ambience at play here that, honestly, I wish had been far more prevalent on the last Bleachers record.

Kesha- “Joyride” (Kesha)

To celebrate her own declaration from her legally rattled run on RCA, Kesha returns to the party-girl chaos of her early records on “Joyride”. If the carnival like-production that opens the track wasn’t your first clue to that fact, just wait for the bender-sounding vocals and gonzo theatrics that follow. This may seem like an artistic step-back given the surprising depth she demonstrated in her post-Warrior eras, but there is no denying the guilty-pleasure nostalgia this call-back provides, even if her efforts in this realm always sounded a bit like The Fame left-overs.

Amythyst Kiah featuring S.G. Goodman- “Play God and Destroy the World” (Rounder)

A much welcomed and far overdue return from Kiah, who proved to be one of the most soul-stirring roots narrators during the troubled early years of the decade. This thunderously fantastic duet takes the intensity of the social commentary-driven pillars of her artistic POV to a whole new level, encouraging us all to somehow find light and inspiration during life’s darkest times. This performance offers both topical inspiration and flat-out, kick-ass music in droves.

Miranda Lambert- “Alimony” (Big Loud)

The promotional single previews from her Big Loud debut continue to progressively improve, with this cheeky divorce-themed parlor romp being the indisputable highlight. Lambert’s never been afraid of leaning into her Texas-centric country influences, but her recent departure from the Nashville ecosystem suggests that she’s ready to dive deep into that pool. If this is indicative of what’s to come overall on Postcards from Texas, color me as excited for a Miranda release as I’ve ever been.

The Linda Lindas- “All In My Head” (Epitaph)

Riot-grrrl spirit lives on in this delectable slice of girl-power pop-punk. It feels like a Bangles-Sleater Kinney smoothie and I’m all for additional helpings.

Post Malone featuring Luke Combs- “Guy For That” (Republic)

Have we all accepted yet that this Posty album is likely to be the crossover country juggernaut that Cowboy Carter was supposed to be? This is the kind of assembly line Music City fare that Luke Combs has been elevating for ages now, and he brings all the firepower of his magic to these proceedings, and Malone matches it with loads of chemistry, charismatic energy, and fiddle-laden goodness. It sure ends abruptly though, doesn’t it?

Midland- “Lucky Sometimes” (Big Machine)

It’s Midland delivering exactly what they have been for the better part of a decade: vividly lush, 70s-kissed country-rock that’s expertly sung, played and produced. They’re one of those acts that gets criminally overlooked for the sheer fact that they’ve been so solidly consistently for so long.

Kylie Minogue featuring Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo- “My Oh My” (BMG)

It’s one of Kylie’s least memorable offerings during her most recent run of strong output, but there’s no doubt or surprise that she’s carrying the load here. Bebe and Tove would be wise to study Kylie’s career if they wish to evolve and navigate the fickle pop scene toward some form of longevity.

Ashley Monroe- “Hot Rod Pipe Dream” (Mountainrose Sparrow)

It sure has been fun to see Ashley Monroe get her creative groove back over the past few months, and it all reaches a fever pitch with this prime summer cut, which slyly doubles as both a hook-up and kiss-off number. The finer sex has always been far superior in ogling the opposite gender in song because of tracks like this where they never sacrifice their own agency or intelligence “Hot rod, you’ve got chrome for brains.” Snaps to that.

Kacey Musgraves- “Irish Goodbye” (Interscope)

This is classic Kacey heartbreak: cunningly sweet and stingingly honest. To anyone who’s ever been ghosted, whether it by friends, family, or a potential lover (as prevalent a trend as ever in the world of online dating), this track’s for you. It certainly was worthy of placement on the original record, especially with its breezy runtime.

Orville Peck and Beck- “Death Valley High” (Warner)

As bodaciously bizarre and sonically restless as we would have expected from a Peck and Beck pairing. These are two artists whose own musical identities are equally as distinct and fluid, so its no surprise that they find a way to lean into both of their personalities and create a thrilling escapade in dutiful service to both.

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen- “All I Wanna Do Is Drink” (Thirty Tigers)

If we’re fortunate enough, the latest collection of duets from these two is Volume Four of what will hopefully be Volume Forty. Another fabulous rendition of no-apologies, Red Dirt honky tonk heaven. And Randy Rogers remains the owner of one of this generation’s most unassumingly and uniquely emotive country voices. Another round, please!

Taylor Swift- “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” (Republic)

I may still be trapped in a perennial round of gettin’ down bad and cryin’ at the gym, but I understand why this was the most logical summer single selection from Tortured Poets. It’s a stampede of electropop euphoria and certainly one of the album’s hookiest entries, but I’m already clamoruing for the deafening roar of “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” to have its hopeful moment in the autumnal spotlight.

Morgan Wallen- “Lies, Lies, Lies” (Big Loud)

While Wallen continues to dominate the summer country scene with a career-defining Post Malone collab and the upteenth hit single from One Thing At A Time, he queues up this first taste of that blockbuster’s follow-up. I’m digging the eery, brooding, steel-tinged rawness of the track’s production; it strikes a dark and haunted timbre that feels unlike anything he’s released to date.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings- “Empty Trainload of Sky” (Acony)

All hail the return of Americana royalty with the reemergence of Welch & Rawlings, returning after their first formal duets record in 2020. Welch takes the lead here and after nearly thirty years of recordings, there is still nothing in modern music quite like the ethereal sound of her mystical voice against a rustic, mountainous arrangement.

Koe Wetzel- “Hatchet” (Columbia)

Wetzel continues to establish himself as a refreshingly difficult artist to pigeonhole. The stripped, breezy folk vibes of “Hatchet” (and much of 9 Lives) fly directly in the face of the blustery country/grunge hybrid that has become his main calling card, yet it all cohesively fits into the same passionate artistic vision.

Weird Al Yankovic- “Polkamania!” (Way Moby)

The long-standing king of pop music comedy checks in for the first time in a decade (outside of the 2022 soundtrack to his excellent biopic) with another of his delightfully dizzying polka medleys to recap a batch of the pop hits that he’s missed the chance to parody over the past ten years. Taylor, Billie, Adele, Miley, Justin, Olivia and Ariana are among the host of pop hitmakers covered, but nothing scores laughs as deliriously as the Megan Thee Stallion/Cardi B “WAP” segment.